H.R. 4500 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Jul 17, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands exemptions for livestock hauling vehicles
The bill exempts livestock hauling vehicles and their drivers from federal rules that limit how many hours commercial truck drivers can work and require vehicles to have electronic logging devices that track driving time. The exemption would cover vehicles carrying livestock, insects, or aquatic animals, as well as empty vehicles heading to pick up livestock or returning after a delivery.
How it affects you
Livestock haulers and the trucking companies that operate these vehicles would have more flexibility in their schedules and wouldn't need to install or use electronic tracking devices for these trips. This mainly affects people in the livestock transportation industry and may influence how quickly livestock products reach markets and stores.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jul 17, 2025)
Hauling Exemptions for Livestock Protection Act or the HELP Act
This bill exempts livestock hauling vehicles and the vehicle operators from hours of service and electronic logging device (ELD) requirements. The exemption applies to a hauling vehicle carrying livestock (i.e., livestock, insects, or aquatic animals) and to a vehicle that is picking up or returning from delivering livestock (i.e., an unladen vehicle).
Under current law, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules limit how many hours most commercial truck drivers can drive and work and requires a vehicle to be equipped with an ELD, which tracks how long a vehicle has been driving. Limited exemptions exist, including for livestock hauling.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 4500
A BILL
HELP Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO-3) · Introduced Jul 17, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jul 18, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.”