Democratic lawmakers from New York and New Jersey have introduced legislation that would mandate the screening and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea for commercial truck drivers and rail workers.
The legislation would require the Department of Transportation to overturn President Trump's decision to not move forward on an apnea rulemaking. The legislation was introduced in the Senate late last week by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, as well as Cory Booker and Robert Menendez of New Jersey. U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell Jr. and Albio Sires introduced a companion bill in the House.
The lawmakers have been outspoken on the apnea issue after several recent deadly commuter rail incidents that have been blamed on the disease.
“The recent findings released by [the National Transportation Safety Board] on the Hoboken and [Long Island Railroad] crashes underscore just how shortsighted and reckless the Trump administration’s recent decision was to reverse the rule requiring sleep apnea testing and treatment,” said Booker. “We simply cannot stand idly by and wait for the next tragic incident.”
NTSB’s has listed battling sleep apnea as one of its top desired safety goals. It has listed apnea as the probable cause of 10 rail and highway crashes in the past 17 years.
In March 2016, the federal government published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking and sought feedback whether mandatory screening should be required for certain workers. The decision not to move forward was made pubic in early August.
“Many large truck drivers are pushed to work long shifts with irregular schedules and often without adequate sleep. OSA is a serious medical condition that, when left untreated, contributes to driver fatigue, a well-known and well-documented safety hazard,” said Jackie Gillian, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
