The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hereby declares that the continuing national emergency warrants extension of the expanded modified Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002.  This extension of the expanded modified emergency declaration addresses national emergency conditions that create a need for immediate transportation of essential supplies, and provides necessary relief from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for motor carriers and drivers.

This extension of the expanded modified Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 is effective at 12:00 A.M. (ET), June 1, 2021 and shall remain in effect until 11:59 P.M. (ET), August 31, 2021, modification or termination by FMCSA, or revocation of the declaration of national emergency under 42 U.S.C. § 5191(b), whichever is soonest.  FMCSA intends to review the status of this Emergency Declaration as of July 1, 2021, and may take action to modify or terminate the Emergency Declaration sooner if conditions warrant.

Attached to this email is a copy of the extended Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002.

The extension is limited when transportation of:

• Livestock and livestock feed.
• Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.
• Vaccines, constituent products, and medical supplies and equipment including ancillary supplies/kits for the administration of vaccines, related to the prevention of COVID-19.
• Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants.
• Food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores.

Direct assistance means “transportation and other relief services provided by a motor carrier or its driver(s) incident to the immediate restoration of essential services (such as medical care) or essential supplies related to COVID-19 during the emergency.

Direct assistance does not include non-emergency transportation of qualifying commodities or routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration. To be eligible for the exemption, the transportation must be both (i) of qualifying commodities and (ii) incident to the immediate restoration of those essential supplies.