Don't expect Congressional action to be taken on H.R. 5632, the rolling resistance bill, any time soon, say officials from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA).
"It's not likely that Congress will act on the bill this term," Dan Zielinski, vice president of communications for the RMA, has told moderntiredealer.com.
"We were hopeful that it might clear the House, but it never got time on the right calendar."
The bill -- which would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create a rule that will establish a national rating system for tire rolling resistance -- was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee four months ago. There is no companion bill in the Senate.
Zielinski says it isn't unusual for bills to get lost in the shuffle. "Ten thousand bills are introduced each year and only 200 or 300 are enacted. This is not a big ticket item."
H.R. 5632 does not enjoy "broad bi-partisan appeal," explains Paul Fiore, TIA's director of government and business relations. "The bill is not dead in the water, but whether it sees the light of day on the House floor, we don't know."
Both TIA and the RMA approve of the bill. However, the Specialty Equipment Market Association opposes it.
