UCRA BOARD PROHIBITS EARLY COLLECTION OF REGISTRATION FEES
Last week, the FMCSA issued regulatory guidance saying that states that participate in the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCRA) could collect fees for 2010 at the rates in effect for 2009, if the states did not include trailer equipment in the fee calculation. Then states could go back and reassess carriers for any difference once the federal rulemaking to set the 2010 fees is completed later this year.
On March 11, the UCRA Board of Directors held its first meeting since FMCSA's notice, and voted 10 to 1 to prohibit states from collecting any UCRA fees for 2010 until FMCSA publishes a final rule resetting fees for the program, or until further notice from the Board.
Based on the discussion at the Board meeting, it was decided that attempting to collect under the FMCSA guidance would lead to severe administrative problems for the program. The Board's resolution has been circulated to all of the states that participate in the UCRA. The federal rulemaking to set the 2010 fees is now at the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for final review, and its issuance is anticipated this summer.