PRINCETON, N.J. — Month after month, new federal regulations impacting fleet managers are proposed.

The staggering amount of changes each year is difficult to keep up with, but fleet managers who belong to NAFA Fleet Management Association are in good hands. NAFA Members have their own legislative team fighting for them in Washington, D.C., and Ottawa. A monthly newsletter, exclusively sent to NAFA Members, not only tells fleet managers about the changes but does so in simple, easy-to-understand language.

In addition to reporting the news, NAFA's legislative team regularly offers the "fleet perspective" on proposed changes and makes sure government agencies keep fleets in mind before making final decisions.

Here's a brief look at some of NAFA's legislative work performed in the first half of 2012 in America:

• NAFA wrote to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in support of the Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) request for a three-month waiver from the FMCSA's final rule restricting the use of cell phones by drivers of commercial vehicles.
• NAFA submitted written comments to the Department of Energy (DOE) on their proposed regulation to allow fleets to earn compliance credits for the acquisition of hybrid vehicles. NAFA asked the DOE "to publish a final rule as soon as possible so that covered fleets can take advantage of electronic drive vehicles in Model Year 2012." NAFA also urged the DOE "to reconsider the proposed 1/2 credit allocation for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), non-AFV plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), and non-AFV medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles. Giving full credit for these vehicles would send a signal to the manufacturing community that these vehicles are becoming a 'mainstream' technology and a preferred vehicle by large fleets."
• NAFA continues to engage in discussions with pipeline companies, DOE, and state regulators regarding the availability of E85, a motor vehicle blend of gasoline and ethanol that many state and utility fleets rely on to meet the fuel use of the DOE's Alternative Fuel Transportation Program.
• NAFA submitted written comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their proposed federal underground storage tank (UST) regulations, which include requirements for determining that the UST system is compatible with the fuel stored.
• NAFA recommended revisions to the Visual-Manual Driver Distraction guidelines proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Association recommended that the guidelines address the unique requirements of federal, state and municipal government fleets, and emergency service vehicle fleets, including law enforcement, fire and rescue, utility, and emergency response.

"Nobody fights harder for fleet managers than NAFA," said NAFA Executive Director Phillip E. Russo, CAE. "We are the eyes and the ears of fleet management -- our legislative support is unparalleled."

About NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA is the world's premier non-profit association for professionals who manage fleets of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for organizations across the globe. NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location or fleet composition. NAFA's Full and Associate Members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance and repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 3.5 million vehicles including in excess of 1.1 million trucks of which 350 thousand are medium- and heavy-duty trucks. For more information, visit http://www.nafa.org.