WASHINGTON With four months remaining in the Bush Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration appears to be putting the finishing touches on several proposed new rules, some of which could significantly impact the over-the-road bus industry.

However, the timing of the rulemakings means it will be up to a new administration to decide whether to implement, modify or scrap them.

Two of the new regulations, governing electronic onboard recorders and driver hours-of-service, are being reviewed by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.

Among other rulemakings the FMCSA is expected to send to the secretary in coming weeks are a revised new-entrant safety audit program, a unified registration system, and a proposal for a revamped carrier safety fitness rating system.

Other regulations the FMCSA reportedly is working to complete include:

A pair of high-profile medical rules, one creating a national registry of medical examiners for drivers and another linking the medical certification to the commercial driver license, which already have been sent to the secretary, with an eye on publication in late November or early December.

A proposal to restrict the way drivers cross highway-grade railroad crossings, which is projected to be published in April 2009.

Steve Keppler, director of policy and programs for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, told a leading trucking industry publication that several of the proposed rules are "contentious."

"There are a series of major rules that FMCSA has committed to getting out, and theyve been pretty public about that," said Keppler. "Theyre working real hard on these things and theyre meeting their deadlines internally, is what they are telling me."

As part of the rule-writing process, agencies must send their proposed regulations to the office of the secretary, who in turn sends them to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review.

In May, FMCSA Administrator John Hill was quoted as saying he hoped to get the HOS and EOBR rules to OMB by September, which would give the White House the required 90 days for review.

Keppler said he believes the agency is committed to publishing the rules, but "whether they can get through the secretarys office and OMB is another question."

Earlier this year, OMB Director Jim Nussle said the Bush administration would not publish a spate of new rules toward the end of the year as it leaves office.

But Keppler says the directive "is pretty wishy-washy, and theres a lot of room for interpretation." Still, he adds that "the closer we get to the end of the year, the less likely that things are going to go."