Why did the Policy change take place?

Section 33014 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21) required the Secretary of DOT to conduct a study of the HMSP program and identify actions that could be implemented to improve the program.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted that study and, in March 2014, reported back to Congress.  The policy is based on the FMCSA implementing two of the recommendations contained in the report.