Bill > HR6884

This bill, the Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act, aims to enhance road safety by penalizing freight brokers who contract with unsafe carriers. A freight broker is a company that arranges for the transportation of goods by other companies. The bill introduces a new penalty where a freight broker will be liable for a civil penalty equal to 10 percent of the value of the contracted cargo if they hire a "specified transportation company." A specified transportation company is defined as a carrier that, within the five years prior to the contract, has had three or more violations issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT), or employs a driver who has received three or more DOT violations. Any penalties collected will be deposited into the Highway Trust Fund and can be used for projects that improve roadway safety. Furthermore, the bill allows the Administrator of the Federal Motor Safety Administration (FMCSA) to investigate freight brokers following a fatal crash involving a company they contracted with, and if the broker is found to have shown egregious disregard for safety in their contracting decisions, the FMCSA Administrator can impose additional operating requirements on that broker.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6884/all-info