Bill > S3950

This bill, titled the "Securing American Freight, Enforcement, and Reliability in Transport Act" or "SAFER Transport Act," aims to combat freight fraud and theft by establishing a Freight Fraud and Theft Advisory Committee composed of various industry stakeholders to provide recommendations to the Department of Transportation (DOT) on reducing such crimes. It also mandates a memorandum of understanding between the DOT and the Attorney General to improve coordination in addressing freight fraud and theft, and requires the DOT to notify the Department of Justice of any identified incidents. A significant provision is the phasing out of MC numbers, which are motor carrier docket numbers, and a transition to using only USDOT numbers as the unique identifier for motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders within five years. The bill also strengthens state licensing for commercial drivers by requiring verification of work authorization for non-citizens and mandates monthly reporting on commercial driver's licenses. Furthermore, it improves the training provider registry for commercial drivers by introducing audits, allowing for removal of providers for nondisclosure of relationships or fraud, and establishing expedited removal processes. The bill also directs the development of automated systems to detect suspicious activity in the registration system for motor carriers and brokers, and enhances enforcement of cabotage laws, which prohibit foreign-domiciled carriers and unauthorized alien drivers from providing point-to-point transportation services within the United States. Finally, it clarifies the definition of a broker and introduces criminal penalties for submitting fraudulent certifications to the Administration, which is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.