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This bill would give federal and state officials clearer power to police the moving of household goods, like the shipment of personal belongings. It would let the federal transportation agency directly assess civil penalties for certain rule violations, give states more help and flexibility to enforce household-goods rules, and let states keep the fines they collect. It also tightens registration rules for moving companies, brokers, and freight forwarders by requiring them to list a real principal business location and, in some cases, disclose close business ties with other related companies. The goal is to make it harder for bad actors to hide, improve consumer protection, and strengthen oversight of household-goods shipping.
- Allows the Secretary of Transportation to issue civil penalties for violations of certain commercial transportation rules after notice and a hearing.
- Lets states use federal grant money to enforce household-goods rules for interstate moves, and for intrastate moves if state rules match federal standards. This is optional and not required to receive funds.
- Requires fines and penalties that states impose in these cases to be paid to the state that issued them.
- Requires carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and some other applicants to designate a valid principal place of business, and allows registration to be suspended or revoked if they fail to do so. It also requires some applicants to disclose recent relationships involving shared ownership, management, control, or family ties.
Official Summaries
Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act
This bill allows the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to assess civil penalties against motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders for violations related to the interstate transportation of household goods and provides states with additional related authorities.
As background, a broker is the “middle person” between a shipper and a motor carrier and arranges for the transportation of household goods. A freight forwarder organizes shipments for individuals or corporations. Unlike a broker, freight forwarders assume responsibility for transportation and may transport the freight itself.
The bill expands the FMCSA registration requirements to require motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders to designate a principal place of business (i.e., a single physical location where management officials report to work, a significant portion of the transportation business is conducted, and records are maintained). FMCSA may withhold, suspend, amend, or revoke any part of a registration for failure to designate.
In addition, brokers and freight forwarders must disclose any common ownership, management, control, or familial relationship with any other carrier, freight forwarder, broker, or applicant in the previous three years. Under current law, motor carriers must disclose this information.
Further, states may use certain grant funds to enforce federal household goods statutes and regulations for the interstate transportation of these goods by motor carriers and brokers. This applies to Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) grant funds and MCSAP High Priority discretionary grant funds. A state shall retain collected fines that are a result of enforcement.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 337 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 341
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 337
[Report No. 119-112]
A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to clarify the authority
of the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
relating to the shipping of household goods, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 30, 2025
Mrs. Fischer (for herself and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
February 23, 2026
Reported by Mr. Cruz, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to clarify the authority
of the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
relating to the shipping of household goods, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Household Goods Shipping Consumer
Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CIVIL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF
COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.
(a) Enforcement by Secretary.--Section 14914 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as
subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Enforcement by Secretary.--If, after notice and an
opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary finds that a person violated a
provision of part B of subtitle IV of this title, or a regulation or
order issued pursuant to such part, the Secretary shall assess a civil
penalty by written notice.'';
(3) in subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by
inserting ``or the Secretary'' after ``Board''; and
(4) in subsection (d), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by
inserting ``or the Secretary'' after ``Board''.
(b) Application.--Section 501(b) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) by inserting ``5,'' after ``20303 and chapters''; and
(2) by inserting ``311, 313,'' after ``chapters),''.
SEC. 3. STATE USE OF GRANT FUNDS FOR COMMERCIAL ENFORCEMENT AND
CONSUMER PROTECTION.
Section 31102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (h)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) for the enforcement of Federal household goods
statutes and regulations for the interstate transportation of
household goods by household goods motor carriers and brokers,
and for the intrastate transportation of household goods by
household goods motor carriers if the State has adopted laws or
regulations that are compatible with Federal household goods
regulations.'';
(2) in subsection (l)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as
subparagraph (K); and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the
following:
``(J) enforce Federal household goods statutes and
regulations for the interstate transportation of
household goods by household goods motor carriers and
brokers, and for the intrastate transportation of
household goods by household goods motor carriers if
the State has adopted laws or regulations that are
compatible with Federal household goods regulations;
and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(m) State Discretion.--The activities described in subsections
(h)(3) and (l)(2)(J) are--
``(1) optional at the discretion of a State; and
``(2) not a condition on funds received under this
section.''.
SEC. 4. STATE RETENTION OF PENALTIES AND FINES.
Section 14711 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(g) Penalties.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any
fine or penalty imposed on a carrier or broker in a proceeding under
this section shall be paid to, and retained by, the State that imposed
such fine or penalty.''.
SEC. 5. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Definitions.--Section 13102 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(28) Principal place of business.--The term `principal
place of business' means a single physical business location of
a specified entity where--
``(A) management officials of such specified entity
report to work;
``(B) such specified entity conducts a significant
portion of its business relating to the transportation
of persons or property; and
``(C) such specified entity maintains records
required by part B of subtitle IV or part B of subtitle
VI.
``(29) Specified entity.--The term `specified entity'
means--
``(A) an employer, as such term is defined in
section 31132;
``(B) a person;
``(C) a motor carrier, including a foreign motor
carrier or foreign motor private carrier;
``(D) a broker; or
``(E) a freight forwarder.''.
(b) Motor Carrier Generally.--Section 13902(a)(1) of title 49,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) has designated a principal place of
business.''.
(c) Registration of Freight Forwarders.--Section 13903(a) of title
49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) has designated a principal place of business; and
``(4) has disclosed any relationship involving common
ownership, common management, common control, or common
familial relationship between such person and any other motor
carrier, freight forwarder, broker, or any other applicant for
motor carrier, freight forwarder, or broker registration, if
the relationship occurred in the 3-year period preceding the
date of the filing of the application for registration.''.
(d) Registration of Brokers.--Section 13904(a) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (1) by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in subsection (2) by striking the period and inserting
a semicolon; and
(3) by inserting at the end the following:
``(3) has designated a principal place of business; and
``(4) has disclosed any relationship involving common
ownership, common management, common control, or common
familial relationship between such person and any other motor
carrier, freight forwarder, or broker, or any other applicant
for motor carrier, freight forwarder, or broker registration,
if the relationship occurred in the 3-year period preceding the
date of the filing of the application for registration.''.
(e) Complaints and Actions on Secretary Initiatives.--Section
13905(d)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking ``or'' at the
end;
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) withhold, suspend, amend, or revoke any part
of a registration of a motor carrier, foreign motor
carrier, foreign motor private carrier, broker, or
freight forwarder if the Secretary finds that the motor
carrier, foreign motor carrier, foreign motor private
carrier, broker, or freight forwarder failed to
designate a valid principal place of business.''.
(f) Requirement for Registration and USDOT Number.--Section 31134
of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) the employer or person seeking registration has
designated a principal place of business, as defined in section
13102.''; and
(2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``subsection (b)(1)''
and inserting ``subsection (b)''.
Calendar No. 341
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 337
[Report No. 119-112]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to clarify the authority
of the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
relating to the shipping of household goods, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 23, 2026
Reported without amendment