,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fhhd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ah1       
#bjbe,mr4 ,moolenaar introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend   
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 to    
establish a penalty for a freight broker
 that contracts with an unsafe carrier1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,patrick and ,barbara ,kowalski ,freight
 ,brokers ,safety ,act4  #b4 ,penalty   
for contracting with unsafe carrier  7a7
 ,in general ,chapter #adi of title #di1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by   
adding at the end the following3        
#adiag4 ,penalty for contracting with   
unsafe carrier  7a7 ,in general ,any    
broker under this part that contracts   
with any specified transportation       
company shall be liable to the ,united  
,states for a civil penalty in an amount
 equal to #aj percent of the value of   

the contracted cargo for the entire     
contract of such broker with the        
specified transportation company4  7b7  
,deposit in highway trust fund ,the     
,secretary shall deposit any penalty    
collected under subsection 7a7 into the 
,highway ,trust ,fund4  7c7 ,use of     
funds ,the ,secretary may use amounts   
deposited under subsection 7b7 without  
further appropriation for projects or   
infrastructure eligible under this title
 or title #bc that increase roadway     
safety4  7d7 ,specified transportation  
company defined ,in this section1 the   
term specified transportation company   
means a person that transports cargo for
 compensation that1 in the #e-year      
period ending on the date on which a    
broker contracts with the specified     
transportation company--  7#a7 has been 
issued #c or more ,department of        
,transportation violations2 or  7#b7    
employs a driver that has been issued #c
 or more ,department of ,transportation 
violations4  #adiah4 ,investigations of 

certain crashes  7a7 ,in general ,the   
,administrator of the ,federal ,motor   
,carrier ,safety ,administration may    
investigate a freight broker following a
 fatal crash by a company contracted by 
such freight broker4  7b7 ,additional   
safety requirements ,following an       
investigation conducted pursuant to     
subsection 7a71 the ,administrator may  
establish additional operating          
requirements on a freight broker if the 
,administrator found in such            
investigation that the broker acted with
 egregious disregard for safety in      
contracting the company that was        
involved in such accident4  4  7b7      
,clerical amendment ,the analysis for   
chapter #adi of title #di1 ,united      
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #adiag4 ,penalty
 for contracting with unsafe carrier4   
#adiah4 ,investigations of certain      
crashes4  4