Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act
Sen. Todd Young R-IN & Sen. Andy Kim D-NJ · Bipartisan · Senate Commerce Committee
Bipartisan Senate companion to the House SAFE Act (H.R. 7539), targeting “chameleon carriers” that reopen under new identities to evade insurance and FMCSA enforcement. Would require a GAO study of their prevalence and associated crashes, direct FMCSA to build and test an automated tool to flag suspicious registration applications (with an appeals process and effectiveness audits), and improve federal–state information sharing. Supported by ATA, OOIDA, and the Truckload Carriers Association.
Rep. Nanette Barragán D-CA · 5 cosponsors · House T&I and Science, Space & Technology Committees
Would establish a $1 billion-per-year MARAD program to support the research, development, demonstration, deployment, and commercialization of zero-emission and clean alternative maritime technologies and infrastructure. Senate companion: S. 4935.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen D-MD · 1 cosponsor · Senate Commerce Committee
Senate companion to H.R. 9454, carrying the same $1 billion-per-year MARAD program for zero-emission and clean alternative maritime technologies and infrastructure.
Would require that any edits or annotations to ELD records be made only by a carrier, dispatcher, or driver located in North America, while keeping all edits subject to driver approval.
Would require a hazardous-materials placard on all refrigerated shipping containers, improving first-responder awareness of refrigeration-related hazards.
The most relevant of a trio of Beyer rail bills on alternative power. Would create an unfunded FRA pilot program to improve freight and passenger rail’s ability to rotate between diesel, battery, electric, and hydrogen power sources, identify barriers to implementation, and design a railcar capable of switching between them.
