| 1 | 1 | | I |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 880 |
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| 5 | 5 | | A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to clarify the authority of |
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| 6 | 6 | | the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the shipping of household goods, and for other purposes. |
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| 8 | 8 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 9 | 9 | | JANUARY31, 2025 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Ms. N |
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| 11 | 11 | | ORTON(for herself, Mr. EZELL, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CARTERof Lou- |
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| 12 | 12 | | isiana, Mr. H |
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| 13 | 13 | | ILLof Arkansas, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. |
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| 14 | 14 | | S |
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| 15 | 15 | | CHOLTEN, and Mr. BURCHETT) introduced the following bill; which was |
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| 16 | 16 | | referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure |
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| 17 | 17 | | A BILL |
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| 18 | 18 | | A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to clarify |
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| 19 | 19 | | the authority of the Administrator of the Federal Motor |
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| 20 | 20 | | Carrier Safety Administration relating to the shipping |
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| 21 | 21 | | of household goods, and for other purposes. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Household Goods Ship-4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | ping Consumer Protection Act’’. 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
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| 29 | 29 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 30 | 30 | | SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CIVIL PEN-1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | ALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF COMMERCIAL 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | REGULATIONS. 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (a) E |
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| 34 | 34 | | NFORCEMENT BY SECRETARY.—Section 14914 4 |
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| 35 | 35 | | of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 5 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and 6 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; 7 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-8 |
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| 39 | 39 | | lowing: 9 |
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| 40 | 40 | | ‘‘(b) E |
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| 41 | 41 | | NFORCEMENT BY SECRETARY.—If, after no-10 |
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| 42 | 42 | | tice and an opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary finds 11 |
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| 43 | 43 | | that a person violated a provision of part B of subtitle 12 |
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| 44 | 44 | | IV of this title, or a regulation or order issued pursuant 13 |
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| 45 | 45 | | to such part, the Secretary shall assess a civil penalty by 14 |
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| 46 | 46 | | written notice.’’; 15 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (3) in subsection (c), as redesignated by para-16 |
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| 48 | 48 | | graph (1), by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary’’ after 17 |
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| 49 | 49 | | ‘‘Board’’; and 18 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (4) in subsection (d), as redesignated by para-19 |
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| 51 | 51 | | graph (1), by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary’’ after 20 |
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| 52 | 52 | | ‘‘Board’’. 21 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (b) A |
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| 54 | 54 | | PPLICATION.—Section 501(b) of title 49, United 22 |
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| 55 | 55 | | States Code, is amended— 23 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (1) by inserting ‘‘5,’’ after ‘‘20303 and chap-24 |
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| 57 | 57 | | ters’’; and 25 |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) by inserting ‘‘311, 313,’’ after ‘‘chapters),’’. 26 |
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| 60 | 60 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
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| 61 | 61 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 62 | 62 | | SEC. 3. STATE USE OF GRANT FUNDS FOR COMMERCIAL 1 |
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| 63 | 63 | | ENFORCEMENT AND CONSUMER PROTEC-2 |
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| 64 | 64 | | TION. 3 |
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| 65 | 65 | | Section 31102 of title 49, United States Code, is 4 |
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| 66 | 66 | | amended— 5 |
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| 67 | 67 | | (1) in subsection (h)— 6 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘and’’ 7 |
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| 69 | 69 | | at the end; 8 |
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| 70 | 70 | | (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking the 9 |
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| 71 | 71 | | period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 10 |
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| 72 | 72 | | (C) by adding at the end the following: 11 |
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| 73 | 73 | | ‘‘(3) for the enforcement of Federal household 12 |
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| 74 | 74 | | goods statutes and regulations for the interstate 13 |
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| 75 | 75 | | transportation of household goods by household 14 |
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| 76 | 76 | | goods motor carriers and brokers, and for the intra-15 |
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| 77 | 77 | | state transportation of household goods by household 16 |
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| 78 | 78 | | goods motor carriers if the State has adopted laws 17 |
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| 79 | 79 | | or regulations that are compatible with Federal 18 |
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| 80 | 80 | | household goods regulations.’’; 19 |
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| 81 | 81 | | (2) in subsection (l)(2)— 20 |
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| 82 | 82 | | (A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ 21 |
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| 83 | 83 | | at the end; 22 |
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| 84 | 84 | | (B) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as 23 |
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| 85 | 85 | | subparagraph (K); and 24 |
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| 86 | 86 | | (C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the 25 |
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| 87 | 87 | | following: 26 |
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| 89 | 89 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 |
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| 90 | 90 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 91 | 91 | | ‘‘(J) enforce Federal household goods stat-1 |
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| 92 | 92 | | utes and regulations for the interstate transpor-2 |
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| 93 | 93 | | tation of household goods by household goods 3 |
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| 94 | 94 | | motor carriers and brokers, and for the intra-4 |
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| 95 | 95 | | state transportation of household goods by 5 |
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| 96 | 96 | | household goods motor carriers if the State has 6 |
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| 97 | 97 | | adopted laws or regulations that are compatible 7 |
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| 98 | 98 | | with Federal household goods regulations; and’’; 8 |
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| 99 | 99 | | and 9 |
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| 100 | 100 | | (3) by adding at the end the following: 10 |
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| 101 | 101 | | ‘‘(m) S |
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| 102 | 102 | | TATEDISCRETION.—The activities described 11 |
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| 103 | 103 | | in subsections (h)(3) and (l)(2)(J) are— 12 |
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| 104 | 104 | | ‘‘(1) optional at the discretion of a State; and 13 |
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| 105 | 105 | | ‘‘(2) not a condition on funds received under 14 |
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| 106 | 106 | | this section.’’. 15 |
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| 107 | 107 | | SEC. 4. STATE RETENTION OF PENALTIES AND FINES. 16 |
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| 108 | 108 | | Section 14711 of title 49, United States Code, is 17 |
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| 109 | 109 | | amended by adding at the end the following: 18 |
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| 110 | 110 | | ‘‘(g) P |
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| 111 | 111 | | ENALTIES.—Notwithstanding any other provi-19 |
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| 112 | 112 | | sion of law, any fine or penalty imposed on a carrier or 20 |
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| 113 | 113 | | broker in a proceeding under this section shall be paid 21 |
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| 114 | 114 | | to, and retained by, the State that imposed such fine or 22 |
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| 115 | 115 | | penalty.’’. 23 |
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| 117 | 117 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 |
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| 118 | 118 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 119 | 119 | | SEC. 5. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. 1 |
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| 120 | 120 | | (a) D |
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| 121 | 121 | | EFINITIONS.—Section 13102 of title 49, United 2 |
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| 122 | 122 | | States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-3 |
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| 123 | 123 | | lowing: 4 |
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| 124 | 124 | | ‘‘(28) P |
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| 125 | 125 | | RINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS .—The 5 |
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| 126 | 126 | | term ‘principal place of business’ means a single 6 |
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| 127 | 127 | | physical business location of a specified entity 7 |
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| 128 | 128 | | where— 8 |
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| 129 | 129 | | ‘‘(A) management officials of such speci-9 |
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| 130 | 130 | | fied entity report to work; 10 |
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| 131 | 131 | | ‘‘(B) such specified entity conducts a sig-11 |
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| 132 | 132 | | nificant portion of its business relating to the 12 |
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| 133 | 133 | | transportation of persons or property; and 13 |
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| 134 | 134 | | ‘‘(C) such specified entity maintains 14 |
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| 135 | 135 | | records required by part B of subtitle IV or 15 |
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| 136 | 136 | | part B of subtitle VI. 16 |
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| 137 | 137 | | ‘‘(29) S |
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| 138 | 138 | | PECIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘specified 17 |
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| 139 | 139 | | entity’ means— 18 |
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| 140 | 140 | | ‘‘(A) an employer, as such term is defined 19 |
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| 141 | 141 | | in section 31132; 20 |
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| 142 | 142 | | ‘‘(B) a person; 21 |
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| 143 | 143 | | ‘‘(C) a motor carrier, including a foreign 22 |
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| 144 | 144 | | motor carrier or foreign motor private carrier; 23 |
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| 145 | 145 | | ‘‘(D) a broker; or 24 |
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| 146 | 146 | | ‘‘(E) a freight forwarder.’’. 25 |
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| 149 | 149 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 150 | 150 | | (b) MOTOR CARRIER GENERALLY.—Section 1 |
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| 151 | 151 | | 13902(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 2 |
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| 152 | 152 | | (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 3 |
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| 153 | 153 | | the end; 4 |
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| 154 | 154 | | (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 5 |
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| 155 | 155 | | at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 6 |
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| 156 | 156 | | (3) by adding at the end the following: 7 |
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| 157 | 157 | | ‘‘(E) has designated a principal place of 8 |
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| 158 | 158 | | business.’’. 9 |
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| 159 | 159 | | (c) R |
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| 160 | 160 | | EGISTRATION OF FREIGHTFORWARDERS.— 10 |
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| 161 | 161 | | Section 13903(a) of title 49, United States Code, is 11 |
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| 162 | 162 | | amended— 12 |
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| 163 | 163 | | (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 13 |
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| 164 | 164 | | end; 14 |
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| 165 | 165 | | (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 15 |
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| 166 | 166 | | the end and inserting a semicolon; and 16 |
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| 167 | 167 | | (3) by adding at the end the following: 17 |
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| 168 | 168 | | ‘‘(3) has designated a principal place of busi-18 |
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| 169 | 169 | | ness; and 19 |
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| 170 | 170 | | ‘‘(4) has disclosed any relationship involving 20 |
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| 171 | 171 | | common ownership, common management, common 21 |
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| 172 | 172 | | control, or common familial relationship between 22 |
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| 173 | 173 | | such person and any other motor carrier, freight for-23 |
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| 174 | 174 | | warder, broker, or any other applicant for motor 24 |
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| 175 | 175 | | carrier, freight forwarder, or broker registration, if 25 |
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| 177 | 177 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 7 |
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| 178 | 178 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 179 | 179 | | the relationship occurred in the 3-year period pre-1 |
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| 180 | 180 | | ceding the date of the filing of the application for 2 |
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| 181 | 181 | | registration.’’. 3 |
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| 182 | 182 | | (d) R |
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| 183 | 183 | | EGISTRATION OFBROKERS.—Section 13904(a) 4 |
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| 184 | 184 | | of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 5 |
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| 185 | 185 | | (1) in subsection (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after 6 |
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| 186 | 186 | | the semicolon; 7 |
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| 187 | 187 | | (2) in subsection (2) by striking the period and 8 |
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| 188 | 188 | | inserting a semicolon; and 9 |
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| 189 | 189 | | (3) by inserting at the end the following: 10 |
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| 190 | 190 | | ‘‘(3) has designated a principal place of busi-11 |
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| 191 | 191 | | ness; and 12 |
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| 192 | 192 | | ‘‘(4) has disclosed any relationship involving 13 |
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| 193 | 193 | | common ownership, common management, common 14 |
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| 194 | 194 | | control, or common familial relationship between 15 |
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| 195 | 195 | | such person and any other motor carrier, freight for-16 |
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| 196 | 196 | | warder, or broker, or any other applicant for motor 17 |
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| 197 | 197 | | carrier, freight forwarder, or broker registration, if 18 |
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| 198 | 198 | | the relationship occurred in the 3-year period pre-19 |
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| 199 | 199 | | ceding the date of the filing of the application for 20 |
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| 200 | 200 | | registration.’’. 21 |
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| 201 | 201 | | (e) C |
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| 202 | 202 | | OMPLAINTS AND ACTIONS ONSECRETARYINI-22 |
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| 203 | 203 | | TIATIVES.—Section 13905(d)(2) of title 49, United States 23 |
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| 204 | 204 | | Code, is amended— 24 |
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| 207 | 207 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 208 | 208 | | (1) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 1 |
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| 209 | 209 | | the end; 2 |
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| 210 | 210 | | (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 3 |
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| 211 | 211 | | at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 4 |
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| 212 | 212 | | (3) by adding at the end the following: 5 |
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| 213 | 213 | | ‘‘(E) withhold, suspend, amend, or revoke 6 |
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| 214 | 214 | | any part of a registration of a motor carrier, 7 |
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| 215 | 215 | | foreign motor carrier, foreign motor private car-8 |
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| 216 | 216 | | rier, broker, or freight forwarder if the Sec-9 |
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| 217 | 217 | | retary finds that the motor carrier, foreign 10 |
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| 218 | 218 | | motor carrier, foreign motor private carrier, 11 |
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| 219 | 219 | | broker, or freight forwarder failed to designate 12 |
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| 220 | 220 | | a valid principal place of business.’’. 13 |
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| 221 | 221 | | (f) R |
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| 222 | 222 | | EQUIREMENT FOR REGISTRATION ANDUSDOT 14 |
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| 223 | 223 | | N |
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| 224 | 224 | | UMBER.—Section 31134 of title 49, United States Code, 15 |
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| 225 | 225 | | is amended— 16 |
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| 226 | 226 | | (1) in subsection (b)— 17 |
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| 227 | 227 | | (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 18 |
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| 228 | 228 | | the end; 19 |
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| 229 | 229 | | (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe-20 |
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| 230 | 230 | | riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 21 |
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| 231 | 231 | | (C) by adding at the end the following: 22 |
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| 232 | 232 | | ‘‘(4) the employer or person seeking registra-23 |
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| 233 | 233 | | tion has designated a principal place of business, as 24 |
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| 234 | 234 | | defined in section 13102.’’; and 25 |
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| 237 | 237 | | •HR 880 IH |
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| 238 | 238 | | (2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘subsection 1 |
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| 239 | 239 | | (b)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)’’. 2 |
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| 240 | 240 | | Æ |
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