I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6884 

To increase the minimum levels of financial responsibility for transporting 

property, and to index future increases to changes in inflation relating 

to medical care. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 22, 2023 

Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. HUFFMAN, 

Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. ESPAILLAT, and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To increase the minimum levels of financial responsibility 

for transporting property, and to index future increases 

to changes in inflation relating to medical care. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Compensation 

5 for Truck Crash Victims Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) In passing the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, 

2 Public Law 96–296, Congress intended for the min3 imum insurance levels to maintain safety. According 

4 to the House Report No. 96–1069, ‘‘the action of 

5 the Committee in increasing financial responsibility 

6 is to encourage the carriers to engage in practices 

7 and procedures that will enhance the safety of their 

8 equipment so as to afford the best protection to the 

9 public.’’ 

10 (2) The National Transportation Policy Study 

11 Commission (which consisted of six Members of the 

12 Senate, six Members of the House of Representa13 tives, and seven public members appointed by the 

14 President) recommended mandatory minimum insur15 ance requirements of $1,000,000, in its 1979 Final 

16 Report to the Congress, National Transportation 

17 Policies through the Year 2000. The Report stated: 

18 ‘‘As an example, all certificated motor carriers oper19 ating upon the highways should be obligated to carry 

20 adequate insurance (or proof of financial responsi21 bility equal to such insurance) to protect the public. 

22 The insurance should cover public liability, property, 

23 damage, cargo and environmental restoration with a 

24 $1 million for single occurrence, or another min25 imum amount sufficient to require periodic ‘on site’ 


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1 inspection by the insurance company, with the min2 imum to be updated regularly. Non-certificated 

3 motor carriers should be subject to similar stand4 ards.’’ 

5 (3) According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta6 tistics, the amount of $750,000, set in 1980 (the 

7 year of enactment), would have the same purchasing 

8 power as $5,193,665.62 in 2020, if the amount was 

9 raised to account for medical-cost inflation. 

10 SEC. 3. MINIMUM FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRANS11 PORTING PROPERTY. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 31139(b) of title 49, 

13 United States Code, is amended— 

14 (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘$750,000’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘$5,000,000’’; and 

16 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(3) ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary, in consultation 

18 with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shall adjust the min19 imum level of financial responsibility under paragraph (2) 

20 quinquennially for inflation relating to medical care.’’. 

21 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

22 subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 1 year 

23 after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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