I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8513 
To establish a standard for the reasonableness of motor carriers for the 
shipment of goods or household goods, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 2, 2020 
Mr. GIBBS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To establish a standard for the reasonableness of motor 
carriers for the shipment of goods or household goods, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘CSA Reform Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE, SAFETY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY RE-
FORM. 
(a) MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) SELECTION STANDARD.—For any ap-
plicable legal requirement with respect to a cov-
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ered entity contracting with a covered motor 
carrier for the shipment of goods or household 
goods, the covered entity shall be considered 
reasonable and prudent in the selection of such 
motor carrier if the covered entity verifies, not 
later than the date of shipment and not earlier 
than 45 days before the date of shipment, that 
the covered motor carrier— 
(i) is registered under section 13902 
of title 49, United States Code, as a motor 
carrier or household goods motor carrier; 
(ii) has at least the minimum insur-
ance coverage required by Federal and 
State law; and 
(iii) is not determined unfit to operate 
safely commercial motor vehicles under 
section 31144 of title 49, United States 
Code, or otherwise ordered to discontinue 
operations by the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration (including not re-
newing a Department of Transportation 
registration number) or a State. 
(B) SUNSET.—The standard established 
under paragraph (1) shall sunset on the effec-
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tive date of a regulation issued pursuant to sub-
section (c). 
(2) REVOCATION
OF
REGISTRATION.—Section 
31144(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(A) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘and’’; 
(B) in paragraph (4) by striking the period 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) prescribe by regulation a process for revok-
ing the registration of an owner or operator deter-
mined unfit to operate safely a commercial motor ve-
hicle under this section.’’. 
(3) RULEMAKING.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Transportation shall— 
(i) update and revise the regulations 
issued pursuant to subsection (b) of sec-
tion 31144 of title 49, United States Code, 
to include the requirements of subsection 
(a); and 
(ii) issue such regulations as are nec-
essary to carry out section 31144(a)(5) of 
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title 49, United States Code, as added by 
this Act. 
(B) FACTORS
FOR
AN
UNSATISFACTORY 
RATING.—The regulations updated under para-
graph (1)(A) shall provide a procedure for the 
Secretary to determine if a motor carrier is not 
fit to operate a commercial motor vehicle in or 
affecting interstate commerce in accordance 
with section 31144 of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(4) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to preempt or supercede any 
State law or regulation relating to drayage. 
(5) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(A) COVERED
ENTITY.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered entity’’ means a person acting as— 
(i) a shipper or cosignee of goods, ex-
cept that such term does not mean a per-
son acting as an individual shipper (as 
such term is defined in section 13103 of 
title 49, United States Code); 
(ii) a broker, a freight forwarder, or a 
household goods freight forwarder (as such 
terms are defined in section 13102 of title 
49, United States Code); 
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(vi) a motor carrier registered under 
chapter 139 of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(B) COVERED MOTOR CARRIER.—The term 
‘‘covered motor carrier’’ means a motor carrier 
or a household goods motor carrier (as such 
terms are defined in section 13102 of title 49, 
United States Code) that is subject to Federal 
motor carrier financial responsibility and safety 
regulations. 
(C) 
HOUSEHOLD
GOODS.—The 
term 
‘‘household goods’’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 13102 of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(D) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Transportation. 
(b) REMOTE AUDIT.—Section 31144 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(j) REMOTE AUDITS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a pilot program to conduct remote compliance 
reviews under subpart A of part 385 of title 49, 
Code of Federal Regulations, to assign a safety rat-
ing for commercial motor carriers. 
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‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) use the same standards that would 
otherwise be applicable to commercial motor 
carriers; 
‘‘(B) apply the procedures of part 385 of 
title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, including 
the safety fitness rating methodology under ap-
pendix B, prior to assigning a safety rating 
under such pilot program; 
‘‘(C) assign safety ratings regardless of 
whether an on-site review of activities has taken 
place; and 
‘‘(D) leverage all available technology to 
access information and records. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Motor carriers that 
are eligible to participate in the pilot program 
under this subsection shall— 
‘‘(i) voluntarily agree to participate in 
such pilot program; and 
‘‘(ii) be able to opt-out of participa-
tion at any time. 
‘‘(B) PROHIBITION ON PARTICIPATION.— 
Motor carriers that transport hazardous mate-
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rials or passengers shall be prohibited from par-
ticipating in the pilot program under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(4) AUTHORIZED
AGENTS.—Remote compli-
ance reviews conducted under the pilot program 
under this section may be conducted by— 
‘‘(A) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admin-
istration personnel; 
‘‘(B) State commercial motor vehicle au-
thorities that meet acceptable standards set 
forth by the Secretary; or 
‘‘(C) private contractors that meet accept-
able standards set forth by the Secretary. 
‘‘(5) AVAILABILITY
OF
SAFETY
RATINGS.— 
Safety ratings determined under the pilot program 
under this subsection may not be released publicly 
by the Secretary or by any authorized agent de-
scribed in paragraph (4) that is participating in the 
pilot program under this subsection.’’. 
Æ 
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