IB 
Union Calendar No. 765 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8505 
[Report No. 118–935] 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to expand the authority of the 
Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to 
assess penalties for violations of laws and regulations relating to the 
shipping of household goods, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2024 
Ms. NORTON (for herself and Mr. EZELL) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
DECEMBER 19, 2024 
Additional sponsors: Mr. MEUSER, Mrs. PELTOLA, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. 
CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. BURCHETT, Mr. EDWARDS, 
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. GUEST, Mr. MOLINARO, Mr. RUTHER-
FORD, Mr. FERGUSON, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
VALADAO, Ms. SALINAS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. VASQUEZ, Mr. SMUCKER, Mr. 
CUELLAR, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. HILL, and Ms. SCHOLTEN 
DECEMBER 19, 2024 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 22, 2024] 
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A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to expand the au-
thority of the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration to assess penalties for violations 
of laws and regulations relating to the shipping of house-
hold goods, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Household Goods Ship-
ping Consumer Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CIVIL PEN-
ALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF COMMERCIAL 
REGULATIONS. 
(a) ENFORCEMENT BY SECRETARY.—Section 14914 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) 
as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) ENFORCEMENT BY SECRETARY.—If, after notice 
and an opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary finds that 
a person violated a provision of part B of subtitle IV of 
this title, or a regulation or order issued pursuant to such 
part, the Secretary shall assess a civil penalty by written 
notice.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c), as redesignated by para-
graph (1), by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary’’ after 
‘‘Board’’; and 
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(4) in subsection (d), as redesignated by para-
graph (1), by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary’’ after 
‘‘Board’’. 
(b) APPLICATION.—Section 501(b) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘5,’’ after ‘‘20303 and chap-
ters’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘311, 313,’’ after ‘‘chapters),’’. 
SEC. 3. STATE USE OF GRANT FUNDS FOR COMMERCIAL EN-
FORCEMENT AND CONSUMER PROTECTION. 
Section 31102 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (h)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) for the enforcement of Federal household 
goods statutes and regulations for the interstate trans-
portation of household goods by household goods motor 
carriers and brokers, and for the intrastate transpor-
tation of household goods by household goods motor 
carriers if the State has adopted laws or regulations 
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that are compatible with Federal household goods reg-
ulations.’’; 
(2) in subsection (l)(2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as 
subparagraph (K); and 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the 
following: 
‘‘(J) enforce Federal household goods stat-
utes and regulations for the interstate transpor-
tation of household goods by household goods 
motor carriers and brokers, and for the intra-
state transportation of household goods by house-
hold goods motor carriers if the State has adopt-
ed laws or regulations that are compatible with 
Federal household goods regulations; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(m) STATE DISCRETION.—The activities described in 
subsections (h)(3) and (l)(2)(J) are— 
‘‘(1) optional at the discretion of a State; and 
‘‘(2) not a condition on funds received under this 
section.’’. 
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SEC. 4. STATE RETENTION OF PENALTIES AND FINES. 
Section 14711 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) PENALTIES.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, any fine or penalty imposed on a carrier or 
broker in a proceeding under this section shall be paid to, 
and retained by, the State that imposed such fine or pen-
alty.’’. 
SEC. 5. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 13102 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(28) PRINCIPAL
PLACE
OF
BUSINESS.—The 
term ‘principal place of business’ means a single 
physical business location of a specified entity 
where— 
‘‘(A) management officials of such specified 
entity report to work; 
‘‘(B) such specified entity conducts a sig-
nificant portion of its business relating to the 
transportation of persons or property; and 
‘‘(C) such specified entity maintains records 
required by part B of subtitle IV or part B of 
subtitle VI. 
‘‘(29) SPECIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘specified 
entity’ means— 
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‘‘(A) an employer, as such term is defined 
in section 31132; 
‘‘(B) a person; 
‘‘(C) a motor carrier, including a foreign 
motor carrier or foreign motor private carrier; 
‘‘(D) a broker; or 
‘‘(E) a freight forwarder.’’. 
(b) 
MOTOR
CARRIER
GENERALLY.—Section 
13902(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) has designated a principal place of 
business.’’. 
(c) REGISTRATION OF FREIGHT FORWARDERS.—Sec-
tion 13903(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) has designated a principal place of business; 
and 
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‘‘(4) has disclosed any relationship involving 
common ownership, common management, common 
control, or common familial relationship between such 
person and any other motor carrier, freight for-
warder, broker, or any other applicant for motor car-
rier, freight forwarder, or broker registration, if the 
relationship occurred in the 3-year period preceding 
the date of the filing of the application for registra-
tion.’’. 
(d) REGISTRATION OF BROKERS.—Section 13904(a) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (2) by striking the period and 
inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by inserting at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) has designated a principal place of business; 
and 
‘‘(4) has disclosed any relationship involving 
common ownership, common management, common 
control, or common familial relationship between such 
person and any other motor carrier, freight for-
warder, or broker, or any other applicant for motor 
carrier, freight forwarder, or broker registration, if 
the relationship occurred in the 3-year period pre-
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ceding the date of the filing of the application for reg-
istration.’’. 
(e) COMPLAINTS AND ACTIONS ON SECRETARY INITIA-
TIVES.—Section 13905(d)(2) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) withhold, suspend, amend, or revoke 
any part of a registration of a motor carrier, 
foreign motor carrier, foreign motor private car-
rier, broker, or freight forwarder if the Secretary 
finds that the motor carrier, foreign motor car-
rier, foreign motor private carrier, broker, or 
freight forwarder failed to designate a valid 
principal place of business.’’. 
(f) REQUIREMENT FOR REGISTRATION AND USDOT 
NUMBER.—Section 31134 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; 
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(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) the employer or person seeking registration 
has designated a principal place of business, as de-
fined in section 13102.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(b)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)’’. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title 
49, United States Code, to clarify the authority of the 
Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad-
ministration relating to the shipping of household goods, 
and for other purposes.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 765 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8505 
[Report No. 118–935] 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to expand 
the authority of the Administrator of the Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration to assess 
penalties for violations of laws and regulations 
relating to the shipping of household goods, and 
for other purposes. 
DECEMBER 19, 2024 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed 
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