I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6151 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit staged collisions with 
commercial motor vehicles, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 7, 2021 
Mr. CUELLAR (for himself and Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit staged 
collisions with commercial motor vehicles, 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 ‘‘Highway Accident 
Fairness Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of the Act are to— 
(1) assure fair and prompt recoveries for high-
way accident victims; 
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(2) benefit society by preserving predictability 
and stability in the movement of freight in interstate 
commerce and lowering costs to the supply chain 
and, ultimately, all Americans; 
(3) protect the motoring public from the safety 
hazard of staged collisions between passenger cars 
and commercial motor vehicles; 
(4) prevent fraudulent claims that result from 
staged collisions; 
(5) protect law enforcement agencies and high-
way departments from expending resources dealing 
with the aftermath of staged collisions; and 
(6) minimize the impact of staged collisions on 
the supply chain and the movement of goods in 
interstate commerce. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON STAGED COLLISIONS WITH COM-
MERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 805 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 80505. Staging of motor vehicle collisions with 
commercial motor vehicles 
‘‘(a) PENALTY FOR STAGING COLLISION.—A person 
operating a motor vehicle who intentionally causes a colli-
sion with a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in section 
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31101, or arranges for another person to cause such a 
collision, shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not 
more than 20 years, or both. 
‘‘(b) PENALTY FOR STAGING COLLISION CAUSING 
SERIOUS BODILY INJURY.—A person operating a motor 
vehicle who intentionally causes a collision with a commer-
cial motor vehicle, as defined in section 31132, that results 
in serious bodily injury or death to another person, or ar-
ranges for another person to cause such a collision, shall 
be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not less than 20 
years, or both. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON PROSECUTION.—A person may 
not be prosecuted for an act under this section if the per-
son has been convicted or acquitted on the merits for the 
same act under the laws of a State, the District of 
Columba, or a territory or possession of the United 
States.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—Chapter 805 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘80505. Staging of motor vehicle collisions with commercial motor vehicles.’’. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT JURISDICTION FOR 
HIGHWAY 
ACCIDENT 
ACTIONS 
AGAINST 
INTERSTATE MOTOR CARRIERS. 
(a) APPLICATION OF FEDERAL JURISDICTION.—Sec-
tion 1332 of title 28, United States Code, is amended— 
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ing, motion, or other paper, indicating the existence of 
Federal jurisdiction. 
‘‘(3) For purposes of this subsection, an unincor-
porated association shall be deemed to be a citizen of the 
State where it has its principal place of business and the 
State under whose laws it is organized.’’. 
SEC. 5. THIRD-PARTY LITIGATION FUNDING DISCLOSURE 
IN HIGHWAY ACCIDENT CASES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 111 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 1660. Third-party litigation funding disclosure in 
highway accident cases 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In any civil action in State or 
Federal court alleging bodily harm or loss of life involving 
one or more commercial motor vehicles, as defined in sec-
tion 31101 of title 49, operating on a public road in inter-
state commerce, counsel for plaintiff or plaintiffs shall— 
‘‘(1) disclose in writing to the court and all 
other named parties to the action the identity of any 
commercial enterprise, other than a plaintiff or 
plaintiff’s counsel of record, that has a right to re-
ceive payment that is contingent on the receipt of 
monetary relief in the action by settlement, judg-
ment, or otherwise; and 
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‘‘(2) produce for inspection and copying, except 
as otherwise stipulated or ordered by the court, any 
agreement creating the contingent right. 
‘‘(b) TIMING.—The disclosure required by subsection 
(a) shall be made not later than the later of— 
‘‘(1) 10 days after execution of any agreement 
described in subsection (a)(2); or 
‘‘(2) the time of service of the action. 
‘‘(c) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
section shall be construed to affect the admissibility of any 
materials required to be disclosed or produced under sub-
section (a) as evidence in any civil action.’’. 
(c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
The table of sections for chapter 111 of title 28, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘1660. Third-party litigation funding disclosure in highway accident cases.’’. 
SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY. 
The amendments made by sections 4 and 5 shall 
apply with respect to any case pending on or commenced 
on or after the date of enactment of this Act. The amend-
ments made by section 3 shall apply beginning on the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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