I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1568 
To enhance interstate commerce by creating a national hiring standard for 
motor carriers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 16, 2017 
Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 
ROUZER, and Mr. PAULSEN) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To enhance interstate commerce by creating a national hiring 
standard for motor carriers, 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 ‘‘Transportation and 
Logistics Hiring Reform Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) ENTITY.—The term ‘‘entity’’ means a per-
son acting as— 
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(A) a shipper, except for an individual 
shipper (as such term is defined in section 
13102 of title 49, United States Code) or a 
consignee; 
(B) 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); 
(C) a non-vessel-operating common carrier, 
an ocean freight forwarder, or an ocean trans-
portation intermediary (as such terms are de-
fined in section 40102 of title 46, United States 
Code); 
(D) an indirect air carrier authorized to 
operate under a standard security program ap-
proved by the Transportation Security Adminis-
tration; 
(E) a customs broker licensed in accord-
ance with section 111.2 of title 19, Code of 
Federal Regulations; 
(F) an interchange motor carrier subject 
to paragraphs (1)(B) and (2) of section 
13902(i) of title 49, United States Code; or 
(G) a warehouse (as defined in Article 7– 
102(13) of the Uniform Commercial Code). 
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(2) MOTOR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘motor car-
rier’’ 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 sub-
ject to Federal motor carrier financial responsibility 
and safety regulations. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the 50 States, a political subdivision of any such 
State, an intrastate agency, any other political agen-
cy of two or more States, the District of Columbia, 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL HIRING STANDARDS FOR MOTOR CAR-
RIERS. 
(a) NATIONAL STANDARD.—Before tendering a ship-
ment, but not more than 35 days before the pickup of 
the shipment by the hired motor carrier, an entity shall 
verify that the motor carrier, at the time of such 
verification— 
(1) is registered with and authorized by the 
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to op-
erate as a motor carrier or household goods motor 
carrier, if applicable; 
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(2) has the minimum insurance coverage re-
quired by Federal law; and 
(3) does not have an unsatisfactory safety rat-
ing issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad-
ministration in force and has not otherwise been or-
dered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminis-
tration to discontinue operations. 
(b) INTENDED USE OF DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Only evidence of an entity’s 
compliance with subsection (a) may be admitted as 
evidence or otherwise used in a civil action for dam-
ages resulting from a case or legal proceeding in 
which it is asserted or alleged that an entity’s selec-
tion or retention of a motor carrier was negligent. 
(2) EXCLUDED
EVIDENCE.—All other motor 
carrier data created or maintained by the Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, including safe-
ty measurement system data or analysis of such 
data, may not be admitted into evidence in a case 
or legal proceeding described in paragraph (1). 
SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY AND EFFECTIVE DATE. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this Act 
shall apply with respect to any action commenced on or 
after the date of enactment of this Act without regard to 
whether the harm that is the subject of the action, or the 
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conduct that caused the harm, occurred before such date 
of enactment. 
Æ 
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