I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8505 
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 
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. 
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’’. 
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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 no-
tice 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 
(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),’’. 
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‘‘(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 
household goods motor carriers if the State has 
adopted 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.’’. 
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 
penalty.’’. 
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SEC. 5. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 13102 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(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 speci-
fied 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— 
‘‘(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.’’. 
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(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.— 
Section 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 busi-
ness; 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, broker, or any other applicant for motor 
carrier, freight forwarder, or broker registration, if 
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the relationship occurred in the 3-year period pre-
ceding the date of the filing of the application for 
registration.’’. 
(d) REGISTRATION OF BROKERS.—Section 13904(a) 
of title 49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in subsection (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 busi-
ness; 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-
ceding the date of the filing of the application for 
registration.’’. 
(e) COMPLAINTS AND ACTIONS ON SECRETARY INI-
TIATIVES.—Section 13905(d)(2) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended— 
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(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 Sec-
retary finds that the motor carrier, foreign 
motor carrier, 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; 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) the employer or person seeking registra-
tion has designated a principal place of business, as 
defined in section 13102.’’; and 
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(2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(b)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)’’. 
Æ 
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