SEC. 205. REGISTRATION ENFORCEMENT.
Section 13902 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub-
section (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(e) PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.—In addition to other
penalties available under law, motor carriers that fail to
register their operations as required by this section or that
operate beyond the scope of their registrations may be
subject to the following penalties:
‘‘(1) OUT-OF-SERVICE
ORDERS.—If, upon in-
spection or investigation, the Secretary determines
that a motor vehicle providing transportation requir-
ing registration under this section is operating with-
out a registration or beyond the scope of its registra-
tion, the Secretary may order the vehicle out-of-serv-
ice. Subsequent to the issuance of the out-of-service
order, the Secretary shall provide an opportunity for
review in accordance with section 554 of title 5; ex-
cept that such review shall occur not later than 10
days after issuance of such order.
‘‘(2) PERMISSION FOR OPERATIONS.—A person
domiciled in a country contiguous to the United
States with respect to which an action under sub-
section (c)(1)(A) or (c)(1)(B) is in effect and pro-
viding transportation for which registration is re-
quired under this section shall maintain evidence of
such registration in the motor vehicle when the per-
son is providing the transportation. The Secretary
shall not permit the operation in interstate com-
merce in the United States of any motor vehicle in
which there is not a copy of the registration issued
pursuant to this section.’’.
SEC. 206. DELINQUENT PAYMENT OF PENALTIES.
(a) 
REVOCATION
OF
REGISTRATION.—Section
13905(c) of title 49, United States Code is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—’’ before
‘‘On application’’;
(2) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘suspend’’;
(3) by striking the period at the end of the sec-
ond sentence and inserting ‘‘; and (B) suspend,
amend, or revoke any part of the registration of a
motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder (i) for
failure to pay a civil penalty imposed under chapter
5, 51, 149, or 311 of this title, or (ii) for failure to
arrange and abide by an acceptable payment plan
for such civil penalty, within 90 days of the time
specified by order of the Secretary for the payment
of such penalty. Subparagraph (B) shall not apply
to any person who is unable to pay a civil penalty
because such person is a debtor in a case under
chapter 11 of title 11, United States Code.
‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 12 months
after the date of the enactment of this paragraph,
the Secretary, after notice and opportunity for pub-
lic comment, shall issue regulations to provide for
the suspension, amendment, or revocation of a reg-
istration under this part for failure to pay a civil
penalty as provided in paragraph (1)(B).’’; and
(4) by indenting paragraph (1) (as designated
by paragraph (1) of this section) and aligning such
paragraph with paragraph (2) of such section (as
added by paragraph (3) of this section).
(b) PROHIBITED TRANSPORTATION BY COMMERCIAL
MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATORS.—Section 521(b) of such
title is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through
(13) as paragraphs (9) through (14), respectively;
and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(8) PROHIBITION ON OPERATION IN INTER-
STATE
COMMERCE
AFTER
NONPAYMENT
OF
PEN-
ALTIES.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An owner or operator
of a commercial motor vehicle against whom a
civil penalty is assessed under this chapter or
chapter 51, 149, or 311 of this title and who
does not pay such penalty or fails to arrange
and abide by an acceptable payment plan for
such civil penalty may not operate in interstate
commerce beginning on the 91st day after the
date specified by order of the Secretary for pay-
ment of such penalty. This paragraph shall not
apply to any person who is unable to pay a civil
penalty because such person is a debtor in a
case under chapter 11 of title 11, United States
Code.
‘‘(B) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 12
months after the date of the enactment of this
paragraph, the Secretary, after notice and an
opportunity for public comment, shall issue reg-
ulations setting forth procedures for ordering
commercial motor vehicle owners and operators
delinquent in paying civil penalties to cease op-
erations until payment has been made.’’.
SEC. 207. STATE COOPERATION IN REGISTRATION EN-
FORCEMENT.
Section 31102(b)(1) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended—
(1) by aligning subparagraph (A) with subpara-
graph (B) of such section; and
(2) by striking subparagraph (R) and inserting
the following:
‘‘(R) ensures that the State will cooperate
in the enforcement of registration requirements
under section 13902 and financial responsibility
requirements under sections 13906, 31138, and
31139 and regulations issued thereunder;’’.
SEC. 208. IMMINENT HAZARD.
Section 521(b)(5)(B) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended by striking ‘‘is likely to result in’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘substantially increases the likelihood of’’.
SEC. 209. HOUSEHOLD GOODS AMENDMENTS.
(a) DEFINITION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS.—Section
13102(10)(A) of title 49, United States Code, is amended
by striking ‘‘, including’’ and all that follows through
‘‘dwelling,’’ and inserting ‘‘, except such term does not in-
clude property moving from a factory or store, other than
property that the householder has purchased with the in-
tent to use in his or her dwelling and is transported at
the request of, and the transportation charges are paid
to the carrier by, the householder;’’.
(b) 
ARBITRATION
REQUIREMENTS.—Section
14708(b)(6) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘$1,000’’
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘$5,000’’.
(c) STUDY OF ENFORCEMENT OF CONSUMER PRO-
TECTION RULES IN THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS MOVING IN-
DUSTRY.—The Comptroller General shall conduct a study
of the effectiveness of the Department of Transportation’s
enforcement of household goods consumer protection rules
under title 49, United States Code. The study shall also
include a review of other potential methods of enforcing
such rules, including allowing States to enforce such rules.
SEC. 210. NEW MOTOR CARRIER ENTRANT REQUIREMENTS.
(a) SAFETY REVIEWS.—Section 31144 of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(c) SAFETY REVIEWS OF NEW OPERATORS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall re-
quire, by regulation, each owner and each operator
granted new operating authority, after the date on
which section 31148(b) is first implemented, to un-
dergo a safety review within the first 18 months
after the owner or operator, as the case may be, be-
gins operations under such authority.
‘‘(2) ELEMENTS.—In the regulations issued
pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall es-
tablish the elements of the safety review, including
basic safety management controls. In establishing
such elements, the Secretary shall consider their ef-
fects on small businesses and shall consider estab-
lishing alternate locations where such reviews may
be conducted for the convenience of small busi-
nesses.
‘‘(3) PHASE-IN
OF
REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall phase in the requirements of paragraph
(1) in a manner that takes into account the avail-
ability of certified motor carrier safety auditors.
‘‘(4) NEW
ENTRANT
AUTHORITY.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of this title, any new
operating authority granted after the date on which
section 31148(b) is first implemented shall be des-
ignated as new entrant authority until the safety re-
view required by paragraph (1) is completed.’’.
(b) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall
initiate a rulemaking to establish minimum requirements
for applicant motor carriers, including foreign motor car-
riers, seeking Federal interstate operating authority to en-
sure applicant carriers are knowledgeable about applicable
Federal motor carrier safety standards. As part of that
rulemaking, the Secretary shall consider the establishment
of a proficiency examination for applicant motor carriers
as well as other requirements to ensure such applicants
understand applicable safety regulations before being
granted operating authority.
SEC. 211. CERTIFICATION OF SAFETY AUDITORS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 311 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘§ 31148. Certified motor carrier safety auditors
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of
Transportation shall complete a rulemaking to improve
training and provide for the certification of motor carrier
safety auditors, including private contractors, to conduct
safety inspection audits and reviews described in sub-
section (b).
‘‘(b) CERTIFIED
INSPECTION
AUDIT
REQUIRE-
MENT.—Not later than 1 year after completion of the rule-
making required by subsection (a), any safety inspection
audit or review required by, or based on the authority of,
this chapter or chapter 5, 313, or 315 of this title and
performed after December 31, 2002, shall be conducted
by—
‘‘(1) a motor carrier safety auditor certified
under subsection (a); or
‘‘(2) a Federal or State employee who, on the
date of the enactment of this section, was qualified
to perform such an audit or review.
‘‘(c) EXTENSION.—If the Secretary determines that
subsection (b) cannot be implemented within the 1-year
period established by that subsection and notifies the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives of the deter-
mination and the reasons therefor, the Secretary may ex-
tend the deadline for compliance with subsection (b) by
not more than 12 months.
‘‘(d) APPLICATION WITH OTHER AUTHORITY.—The
Secretary may not delegate the Secretary’s authority to
private contractors to issue ratings or operating authority,
and nothing in this section authorizes any private con-
tractor to issue ratings or operating authority.
‘‘(e) OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY.—The Secretary
shall have authority over any motor carrier safety auditor
certified under subsection (a), including the authority to
decertify a motor carrier safety auditor.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis for
such chapter 311 is amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘31148. Certified motor carrier safety auditors.’’.
SEC. 212. COMMERCIAL VAN RULEMAKING.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall complete Department of
Transportation’s rulemaking, Docket No. FHWA–99–
5710, to amend Federal motor carrier safety regulations
to determine which motor carriers operating commercial
motor vehicles designed or used to transport between 9
and 15 passengers (including the driver) for compensation
shall be covered. At a minimum, the rulemaking shall
apply such regulations to—
(1) commercial vans commonly referred to as
‘‘camionetas’’; and
(2) those commercial vans operating in inter-
state commerce outside commercial zones that have
been determined to pose serious safety risks.
In no case should the rulemaking exempt from such regu-
lations all motor carriers operating commercial vehicles
designed or used to transport between 9 and 15 pas-
sengers (including the driver) for compensation.
SEC. 213. 24-HOUR STAFFING OF TELEPHONE HOTLINE.
Section 4017 of the Transportation Equity Act for
the 21st Century (49 U.S.C. 31143 note; 112 Stat. 413)
is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as
subsections (d) and (e), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(c) STAFFING.—The toll-free telephone system shall
be staffed 24 hours a day 7 days a week by individuals
knowledgeable about Federal motor carrier safety regula-
tions and procedures.’’; and
(3) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by para-
graph (1) of this section)—
(A) by striking ‘‘104(a)’’ and inserting
‘‘104(a)(1)(B)’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘for each of fiscal years
1999’’ and inserting ‘‘for fiscal year 1999 and
$375,000 for each of fiscal years 2000’’.
SEC. 214. CDL SCHOOL BUS ENDORSEMENT.
The Secretary shall conduct a rulemaking to establish
a special commercial driver’s license endorsement for driv-
ers of school buses. The endorsement shall, at a
minimum—
(1) include a driving skills test in a school bus;
and
(2) address proper safety procedures for—
(A) loading and unloading children;
(B) using emergency exits; and
(C) traversing highway rail grade cross-
ings.
SEC. 215. MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.
The Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking to provide
for a Federal medical qualification certificate to be made
a part of commercial driver’s licenses.
SEC. 216. IMPLEMENTATION OF INSPECTOR GENERAL REC-
OMMENDATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall implement
the safety improvement recommendations provided for in
the Department of Transportation Inspector General’s Re-
port TR–1999–091, except to the extent that such rec-
ommendations are specifically addressed in sections 206,
208, 217, and 222 of this Act, including any amendments
made by such sections.
(b) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—
(1) REPORTS BY THE SECRETARY.—Not later
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and every 90 days thereafter until each of the
recommendations referred to in subsection (a) has
been implemented, the Secretary shall transmit to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-