SAFE Act
Sponsored By: Representative Hageman
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create federal tools to detect and stop "chameleon carriers" that evade safety orders, penalties, and insurance rules. It pairs a Government Accountability Office study with an FMCSA-built automated registration tool to spot identity-switching carriers.
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- Regulators and enforcement agencies would get a registration-screening tool FMCSA would be required to develop, test, and deploy within 1 year that pulls data under memoranda of understanding with Treasury, Justice, the U.S. Postal Service, Homeland Security, Commerce, State, DOT administrations, and state agencies. The tool would provide automated decision support while FMCSA keeps final registration decisions and must include data privacy safeguards.
- Carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and intermodal equipment providers would be screened against an explicit definition of "chameleon carrier" listing eight evasion methods, including hiding ownership, reconstituting operations after insurance denial, and misrepresenting insurance. Operators could seek a redetermination through an appeals process within 30 days after submitting corrected information.
- The Comptroller General would complete a study within 1 year covering nine required topics and offer actionable recommendations. The bill also calls for a congressional briefing within 30 days and an Inspector General audit of the tool's effectiveness within 2 years of implementation.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New tool to catch hidden carriers
If enacted, the FMCSA would have to build, test, and implement an automated tool within 1 year to flag "chameleon carrier" DOT registration applications. The tool would look for ownership or management links, reused DOT numbers, insurance lapses, shared addresses or equipment, asset or driver commonality, advertising/branding, and other continuity or evasion signals, and would compile evidence to help FMCSA staff. FMCSA employees would keep final authority. Applicants who are flagged would get the reasons, have up to 30 days to correct their application, and receive a redetermination within 30 days after the corrected information is received. The bill would require memoranda of understanding to share needed data with specified federal and State agencies, include privacy safeguards and limits on disclosure, and call for a federal audit of the tool within about 2 years. The bill would also define "chameleon carrier" to mean carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, intermodal equipment providers, or related persons who try to use a new identity or affiliated entity to avoid orders, rules, fines, enforcement, bad safety records, or insurance problems.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Hageman
WY • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2]
OH • R
Sponsored 3/16/2026
Van Drew
NJ • R
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Bost
IL • R
Sponsored 4/20/2026
Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6]
IN • R
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Johnson (SD)
SD • R
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]
TX • R
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
AK • R
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov