Motor Carrier Safety Screening Modernization Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Motor Carrier Safety Screening Modernization Act updates federal motor-carrier safety-history screening rules. Employers and screening users may not take an adverse action against a commercial motor vehicle operator or applicant based on Motor Carrier Management Information System reports until they provide Fair Credit Reporting Act-style notice, give the operator a reasonable period to appeal, and wait for the appeal to reach final disposition. The bill also requires the Department of Transportation to mark contested safety violations in MCMIS, the Pre-Employment Screening Program, the Safety Measurement System, and Analysis and Information Online while a DataQs review is pending.
Who Benefits and How
Commercial motor vehicle operators and operator-applicants benefit because contested inspection or violation data must be flagged and cannot immediately be used to deny work or take another adverse action before notice and appeal rights run. Motor carriers benefit from cleaner safety-history data and more reliable DataQs outcomes when hiring or retaining drivers. State motor-carrier safety programs benefit from federal guidance that clarifies what appeals process they must provide when they receive motor-carrier safety assistance funds.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Motor carrier employers and screening users must provide notice, wait through a reasonable appeal period, and refrain from adverse action until the safety-data appeal is finally resolved. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration must update federal databases within one year to display contested-violation labels and must issue DataQs participation guidelines. State motor-carrier safety agencies that receive federal assistance funds must provide appeals handled by someone other than the original violation issuer and must decide those appeals within a reasonable time.
Key Provisions
- Requires notice and appeal opportunity before adverse actions based on Motor Carrier Management Information System safety reports.
- Protects operators and operator-applicants while contested safety data is under review.
- Directs DOT to label contested violations in MCMIS, Pre-Employment Screening Program, Safety Measurement System, and Analysis and Information Online.
- Requires State DataQs appeals processes for agencies receiving motor carrier safety assistance funds.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Changes motor-carrier safety screening by limiting adverse employment actions based on federal safety-history data and requiring contested violations to be labeled and appealable in DataQs-linked federal and State systems.
Key Policy Areas
Transportation, Labor, Government
Primary Purpose
Changes motor-carrier safety screening by limiting adverse employment actions based on federal safety-history data and requiring contested violations to be labeled and appealable in DataQs-linked federal and State systems.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Commercial motor vehicle operators
- Operator-applicants
- Motor carriers
- State motor-carrier safety programs
Identified Costs
- Motor carrier employers
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- State motor-carrier safety agencies
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Mr. Mann (for himself, Ms. Davids of Kansas, and Mr. …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Commercial motor vehicle operators, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Motor carrier employers
Motor carriers faces effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: Commercial motor vehicle operators, Operator-applicants
Negative-direction: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Motor carrier employers
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology