To require the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations relating to the approval of foreign manufacturers of cylinders, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Moreno (for himself and Ms. Baldwin) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill strengthens federal oversight of foreign manufacturers that produce compressed gas cylinders for transporting hazardous materials in the United States. It establishes stricter approval requirements, shorter approval periods, enhanced disclosure mandates, and gives the Department of Transportation greater authority to inspect, suspend, or terminate foreign manufacturers that fail to meet safety and compliance standards.
Who Benefits and How
Domestic cylinder manufacturers benefit from reduced competition, as foreign manufacturers face more rigorous approval processes and shorter approval periods (1 year instead of 5 years for most). U.S. transportation safety regulators (PHMSA) gain expanded enforcement tools including the ability to suspend manufacturers who obstruct inspections or provide false information. The general public benefits from enhanced safety oversight of cylinders used to transport hazardous materials on American roads.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Foreign cylinder manufacturers must now navigate a more demanding approval process with annual renewals (unless they achieve "in good standing" status after 3 years of compliance), mandatory disclosure of any past penalties or connections to sanctioned entities, and must pay for all inspection costs including travel. Importers and U.S. companies that rely on foreign-made cylinders may face supply chain disruptions and higher costs as foreign manufacturers adjust to the new requirements or exit the U.S. market.
Key Provisions
- Shortened approval periods: Foreign manufacturer approvals reduced from multi-year to 1-year terms, with 5-year approvals only for manufacturers "in good standing" (3 years of compliance)
- Enhanced disclosure requirements: Applicants must disclose any civil/criminal penalties, connections to military end-users, antidumping orders, or listings on the Do Not Pay Initiative
- Public transparency: All applications must be published online with a 30-day public comment period before approval
- Stronger enforcement: Secretary can suspend or terminate manufacturers who obstruct inspections, provide false information, or use forced labor (Section 307 of the Tariff Act)
- Petition process: Any interested party can request reevaluation of an approved manufacturer based on evidence of inaccurate or fraudulent attestations
- Cost recovery: Foreign manufacturers must pay all costs of inspections including travel, time, and related expenses
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes stricter oversight and approval requirements for foreign manufacturers of compressed gas cylinders used in transporting hazardous materials in the United States
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Tighten oversight of foreign cylinder manufacturers through shorter approval periods, enhanced disclosure requirements, public transparency, and increased inspection authority to protect domestic safety and potentially domestic manufacturers"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Domestic cylinder manufacturers
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
- U.S. transportation safety advocates
- Domestic hazardous materials industry
- Public interest groups concerned about foreign manufacturing safety
Likely Burden Bearers
- Foreign manufacturers of compressed gas cylinders (especially Chinese manufacturers)
- Importers of foreign-made cylinders
- U.S. companies dependent on foreign cylinder supply chains
- Foreign manufacturers with compliance issues or penalties
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Transportation
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Any cylinder specified under any of sections 178.36 through 178.68 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations)
An entity that manufactures cylinders outside of the United States that are intended to be represented, marked, certified, or sold as qualified for use in transporting a hazardous material in commerce in the United States
An FMOC that is approved by the Secretary pursuant to section 107.807 of title 49, CFR and has demonstrated 3 years of compliance with part 107 of title 49, CFR and chapter 51 of title 49, United States Code
Secretary of Transportation
Taking actions that are known, or reasonably should be known, to prevent, hinder, or impede an inspection
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