Transportation (Freight) in United States

in committee · United States · House Sep 12, 2025

HR 5337: Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard Act of 2024

HR 5337 establishes a new standard for businesses (called "covered entities") that contract with motor carriers to ship goods. It requires these businesses to verify 45 days before shipment that a carrier is properly registered, has required insurance, and is confirmed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as meeting safety standards. Individual shippers (like personal movers) are exempt from these verification requirements. The standard expires once the FMCSA issues new safety fitness regulations within one year of the bill's enactment. The bill also creates a public FMCSA confirmation system showing whether carriers meet safety requirements.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Freight Roads & Highways

in committee · United States · House Jul 24, 2025

HR 4661: AMERICA DRIVES Act

The AMERICA DRIVES Act (HR 4661) allows commercial trucks equipped with Level 4 or Level 5 automated driving systems (ADS) to operate interstate without a human driver onboard or a remote operator. It directly affects commercial trucking companies and autonomous vehicle manufacturers by preempting state laws requiring human drivers and mandating the Department of Transportation (DOT) to update regulations by 2027. Key provisions include revising rules around hours of service, drug testing, and driver licensing to apply to driverless vehicles, while defining ADS based on industry standards (SAE J3016). The bill ensures regulatory parity for ADS-equipped trucks and excludes automated technologies from width calculations under safety standards.

Topics ✓ Technology ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Autonomous Vehicles Freight Roads & Highways

in committee · United States · House Nov 21, 2025

HR 6233: Commercial Motor Vehicle English Proficiency Act

This bill requires commercial motor vehicle drivers to demonstrate English proficiency to pass knowledge tests or receive certification. Starting two years after enactment, drivers must understand English traffic signs, communicate with safety officers (like border patrol), and exchange directions in English while operating vehicles. It bans administering these tests in any language other than English and mandates the Transportation Secretary to update related regulations within two years. The law directly affects commercial drivers seeking certification or renewing licenses under federal rules.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Driver Licensing Freight

in committee · United States · House Jun 5, 2025

HR 3730: FARE Act

The FARE Act establishes a 10-year advisory committee to study barriers to rail electrification and recommend solutions. The committee, with balanced representation from passenger and freight railroads, utilities, manufacturers, and state/federal agencies, will research technical, financial, and regulatory challenges. It must submit biennial reports to Congress starting two years after the bill's enactment, detailing its findings and recommendations. The committee will terminate 10 years after the bill becomes law, with no direct impact on rail operations or funding.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Electric Vehicles Electric Vehicles Freight Rail

in committee · United States · House Feb 26, 2025

HR 1487: Agricultural and Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act

HR 1487, the Agricultural and Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act, allows Virginia to issue special permits for agricultural and forestry vehicles weighing up to 90,000 pounds on interstate highways. This directly affects farmers and timber haulers in Virginia transporting unprocessed goods like raw crops (for food, feed, or fiber) or unfinished forest products (such as logs, wood chips, or biomass). The bill amends federal law to create this exception to standard weight limits, enabling larger loads for specific agricultural and forestry operations. It does not change weight rules for other states or other types of cargo.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Freight Roads & Highways

in committee · United States · House Feb 11, 2025

HR 1200: Freight RAILCAR Act of 2025

This bill creates a 10% tax credit for businesses that modernize or replace freight railcars, directly affecting railcar owners and manufacturers. To qualify, railcars must meet an 8% improvement standard in capacity or fuel efficiency, be built or modernized after enactment, and replace two scrapped railcars. The credit is limited to 1,000 qualified railcars per business annually, with reporting requirements for the Treasury to track claimed credits, scrapped railcars, and new railcar production. The credit applies to railcars placed in service after December 2024, ending three years after enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Freight Rail

in committee · United States · House Feb 2, 2026

HR 6866: Securing Smart Investments in our Ports Act

This bill amends existing port infrastructure funding programs to require fair geographic distribution of projects across U.S. regions. It adds new requirements to two key programs: the Port and Intermodal Improvement Program (46 U.S.C. § 54301(a)(6)(B)) and assistance for small inland river/coastal ports (46 U.S.C. § 54301(b)(4)). The key provision mandates that selected projects must ensure equitable representation among all U.S. regions, preventing concentration of funds in specific areas. This directly affects how federal port funding is allocated, requiring the Department of Transportation to consider regional balance when approving projects.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Airports Freight Ports

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 22, 2026

S 1759: Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act

The Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act (S 1759) requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update regulations within one year of enactment to permit civil aircraft to fly supersonically (Mach >1) in U.S. airspace without causing sonic booms to reach the ground. This directly affects commercial aircraft manufacturers and airlines seeking to operate new supersonic passenger or cargo planes. The key provision eliminates the current need for special authorization by mandating FAA rules that ensure no ground-level sonic booms occur during flight. The bill focuses solely on enabling regulated supersonic flight operations, not on environmental impacts or economic outcomes.

Topics ✗ Environment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Airports Freight

in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2025

HR 4601: Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act

This bill modernizes the process for seasonal agricultural workers who need commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). It requires the Transportation Secretary to create online systems for easy license renewal (Section 2(a)) and clarifies that farm equipment like tractors and harvesters ("implements of husbandry") are not subject to commercial vehicle weight calculations (Section 2(b)). It directly affects farm-related service industries and their seasonal employees who operate restricted CDL vehicles. The changes simplify administrative processes and remove regulatory barriers for agricultural operations.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Driver Licensing Freight

in committee · United States · House Feb 4, 2025

HR 667: Noncontiguous Shipping Relief Act of 2024

This bill creates an exemption allowing foreign-registered freight vessels (over 1,000 gross tons, foreign-built, with U.S. crew) to transport goods between U.S. territories (like Hawaii or Alaska) and the mainland without complying with standard U.S. coastwise trade rules. It requires these vessels to hold a U.S. Coast Guard certificate of documentation and meet specific registration criteria. The bill also mandates that all vessels - U.S. or foreign - operating in U.S. coastwise trade must follow minimum U.S. labor and environmental standards. This directly affects foreign shipping companies seeking to serve U.S. territory routes while maintaining compliance with U.S. regulations.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Freight Ports

All transportation bills