Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act
Summary
HB6884, titled the Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act, would amend federal motor carrier law to create new penalties and oversight tools for freight brokers that contract with unsafe carriers. The bill directs that a broker who contracts with a “specified transportation company” would be liable for a civil penalty equal to 10 percent of the value of the contracted cargo for the broker’s entire contract with that carrier. A carrier is treated as specified if, within the prior five years, it has received three or more Department of Transportation violations, or if it employs a driver with three or more such violations.
The bill also authorizes the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to investigate a freight broker after a fatal crash involving a company the broker hired. If the agency finds the broker acted with egregious disregard for safety, it may impose additional operating requirements on that broker. Penalties collected under the bill would be deposited into the Highway Trust Fund and could be used, without further appropriation, for roadway safety projects and infrastructure eligible under federal transportation law.
Impact
The bill would add two new sections to chapter 149 of title 49 of the U.S. Code, creating a federal civil penalty regime for freight brokers and a new post-crash investigative authority for FMCSA. It would affect freight brokers, motor carriers, and transportation companies by tying broker liability to a carrier’s or driver’s prior DOT violation history, and it would give the Secretary of Transportation a dedicated funding stream for roadway safety uses through the Highway Trust Fund.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a safety-focused response to fatal crashes and broker accountability concerns. The title and structure suggest support for stronger oversight of freight brokerage practices, with the policy emphasis on preventing brokers from hiring carriers with poor safety records. No formal vote history or transcript is available here, so there is no documented opposition or amendment activity to gauge broader sentiment.
Contention
The main policy tension is between improving roadway safety and imposing potentially significant financial and operational burdens on freight brokers. Supporters would likely favor holding brokers accountable for repeatedly using carriers with documented violations, while critics may question whether the 10 percent penalty is too broad, whether the violation threshold is an appropriate proxy for unsafe behavior, and whether brokers can reliably assess carrier safety histories. Another possible point of contention is the FMCSA’s authority to impose additional operating requirements after a fatal crash, which could be viewed as necessary oversight by some and as an expansive regulatory power by others.