Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7261

Congress Proposes New Protections for Truck Drivers During Safety Record Disputes

Motor Carrier Safety Screening Modernization Act

about 2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill changes how trucking companies check the safety records of their drivers. Currently, these checks mostly happen when someone is first applying for a job. This new law would allow companies to check records for current employees as well, but only if the driver gives written permission first.
If a safety report shows a problem, a company cannot fire or punish a driver based on that information without giving them a fair warning. Drivers must be given a reasonable amount of time to appeal the information and wait for a final decision before the company can take any 'adverse action' against them.
The bill addresses a problem where disputed safety violations stay on a driver's record while they are being fought. The Department of Transportation would be required to clearly label these violations as 'under review' in all federal databases so they do not unfairly hurt a driver's reputation while the case is pending.
States would be required to set up a more independent appeals process for safety data. Under the new rules, any appeal would have to be decided by someone other than the person who issued the original violation, ensuring a more neutral and fair review for the driver.

Infrastructure TransportationLabor Employment

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Broader Impacts

DomainScoreShort-termLong-termReversibilityConfidence

Score

Scores: -5 (harmful) to +5 (beneficial)Short-term: 0-2 yearsLong-term: 10-30 years

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 27, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Jan 27, 2026

Introduced in House

Related News

5 articles

FreightWaves·about 2 months ago

Bill empowers truck drivers to fight flawed safety data

The Motor Carrier Safety Screening Modernization Act aims to overhaul the appeals process within DataQs. It mandates that all appeals be decided by an independent party and requires the FMCSA to label contested violations as 'under review' to prevent them from unfairly hurting driver scores.

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Land Line Media·about 2 months ago

Will motor carrier bill provide due process?

Reps. Tracey Mann and Sharice Davids reintroduced the Motor Carrier Safety Screening Modernization Act (HR7261). The bill seeks to improve due process by ensuring data challenges are adjudicated by someone other than the original issuing officer and preserving Fair Credit Reporting Act protections.

FreightWaves·about 2 months ago

Congress Proposes Taking the Fox Out of the Henhouse

This analysis of the Motor Carrier Safety Screening Modernization Act highlights the 'game changer' of independent review for safety violations. It argues the current system, where the issuing officer often reviews their own citations, lacks fairness and that the new bill corrects this conflict.