New House Bill Would Fine Brokers for Hiring Unsafe Truckers
Summary
The Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act, introduced by Rep. John Moolenaar, would make freight brokers financially liable if they hire motor carriers or drivers with serious safety violation histories. Brokers could face civil penalties equal to 10% of the cargo value when they contract with a carrier that has three or more Department of Transportation (DOT) violations, or with carriers that employ drivers who have three or more DOT violations in the past five years. The bill would also expand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) authority to investigate brokers and impose operating requirements after fatal crashes. Named after two people killed in a 2022 truck crash, the bill had no co-sponsors as of 22 December 2025.
Key Points
- Brokers could be fined 10% of the cargo value if they use carriers with three or more DOT violations.
- The same penalty applies if a carrier employs a driver with three or more DOT violations in the last five years.
- The bill expands FMCSA authority to investigate freight brokers and to set operating requirements after fatal incidents.
- The legislation is named for Patrick and Barbara Kowalski, victims of a 2022 truck-involved crash.
- There were no co-sponsors on the bill as of 22 December 2025; the measure enters a broader, ongoing debate about broker liability that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you arrange freight, this could hit your pockets and processes. The bill shifts real financial risk onto brokers and gives regulators extra teeth — which means bigger compliance costs, tighter vetting of carriers, and potential disruption to brokered capacity. Worth five minutes of your time to see if your contracts, carrier-screening and insurance cover you for this kind of exposure.
Source
Source: https://www.supplychain247.com/article/house-bill-freight-broker-liability-unsafe-carriers