A bill to amend the Interstate Commerce Act to provide improved enforcement of motor carrier safety regulations; to protect motor carrier employees against discrimination for reporting violations of such regulations.
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce.
Provides, under the Interstate Commerce Act, for enforcement of motor carrier safety regulations by employees who believe their employer has violated such safety regulations. Allows employees to request an investigation by giving written and signed notice of the violation to the Secretary of Transportation. Authorizes the Secretary to issue a citation to the violator upon the finding of a violation. Sets forth the form of such citation, including the assessment of a civil penalty of not less than $250 nor more than $1,000 for the first violation. Permits a violator to contest the citation within 15 days. Provides for a hearing before the National Transportation Safety Board on the citation, and review of any adverse order from the Board by the United States court of appeals. Specifies the procedures for pleadings, testimony and objections before the appellate court. Provides that the Secretary may enforce any final order of the Board or any uncontested citation by filing for relief in the United States court of appeals. Empowers the Secretary to order a carrier of explosives and other dangerous articles to cease operation of motor vehicles in interstate commerce for up to sixty days when he finds the operations create an unreasonable risk of accident, injury or death. States the procedure for the Secretary to follow in issuing such a cease and desist order. Provides that no person shall discharge or discriminate against any employee for (1) filing a motor carrier safety violation complaint; (2) refusing to operate equipment because of his apprehension of death or serious injury to himself on the public due to the unsafe condition of such equipment; or (3) refusing to operate equipment in violation of regulations respecting hours of service. Entitles an employee so discharged or discriminated against (1) to reinstatement in his employment; (2) to be made whole for his losses; (3) to exemplary damages; and (4) to cost of suit and reasonable attorney's fees.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on November 16, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on November 16, 1973: Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
PHILIP HART (D-MI) introduced it on November 16, 1973, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on November 16, 1973, 19291 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19291 days ago, on November 16, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers