SAFE Act

This bill addresses the issue of "chameleon carriers" in the United States, which are entities that operate under new identities to evade safety regulations, enforcement actions, or insurance requirements. It mandates the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study and submit a report to Congress within one year of enactment. This report will detail the estimated number and prevalence of chameleon carriers, the fatalities and injuries they cause, their evasion methods, and the Department of Transportation's current capabilities and shortcomings in detecting them, along with legislative recommendations. Furthermore, the legislation directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to develop, test, and implement an advanced automation tool within one year. This tool is designed to assist FMCSA personnel in identifying chameleon carrier applications during the Department of Transportation number registration process. It must detect characteristics indicating continuity between entities used to evade regulations or negative compliance history, and also identify lapses in insurance coverage. The bill requires collaboration with various federal and state agencies for information sharing to enhance the tool's effectiveness. Importantly, it establishes an appeals process for applicants denied a DOT number based on the tool's flags, ensuring human oversight for final determinations and providing instructions for correcting applications. The Department of Transportation's Inspector General will audit the tool's effectiveness two years after implementation, assessing its impact on severe crashes and application outcomes.