[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2077 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2077

  To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of 
    Transportation from increasing minimum financial responsibility 
requirements established by Congress for motor carriers of passengers, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2015

  Mr. Perry introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of 
    Transportation from increasing minimum financial responsibility 
requirements established by Congress for motor carriers of passengers, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. MINIMUM FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MOTOR 
              CARRIERS OF PASSENGERS.

    (a) Prohibition on Increasing Minimum Levels Established by 
Congress.--Section 31138 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a) in each of paragraphs (1) and (2) by 
        striking ``established by the Secretary'' and inserting ``set 
        forth in subsection (b)''; and
            (2) in subsection (b) by adding at the end the following:
``The Secretary may not increase the minimum levels of financial 
responsibility set forth in this subsection.''.
    (b) Study of Minimum Financial Responsibility Requirements.--
Section 31138 of such title is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(f) Minimum Financial Responsibility Requirements.--
            ``(1) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a comprehensive 
        study of the minimum financial responsibility requirements for 
        motor carriers of passengers under this section.
            ``(2) Contents.--The study shall include, at a minimum, an 
        analysis of--
                    ``(A) the accident and claims histories of over-
                the-road bus and school bus transportation companies;
                    ``(B) the current range of financial responsibility 
                limits held by all sizes of over-the-road and private 
                school bus companies;
                    ``(C) a comparison of the financial responsibility 
                limits of publicly and privately provided school bus 
                transportation service;
                    ``(D) a comparison of the financial responsibility 
                limits of a wide range of rural, small communities, 
                urban public transit agencies, and private over-the-
                road bus companies;
                    ``(E) linkages, if any, between higher financial 
                responsibility limits and a decrease in passenger 
                carrier crashes;
                    ``(F) the impact of an increase in financial 
                responsibility limits on insurance premiums for 
                passenger carriers;
                    ``(G) insurance and reinsurance industry capacity 
                issues, including capitalization requirements to 
                underwrite any increase in current minimum financial 
                responsibility limits, together with financial 
                estimations and likely sources of capital;
                    ``(H) the impact of an increase in current 
                financial responsibility limits on the availability of 
                over-the-road bus service;
                    ``(I) the impact of any increase in financial 
                responsibility limits on the availability of private 
                school transportation service;
                    ``(J) the impact of `limits pull' of an increase in 
                financial responsibility limits; and
                    ``(K) the impact of an increase in financial 
                responsibility limits on small- and medium-sized over-
                the-road and private school bus carriers.
            ``(3) Consultation.--In conducting the study, the Secretary 
        shall consult with, at a minimum--
                    ``(A) representatives of the over-the-road bus and 
                private school bus transportation industries; and
                    ``(B) a range of insurers and reinsurers of motor 
                carriers of passengers.
            ``(4) Report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall 
        submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
        the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
        Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the 
        results of the study.''.
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