[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5145 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5145

   To require the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
   Administration to establish an advisory board focused on creating 
    opportunities for women in the trucking industry, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2019

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
   Administration to establish an advisory board focused on creating 
    opportunities for women in the trucking industry, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Women in Trucking 
Workforce Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) women make up 47 percent of the workforce of the United 
        States;
            (2) women are significantly underrepresented in the 
        trucking industry, holding only 24 percent of all 
        transportation and warehousing jobs and representing only--
                    (A) 6.6 percent of truck drivers;
                    (B) 12.5 percent of all workers in truck 
                transportation; and
                    (C) 8 percent of freight firm owners;
            (3) given the total number of women truck drivers, women 
        are underrepresented in the truck-driving workforce; and
            (4) women truck drivers have been shown to be 20 percent 
        less likely than male counterparts to be involved in a crash.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING WOMEN IN TRUCKING.

    It is the sense of Congress that the trucking industry should 
explore every opportunity, including driver training and mentorship 
programs, to encourage and support the pursuit of careers in trucking 
by women.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
        Administration.
            (2) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Women of Trucking 
        Advisory Board established under section 5(a).
            (3) Large trucking company.--The term ``large trucking 
        company'' means a motor carrier (as defined in section 13102 of 
        title 49, United States Code) with an annual revenue greater 
        than $1,000,000,000.
            (4) Mid-sized trucking company.--The term ``mid-sized 
        trucking company'' means a motor carrier (as defined in section 
        13102 of title 49, United States Code) with an annual revenue 
        of not less than $35,000,000 and not greater than 
        $1,000,000,000.
            (5) Small trucking company.--The term ``small trucking 
        company'' means a motor carrier (as defined in section 13102 of 
        title 49, United States Code) with an annual revenue less than 
        $35,000,000.

SEC. 5. WOMEN OF TRUCKING ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) Establishment.--To encourage women to enter the field of 
trucking, the Administrator shall establish and facilitate an advisory 
board, to be known as the ``Women of Trucking Advisory Board'', to 
promote organizations and programs that--
            (1) provide education, training, mentorship, or outreach to 
        women in the trucking industry; and
            (2) recruit women into the trucking industry.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Board shall be composed of not fewer 
        than 7 members whose backgrounds allow those members to 
        contribute balanced points of view and diverse ideas regarding 
        the strategies and objectives described in subsection (c)(2).
            (2) Appointment.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall appoint the 
        members of the Board, of whom--
                    (A) not fewer than 1 shall be a representative of 
                large trucking companies;
                    (B) not fewer than 1 shall be a representative of 
                mid-sized trucking companies;
                    (C) not fewer than 1 shall be a representative of 
                small trucking companies;
                    (D) not fewer than 1 shall be a representative of 
                nonprofit organizations in the trucking industry;
                    (E) not fewer than 1 shall be a representative of 
                trucking business associations;
                    (F) not fewer than 1 shall be a representative of 
                independent owner-operators; and
                    (G) not fewer than 1 shall be a woman who is a 
                professional truck driver.
            (3) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of 
        the Board.
            (4) Compensation.--A member of the Board shall serve 
        without compensation.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Board shall identify--
                    (A) industry trends that directly or indirectly 
                discourage women from pursuing careers in trucking, 
                including--
                            (i) any differences between women minority 
                        groups;
                            (ii) any differences between women who live 
                        in rural, suburban, and urban areas; and
                            (iii) any safety risks unique to the 
                        trucking industry;
                    (B) ways in which the functions of trucking 
                companies, nonprofit organizations, and trucking 
                associations may be coordinated to facilitate support 
                for women pursuing careers in trucking;
                    (C) opportunities to expand existing opportunities 
                for women in the trucking industry; and
                    (D) opportunities to enhance trucking training, 
                mentorship, education, and outreach programs that are 
                exclusive to women.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Board shall submit to the 
        Administrator a report describing strategies that the 
        Administrator may adopt--
                    (A) to address any industry trends identified under 
                paragraph (1)(A);
                    (B) to coordinate the functions of trucking 
                companies, nonprofit organizations, and trucking 
                associations in a manner that facilitates support for 
                women pursuing careers in trucking;
                    (C)(i) to take advantage of any opportunities 
                identified under paragraph (1)(C); and
                    (ii) to create new opportunities to expand existing 
                scholarship opportunities for women in the trucking 
                industry; and
                    (D) to enhance trucking training, mentorship, 
                education, and outreach programs that are exclusive to 
                women.
    (d) Report to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
        of the House of Representatives a report describing--
                    (A) any strategies recommended by the Board under 
                subsection (c)(2); and
                    (B) any actions taken by the Administrator to adopt 
                the strategies recommended by the Board (or an 
                explanation of the reasons for not adopting the 
                strategies).
            (2) Public availability.--The Administrator shall make the 
        report under paragraph (1) publicly available--
                    (A) on the website of the Federal Motor Carrier 
                Safety Administration; and
                    (B) in appropriate offices of the Federal Motor 
                Carrier Safety Administration.
    (e) Termination.--The Board shall terminate on submission of the 
report to Congress under subsection (d).
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