Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens protections for drivers by allowing voiding of predatory lease-purchase agreements and accelerating rulemaking and enforcement clarity, but it may raise costs and uncertainty for carriers, reduce some lease-purchase pathways into ownership, and impose administrative burdens on DOT.
Drivers in lease-purchase programs can have exploitative or predatory lease-purchase agreements declared void, letting affected drivers escape unfair debt and payment terms.
Drivers will gain faster regulatory protections because the Department of Transportation must promulgate rules within one year to address abusive carrier practices in lease-purchase programs.
Drivers and carriers benefit from clearer legal definitions of 'predatory' lease-purchase programs and 'lease-purchase agreement,' improving enforceability and reducing ambiguity in disputes.
Small carriers and owner-operators may face increased compliance costs and regulatory uncertainty from new restrictions, raising operating expenses and administrative burdens.
Some drivers could lose access to lease-purchase pathways to truck ownership if carriers exit or curtail lease-purchase programs in response to the law, reducing entry options for prospective owner-operators.
Implementation and adjudication of relief claims may burden the Department of Transportation, potentially delaying outcomes and benefits for drivers seeking relief.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOT to ban predatory truck lease‑purchase programs and create a relief process for drivers within one year.
Introduced September 17, 2025 by Julia Brownley · Last progress September 17, 2025
Requires the Department of Transportation to issue regulations within one year that ban predatory commercial motor vehicle lease‑purchase programs for covered motor carriers and to create a relief process allowing drivers to escape contract terms if the Secretary finds a lease violated those rules. The measure also adds statutory definitions for “predatory commercial motor vehicle lease‑purchase agreement program” and “lease‑purchase agreement.”