Sponsors (2)
The bill protects small motor carriers and others from misleading USDOT communications and creates private remedies, but it also raises compliance and substantial litigation risks for businesses and may spur high-volume claims that burden courts.
Small-business motor carriers and owner-operators will receive clearer, truthful USDOT disclosures that reduce misleading fees and scams, improving their ability to choose legitimate services.
Individuals targeted by deceptive USDOT-related communications can recover statutory damages and attorneys’ fees, providing a direct remedy and deterring future deception.
Federal and state enforcement authorities retain their enforcement powers alongside private lawsuits, preserving governmental oversight and complementary remedies.
Covered entities, including legitimate service providers, must incur new compliance costs to change disclosures, design, and messaging to meet the law’s requirements.
Businesses face potentially large statutory damages ($500–$5,000) per communication, creating substantial litigation exposure and likely defensive legal costs.
The law does not require plaintiffs to prove reliance, intent, or confusion, lowering the plaintiffs’ burden and likely encouraging high-volume claims that increase court caseloads and defensive litigation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires clear disclosures and bans misleading claims in USDOT/FMC A-related solicitations and creates a private right of action with statutory damages.
Prohibits private companies from using misleading or deceptive language in communications about USDOT number registration, renewal, updating, maintenance, or FMCSA compliance and requires a clear, legible disclosure on those communications. It creates a private right of action allowing affected recipients to recover actual damages or statutory damages ($500–$5,000 per violating communication), seek injunctions or declaratory relief, and obtain attorneys’ fees, with a five-year statute of limitations and no need to prove reliance, intent, or confusion.
Official title: To establish certain requirements for any communications by a private entity regarding United States Department of Transportation numbers, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 13, 2026 by Marie Gluesenkamp Perez · Last progress May 13, 2026