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Requires motor carriers and related contractors that transport Department of Defense freight to certify that, after reasonable inquiry, they are not owned or controlled by — and do not have significant business relationships with — entities on the federal list of Chinese military companies. Carriers must obtain the same certification from subcontractors and owner-operators, keep records for five years, and face suspension, debarment, and criminal penalties for knowingly false certifications. The Secretary of Defense must issue implementing regulations within 180 days. Also directs placement of a new national-security registry chapter for motor carriers in federal transportation law (the text and details of the registry are not provided in the bill).
The bill strengthens DoD freight security and creates clearer legal authority and enforcement tools, but it also imposes new compliance, legal, and privacy risks—particularly for small carriers—which could raise costs and complicate DoD logistics.
DoD, military units, and taxpayers: carriers handling DoD freight will be more effectively vetted (including prohibitions on carriers affiliated with certain Chinese military companies and a centralized registry), reducing supply‑chain security risks.
Government contractors and state/local governments: creates a clearer statutory legal basis and uniform flow‑down compliance rules for DoD freight, improving contract certainty and oversight.
Taxpayers and DoD programs: recordkeeping, enforcement tools (e.g., suspension/debarment, criminal penalties), and registry mechanisms increase deterrence against fraud and misrepresentation in DoD freight contracts.
Motor carriers, small owner‑operators, and transportation workers: new certification, recordkeeping, registry, and flow‑down requirements will raise administrative burden and compliance costs and could shrink the pool of eligible carriers, increasing shipping costs and delaying DoD logistics.
Owner‑operators and small firms: broad certification and false‑certification provisions increase the risk of severe penalties (including criminal exposure and debarment) for errors, imposing disproportionate legal and financial risk on individuals and small businesses.
Carriers and contractors: delegation of key definitions (e.g., what constitutes a 'significant business relationship') and the absence of funding/operational details create regulatory uncertainty about who is covered and how compliance will be implemented.
Introduced March 12, 2026 by Thomas Bryant Cotton · Last progress March 12, 2026