{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://moolenaar.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/moolenaar-introduces-freight-safety-accountability-legislation", "Moolenaar Introduces Freight Safety Accountability Legislation", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "MI", "John R. Moolenaar", "M001194", "moolenaar.house.gov", "moolenaar", "https://moolenaar.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Congressman John Moolenaar introduced the Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act. The legislation would improve roadway safety by holding freight industry contractors accountable when they hire trucking companies that have a history of serious safety violations.\n\nIn 2022, Patrick and Barbara Kowalski, two lifelong Michiganders with ties to Michigan\u2019s Second Congressional District, were killed in a trucking crash that involved a company with several Department of Transportation safety violations. Shannon Mertz, Patrick and Barbara\u2019s daughter, sent a letter to Congressman Moolenaar about the tragedy that spurred the legislation.\n\n\u201cNo family should experience the loss the Kowalskis faced. It was a preventable tragedy and this legislation ensures all freight industry contractors take safety seriously,\u201d said Moolenaar.\n\n\u201cCompanies, like the one involved in my parents\u2019 accident, must be held accountable. My family and I are thankful for Congressman Moolenaar\u2019s responsiveness and efforts to prevent another family from experiencing the heartbreak we have felt,\u201d said Shannon Mertz.\n\nThe bill text can be found here. Specifically, this bill creates an economic incentive for brokers to prioritize safety by requiring a ten percent surcharge on contracts with trucking companies that have three or more Department of Transportation violations within a five-year period and directs the Secretary of Transportation to use funds generated by this fee to improve roadway safety. Additionally, the bill expands the authority of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to investigate freight brokers and impose operating requirements following fatal crashes.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://moolenaar.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/moolenaar-introduces-freight-safety-accountability-legislation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0263049043715, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}