Young, Kim introduce SAFE Act on chameleon carriers

Sen. Todd Young of Indiana and Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey introduced the Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement, or SAFE, Act, on July 28, 2026. The bill targets so-called chameleon carriers, which the senators described as unsafe trucking companies that shut down and reopen under new identities to avoid penalties, enforcement actions, and poor safety records.

According to the press release, the legislation would require a comprehensive study of the problem and direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to develop a way to accurately detect chameleon carriers during the registration process. The goal, as described in the release, is to make sure those carriers remain subject to enforcement for violations under the law.

The bill also would require the Government Accountability Office to study the prevalence of chameleon carriers, the crashes and fatalities associated with them, and provide recommendations for strengthening enforcement. It would direct FMCSA to develop, test, and implement an advanced automated tool that identifies applications with characteristics commonly associated with chameleon carriers, while keeping final decisions with agency personnel.

The SAFE Act would also improve information sharing among federal and state agencies to better detect fraudulent registration applications. It would establish an appeals process for applicants incorrectly flagged by the system and require an audit of the tool’s effectiveness after implementation.

Young said chameleon carriers have become a major issue on Indiana’s roads, putting Hoosiers at risk and punishing law-abiding truckers. He said the bill would help federal regulators identify fraudulent operators before they hit the road. Kim said the bill works with truckers and FMCSA to take on unsafe operators so roads are safer and truckers can keep the economy moving with greater peace of mind.

The press release says an identical bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming. It also includes support statements from the Indiana Motor Truck Association, American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, National Tank Truck Carriers, American Truckers United Inc., Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, and Truck Safety Coalition.

The release says the full text of the bill is available here.