A bill to require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on chameleon carriers in the United States and require the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to plan, develop, and test an advanced automation tool to help enforcement personnel detect chameleon carrier applications under the registration process of the Department of Transportation, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced by Andy Kim and 1 co-sponsor

The bill funds a GAO study and develops an automated FMCSA tool to detect deceptive chameleon carrier registrations during DOT processes.

Introduced in Senate

Summary of Bill: S. 5150 (119th Congress)

Purpose and intent

The bill aims to address issues related to “chameleon carriers” in the United States—entities that may operate under multiple carrier registrations or otherwise manipulate registration to evade enforcement.

It requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on chameleon carriers.

It also directs the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to plan, develop, and test an advanced automation tool to assist enforcement personnel in detecting chameleon carrier applications during the Department of Transportation (DOT) registration process.

The underlying goal is to improve identification and disruption of deceptive or evasive carrier practices within the interstate trucking system.

Key provisions and changes

Study by the Comptroller General:

Commissioned task: Conduct a comprehensive study on the existence, patterns, and impact of chameleon carriers in the United States.
Likely components (typical study scope): prevalence, operational methods, risk to safety and compliance, and recommendations for policy or enforcement improvements.

FMCSA automation tool:

Mandate for planning, development, and testing of an advanced automation tool.
Purpose: Aid enforcement personnel in detecting chameleon carrier applications during the DOT registration process.
Expected outcomes: Enhanced ability to identify inconsistencies, red flags, or deceptive practices in carrier registrations, potentially reducing registration fraud and improving oversight.

Scope and period:

The bill designates steps including study and development/testing phases; specifics such as timelines, funding levels, and milestones are not provided in the summary text.

Who or what would be affected

Federal Agencies:

Comptroller General (GAO) would undertake the mandated study.
FMCSA would lead planning, development, and testing of the automation tool.
Department of Transportation (DOT) processes related to motor carrier registration would be impacted by the proposed tool.

Carriers and industry:

Interstate motor carriers and applicants seeking DOT registration could be subject to more rigorous scrutiny as automation tools are deployed.
Enforcement personnel would have enhanced tools to detect chameleon carrier schemes.

General public:

Potential improvements in safety oversight and reduction of fraudulent or deceptive registration practices.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction and referral:

Introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (as of 2026-07-28).

Action history:

Read twice and referred to the committee on the stated date.

Sponsor information:

Co-sponsors: Andy Kim and Todd Young.

Timelines, funding, and implementation milestones are not specified in the available text; the bill would proceed through committee consideration, potential amendments, and floor consideration, followed by conference actions if needed.

Practical implications

If enacted, the GAO study could yield actionable findings on the scale and methods of chameleon carrier practices and suggest policy or regulatory changes.

The FMCSA automation tool could modernize the DOT registration review process, potentially increasing detection rates for registration fraud and improving safety oversight, though it would require resources for development, testing, deployment, and training.

The bill emphasizes accountability and data-driven enforcement to address registration deception within the trucking sector.