MOTOR CONTRACT CARRIER LICENSING.

SEC. 208. MOTOR CONTRACT CARRIER LICENSING. (a) Authority To Issue Permits.— Section 10923(a) (relating to authority to issue permits) is amended by inserting “of household goods or passengers” after “motor contract carrier”. (b) Motor Contract Carrier Permits.— Section 10923 (relating to permits of motor and water contract carriers and household goods freight forwarders) is amended by redesignating subsections (b) through (e) as (c) through (f), respectively, and by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection: “(b) (1) Except as provided in this section and section 10930 of this title, the Commission shall issue a permit to a person authorizing the person to provide transportation subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission under subchapter II of chapter 105 of this title as a motor contract carrier of property other than household goods if the Commission finds that the person is able to comply with— “(A) this subtitle, the regulations of the Commission, and any safety requirements imposed by the Commission, “(B) the safety fitness requirements established by the Secretary of Transportation in consultation with the Commission pursuant to section 31144 of this title, and “(C) the minimum financial responsibility requirements established by the Commission pursuant to section 10927 of this title. “(2) In deciding whether to approve the application of a person for a permit as a motor contract carrier of property other than household goods the Commission shall consider any evidence demonstrating that the applicant is unable to comply with this subtitle,108 STAT. 1688 the regulations of the Commission, safety requirements of the Commission, or the safety fitness and minimum financial responsibility requirements of subsection (b)(1). “(3) The Commission shall find any applicant for authority to operate as a motor carrier of property other than household goods under this subsection to be unfit if the applicant does not meet the safety and safety fitness requirements of paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(B) of this subsection and shall deny the application. “(4) A person may protest an application under this subsection to provide transportation only on the ground that the applicant fails or will fail to comply with this subtitle, the regulations of the Commission, safety requirements of the Commission, or the safety fitness or minimum financial responsibility requirements of paragraph (1).”. (c) Application Filing Requirements.— Section 10923(c) (relating to application filing requirements), as redesignated by subsection (b) of this section, is amended— (1) by striking “motor contract carrier of property” in paragraphs (3) and (4) and inserting “motor contract carrier of household goods”, (2) by striking paragraph (5) and redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as (5) and (6), respectively, and (3) by striking “motor contract carriers of property” in paragraph (5) (as redesignated) and inserting “motor contract carriers of household goods”. (d) Conditions of Transportation or Service.— Section 10923(e) (relating to conditions of transportation or service), as redesignated by subsection (b) of this section, is amended— (1) by inserting “of passengers or household goods” after “contract carrier” in paragraph (1), and (2) by striking “each person or class of persons (and, in the case of a motor contract carrier of passengers, the number of persons)” in paragraph (2) and inserting “in the case of a motor contract carrier of passengers, the number of persons,”.