I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4871 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for efforts relating to 

Move Over laws, to amend title 49, United States Code, to require 

crash avoidance technology on motor vehicles, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 28, 2019 

Mrs. BUSTOS (for herself and Mr. CARSON of Indiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for efforts 

relating to Move Over laws, to amend title 49, United 

States Code, to require crash avoidance technology on 

motor vehicles, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Roadside 

5 First Responders Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MOVE OVER LAWS. 

2 (a) HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS.—Section 402 of 

3 title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

4 end the following: 

5 ‘‘(o) MOVE OVER LAWS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF MOVE OVER LAW.—In this 

7 subsection, the term ‘Move Over law’ means a State 

8 law intended to ensure first responder and motorist 

9 safety by requiring motorists to change lanes or slow 

10 down when approaching an authorized emergency 

11 vehicle that is parked or otherwise stopped on a 

12 roadway. 

13 ‘‘(2) COMPLIANCE WITH MOVE OVER LAWS.— 

14 For each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025, subject 

15 to the requirements of the highway safety plan of a 

16 State under subsection (k), as approved by the Sec17 retary, a State may use a portion of the amounts re18 ceived under this section to implement statewide ef19 forts to improve compliance with Move Over laws in 

20 the State. 

21 ‘‘(3) USE OF FUNDS.—Statewide efforts under 

22 paragraph (2) may include— 

23 ‘‘(A) purchasing and deploying digital alert 

24 technology that is capable of sending alerts to 

25 civilian drivers to protect first responders on 

26 the scene and en route; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) educating the public about Move Over 

2 laws in the State through public information 

3 campaigns.’’. 

4 (b) STUDY ON MOVE OVER LAW PUBLIC AWARE5 NESS CAMPAIGNS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transpor7 tation shall seek to enter into an agreement with the 

8 National Academy of Sciences under which the Na9 tional Academy of Sciences shall carry out a study 

10 on the efficacy of Move Over laws (as defined in sec11 tion 402(o) of title 23, United States Code) and re12 lated public awareness campaigns. 

13 (2) REPORT.—On the completion of the report 

14 under paragraph (1), the National Academy of 

15 Sciences shall submit to the Secretary of Transpor16 tation and to Congress a report on— 

17 (A) the findings of the study; and 

18 (B) any recommendations to improve pub19 lic awareness campaigns related to the laws de20 scribed in that paragraph. 

21 (c) NATIONAL PRIORITY SAFETY PROGRAMS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 405 of title 23, 

23 United States Code, is amended— 

24 (A) in subsection (a)— 


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1 (i) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘5’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘4’’; 

3 (ii) by redesignating paragraphs (8) 

4 through (10) as paragraphs (9) through 

5 (11), respectively; and 

6 (iii) by inserting after paragraph (7) 

7 the following: 

8 ‘‘(8) PREVENTING ROADSIDE DEATHS.—In each 

9 fiscal year, 1 percent of the funds provided under 

10 this section shall be allocated among States that 

11 meet requirements with respect to preventing road12 side deaths (as described in subsection (i)).’’; and 

13 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(i) PREVENTING ROADSIDE DEATHS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

16 grants to States to prevent death and injury from 

17 crashes involving vehicles striking vehicles and indi18 viduals stopped at the roadside. 

19 ‘‘(2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 

20 the cost of carrying out an activity funded through 

21 a grant under this subsection may not exceed 80 

22 percent. 

23 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY.—A State shall receive a 

24 grant under this subsection in a fiscal year if the 

25 State submits to the Secretary a plan that describes 


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1 how the State will use funds provided under the 

2 grant, in accordance with paragraph (4). 

3 ‘‘(4) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts received by a 

4 State under this subsection shall be used by the 

5 State— 

6 ‘‘(A) to purchase and deploy digital alert 

7 technology (as described in section 4(b) of the 

8 Protecting Roadside First Responders Act); 

9 ‘‘(B) to educate the public about the safety 

10 of vehicles and individuals stopped at the road11 side in the State through public information 

12 campaigns for the purpose of reducing roadside 

13 deaths and injury; 

14 ‘‘(C) for law enforcement costs related to 

15 enforcing State laws to protect the safety of ve16 hicles and individuals stopped at the roadside; 

17 and 

18 ‘‘(D) for programs to identify, collect, and 

19 report data to State and local government agen20 cies relating to crashes involving vehicles and 

21 individuals stopped at the roadside. 

22 ‘‘(5) GRANT AMOUNT.—The allocation of grant 

23 funds to a State under this subsection for a fiscal 

24 year shall be in proportion to the apportionment of 

25 that State under section 402 for fiscal year 2009.’’. 


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1 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO FUND2 ING.—It is the sense of Congress that the national 

3 priority program for preventing roadside deaths 

4 under subsections (a)(8) and (i) of section 405 of 

5 title 23, United States Code, should receive new and 

6 additional funding in comparison to the funding level 

7 for all national priority programs under section 405 

8 of title 23, United States Code, for fiscal year 2020. 

9 SEC. 3. CRASH AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGY. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 301 of 

11 title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

12 end the following: 

13 ‘‘§ 30129. Crash avoidance technology 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 

15 date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue 

16 a final rule to establish minimum performance standards 

17 with respect to crash avoidance technology and to require 

18 that all motor vehicles manufactured for sale in the United 

19 States on or after the compliance date under subsection 

20 (b) are equipped with— 

21 ‘‘(1) a forward collision warning and automatic 

22 emergency braking system that— 

23 ‘‘(A) alerts the driver if the distance to a 

24 vehicle ahead or object in the path of travel 


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1 ahead is closing too quickly and a collision is 

2 imminent; and 

3 ‘‘(B) automatically applies the brakes if 

4 the driver fails to do so; 

5 ‘‘(2) a lane departure warning and lane keeping 

6 assist system that— 

7 ‘‘(A) warns the driver to maintain the lane 

8 of travel; and 

9 ‘‘(B) corrects the course of travel if the 

10 driver fails to do so; and 

11 ‘‘(3) a blind zone detection system that— 

12 ‘‘(A) warns the driver if another vehicle or 

13 road user is in the blind zone of the vehicle; and 

14 ‘‘(B) provides an additional alert if the 

15 driver attempts to change the course of travel 

16 while another vehicle or road user is in the 

17 blind zone of the vehicle. 

18 ‘‘(b) COMPLIANCE DATE.—Compliance with the final 

19 rule under subsection (a) shall be required beginning for 

20 the model year that begins not later than 2 years after 

21 the date on which the final rule is published in the Federal 

22 Register.’’. 

23 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for sub24 chapter II of chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, 


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1 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 

2 30128 the following: 

‘‘30129. Crash avoidance technology.’’. 

3 SEC. 4. REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL VEHICLE FLEETS. 

4 (a) CRASH AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGY.—Not later 

5 than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, in 

6 accordance with section 30129 of title 49, United States 

7 Code, the head of each Federal agency shall ensure that 

8 each new vehicle purchased or leased as part of a Federal 

9 fleet of the agency is equipped with— 

10 (1) a forward collision warning and automatic 

11 emergency braking system that— 

12 (A) alerts the driver if the distance to a ve13 hicle ahead or object in the path of travel ahead 

14 is closing too quickly and a collision is immi15 nent; and 

16 (B) automatically applies the brakes if the 

17 driver fails to do so; 

18 (2) a lane departure warning and lane keeping 

19 assist system that— 

20 (A) warns the driver to maintain the lane 

21 of travel; and 

22 (B) corrects the course of travel if the 

23 driver fails to do so; and 

24 (3) a blind zone detection system that— 


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1 (A) warns the driver if another vehicle or 

2 road user is in the blind zone of the vehicle; and 

3 (B) provides an additional alert if the driv4 er attempts to change the course of travel while 

5 another vehicle or road user is in the blind zone 

6 of the vehicle. 

7 (b) DIGITAL ALERT TECHNOLOGY.—Not later than 

8 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the head 

9 of each Federal agency shall ensure that each vehicle in 

10 a Federal fleet of the agency— 

11 (1) if the vehicle is used for emergency response 

12 activities, is equipped with digital alert technology 

13 that is capable of sending alerts to civilian drivers 

14 to protect first responders on the scene and en 

15 route; and 

16 (2) is equipped with digital alert technology 

17 (which may be provided by an aftermarket device) 

18 that is capable of receiving alerts regarding nearby 

19 first responders. 

Æ 


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