I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2687

To amend the anti-car theft provisions of title 49, United States Code to

increase the utility of motor vehicle title information to State and Federal

law enforcement officials, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 29, 1995

Mr. MCCOLLUM (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. COBLE, Mr. HEINEMAN, Mr.

BRYANT of Tennessee, and Ms. LOFGREN) introduced the following bill;

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the anti-car theft provisions of title 49, United

States Code to increase the utility of motor vehicle title

information to State and Federal law enforcement officials, 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 ‘‘Anti-Car Theft Im5 provements Act of 1995’’.

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

7 (a) MOTOR VEHICLE.—Section 30501(1) of title 49,

8 United States Code, is amended by inserting before the
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1 period the following: ‘‘and ‘motor vehicle’ has the same

2 meaning as the term ‘passenger motor vehicle’ has in sec3 tion 32101(10)’’.

4 (b) OPERATOR.—Section 30501(6) of title 49, United

5 States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘of this title, or the

6 Secretary of Transportation’’ and inserting ‘‘or the Na7 tional Stolen Passenger Motor Vehicle Information Sys8 tem under section 33109, or the Attorney General’’.

9 SEC. 3. SYSTEM NAME AND IMPLEMENTATION DATE.

10 (a) SECTION 30502.—Section 30502(a)(1) of title

11 49, United States Code, is amended—

12 (1) by striking ‘‘January 31, 1996’’ and insert13 ing ‘‘October 1, 1997’’, and

14 (2) by striking ‘‘Automobile’’ each place it oc15 curs and inserting ‘‘Motor Vehicle’’.

16 (b) SECTION 30503.—Section 30503(d) of title 49,

17 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘January 1,

18 1997’’ and inserting ‘‘October 1, 1998’’.

19 SEC. 4. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY.

20 (a) SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION.—Sections

21 30502, 30503, 30504, and 30505 of title 49, United

22 States Code, are each amended by striking each reference

23 to ‘‘Secretary of Transportation’’ or ‘‘Secretary’’ and in24 serting ‘‘Attorney General’’.
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1 (b) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—Section 30502 of title 49,

2 United States Code, is amended by striking each reference

3 to ‘‘Attorney General’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary of Trans4 portation’’.

5 SEC. 5. TITLE INFORMATION SYSTEM OPERATOR IMMU6 NITY.

7 Section 30502 of title 49, United States Code, is

8 amended by adding at the end the following:

9 ‘‘(f) IMMUNITY.—Any person performing any activity

10 under this section or sections 30503 or 30504 in good

11 faith and with the reasonable belief that such activity was

12 in accordance with this section or section 30503 or 30504,

13 as the case may be, shall be immune from any civil action

14 seeking money damages or equitable relief in any court

15 of the United States or a State.’’.

16 SEC. 6. STOLEN VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM.

17 Section 33109 of title 49, United States Code, is

18 amended by adding at the end the following:

19 ‘‘(d) IMMUNITY.—Any person performing any activity

20 under this section in good faith and with the reasonable

21 belief that such activity was in accordance with this sec22 tion shall be immune from any civil action seeking money

23 damages or equitable relief in any court of the United

24 States or a State.’’.
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1 SEC. 7. GRANTS TO STATES.

2 (a) AMENDMENT.—Section 30503(c)(2) of title 49,

3 United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

4 ‘‘(2) The Attorney General may make reasonable and

5 necessary grants to participating States to be used in

6 making titling information maintained by those States

7 available to the operator.’’.

8 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be ap9 propriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out

10 section 30503 of title 49, United States Code.

11 (c) INFORMATION SYSTEM.—The information system

12 established under section 30502 of title 49, United States

13 Code, shall be effective as provided in the rules promul14 gated by the Attorney General.

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