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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1882 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1882

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for a national tire 
                        fuel efficiency program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 18, 2005

Mr. Schumer (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, and Mr. Lautenberg) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for a national tire 
                        fuel efficiency program.

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

SECTION 1. MOTOR VEHICLE TIRES SUPPORTING MAXIMUM FUEL EFFICIENCY.

    (a) Standards for Tires Manufactured for Interstate Commerce.--
Section 30123 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by inserting after the first 
        sentence the following: ``The grading system shall include 
        standards for rating the fuel efficiency of tires designed for 
        use on passenger cars and light trucks.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) National Tire Fuel Efficiency Program.--(1) The Secretary 
shall develop and carry out a national tire fuel efficiency program for 
tires designed for use on passenger cars and light trucks.
    ``(2) The program shall include the following:
            ``(A) Policies and procedures for testing and labeling 
        tires for fuel economy to enable tire buyers to make informed 
        purchasing decisions about the fuel economy of tires.
            ``(B) Policies and procedures to promote the purchase of 
        energy-efficient replacement tires, including purchase 
        incentives, website listings on the Internet, printed fuel 
        economy guide booklets, and mandatory requirements for tire 
        retailers to provide tire buyers with fuel-efficiency 
        information on tires.
            ``(C) Minimum fuel economy standards for tires, promulgated 
        by the Secretary.
    ``(3) The minimum fuel economy standards for tires shall--
            ``(A) ensure that the average fuel economy of replacement 
        tires is equal to or better than the average fuel economy of 
        tires sold as original equipment;
            ``(B) secure the maximum technically feasible and cost-
        effective fuel savings;
            ``(C) not adversely affect tire safety;
            ``(D) not adversely affect the average tire life of 
        replacement tires;
            ``(E) incorporate the results from--
                    ``(i) laboratory testing; and
                    ``(ii) to the extent appropriate and available, on-
                road fleet testing programs conducted by the 
                manufacturers; and
            ``(F) not adversely affect efforts to manage scrap tires.
    ``(4) The policies, procedures, and standards developed under 
paragraph (2) shall apply to all types and models of tires that are 
covered by the uniform tire quality grading standards under section 
575.104 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
regulation).
    ``(5) Not less often than every three years, the Secretary shall 
review the minimum fuel economy standards in effect for tires under 
this subsection and revise the standards as necessary to ensure 
compliance with requirements under paragraph (3). The Secretary may 
not, however, reduce the average fuel economy standards applicable to 
replacement tires.
    ``(6) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to preempt any 
provision of State law relating to higher fuel economy standards 
applicable to replacement tires designed for use on passenger cars and 
light trucks.
    ``(7) Nothing in this chapter shall apply to--
            ``(A) a tire or group of tires with the same SKU, plant, 
        and year, for which the volume of tires produced or imported is 
        less than 15,000 annually;
            ``(B) a deep tread, winter-type snow tire, space-saver 
        tire, or temporary use spare tire;
            ``(C) a tire with a normal rim diameter of 12 inches or 
        less;
            ``(D) a motorcycle tire; or
            ``(E) a tire manufactured specifically for use in an off-
        road motorized recreational vehicle.
    ``(8) In this subsection, the term `fuel economy', with respect to 
tires, means the extent to which the tires contribute to the fuel 
economy of the motor vehicles on which the tires are mounted.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 30103(b) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended in paragraph (1) by striking ``When'' and 
inserting ``Except as provided in section 30123(d) of this title, 
when''.
    (c) Time for Implementation.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
ensure that the national tire fuel efficiency program required under 
subsection (d) of section 30123 of title 49, United States Code (as 
added by subsection (a)(2)), is administered so as to apply the 
policies, procedures, and standards developed under paragraph (2) of 
such subsection (d) beginning not later than March 31, 2008.
                                 <all>
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