II 

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. 

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

3 SECTION 1. MOTOR VEHICLE TIRES SUPPORTING MAX4 IMUM FUEL EFFICIENCY. 

5 (a) STANDARDS FOR TIRES MANUFACTURED FOR

6 INTERSTATE COMMERCE.—Section 30123 of title 49, 

7 United States Code, is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (b), by inserting after the first 

9 sentence the following: ‘‘The grading system shall 

10 include standards for rating the fuel efficiency of 
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1 tires designed for use on passenger cars and light 

2 trucks.’’; and 

3 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(d) NATIONAL TIRE FUEL EFFICIENCY PRO5 GRAM.—(1) The Secretary shall develop and carry out a 

6 national tire fuel efficiency program for tires designed for 

7 use on passenger cars and light trucks. 

8 ‘‘(2) The program shall include the following: 

9 ‘‘(A) Policies and procedures for testing and la10 beling tires for fuel economy to enable tire buyers to 

11 make informed purchasing decisions about the fuel 

12 economy of tires. 

13 ‘‘(B) Policies and procedures to promote the 

14 purchase of energy-efficient replacement tires, in15 cluding purchase incentives, website listings on the 

16 Internet, printed fuel economy guide booklets, and 

17 mandatory requirements for tire retailers to provide 

18 tire buyers with fuel-efficiency information on tires. 

19 ‘‘(C) Minimum fuel economy standards for 

20 tires, promulgated by the Secretary. 

21 ‘‘(3) The minimum fuel economy standards for tires 

22 shall— 

23 ‘‘(A) ensure that the average fuel economy of 

24 replacement tires is equal to or better than the aver25 age fuel economy of tires sold as original equipment; 
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•S 1882 IS 

1 ‘‘(B) secure the maximum technically feasible 

2 and cost-effective fuel savings; 

3 ‘‘(C) not adversely affect tire safety; 

4 ‘‘(D) not adversely affect the average tire life of 

5 replacement tires; 

6 ‘‘(E) incorporate the results from— 

7 ‘‘(i) laboratory testing; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) to the extent appropriate and avail9 able, on-road fleet testing programs conducted 

10 by the manufacturers; and 

11 ‘‘(F) not adversely affect efforts to manage 

12 scrap tires. 

13 ‘‘(4) The policies, procedures, and standards devel14 oped under paragraph (2) shall apply to all types and 

15 models of tires that are covered by the uniform tire quality 

16 grading standards under section 575.104 of title 49, Code 

17 of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). 

18 ‘‘(5) Not less often than every three years, the Sec19 retary shall review the minimum fuel economy standards 

20 in effect for tires under this subsection and revise the 

21 standards as necessary to ensure compliance with require22 ments under paragraph (3). The Secretary may not, how23 ever, reduce the average fuel economy standards applica24 ble to replacement tires. 
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1 ‘‘(6) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to 

2 preempt any provision of State law relating to higher fuel 

3 economy standards applicable to replacement tires de4 signed for use on passenger cars and light trucks. 

5 ‘‘(7) Nothing in this chapter shall apply to— 

6 ‘‘(A) a tire or group of tires with the same 

7 SKU, plant, and year, for which the volume of tires 

8 produced or imported is less than 15,000 annually; 

9 ‘‘(B) a deep tread, winter-type snow tire, space10 saver tire, or temporary use spare tire; 

11 ‘‘(C) a tire with a normal rim diameter of 12 

12 inches or less; 

13 ‘‘(D) a motorcycle tire; or 

14 ‘‘(E) a tire manufactured specifically for use in 

15 an off-road motorized recreational vehicle. 

16 ‘‘(8) In this subsection, the term ‘fuel economy’, with 

17 respect to tires, means the extent to which the tires con18 tribute to the fuel economy of the motor vehicles on which 

19 the tires are mounted.’’. 

20 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 30103(b) 

21 of title 49, United States Code, is amended in paragraph 

22 (1) by striking ‘‘When’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided 

23 in section 30123(d) of this title, when’’. 

24 (c) TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of 

25 Transportation shall ensure that the national tire fuel effi-
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1 ciency program required under subsection (d) of section 

2 30123 of title 49, United States Code (as added by sub3 section (a)(2)), is administered so as to apply the policies, 

4 procedures, and standards developed under paragraph (2) 

5 of such subsection (d) beginning not later than March 31, 

6 2008. 

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