II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1948 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to reduce 

the incidence of child injury and death occurring inside or outside of 

passenger motor vehicles, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2005 

Mrs. CLINTON (for herself and Mr. SUNUNU) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations 

to reduce the incidence of child injury and death occurring inside or outside of passenger 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 ‘‘Cameron Gulbransen 

5 Kids and Cars Safety Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RULEMAKING REGARDING CHILD SAFETY. 

7 (a) POWER WINDOW SAFETY.—Not later than 18 

8 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
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1 retary of Transportation (referred to in this Act as the 

2 ‘‘Secretary’’) shall issue regulations, applicable to all pas3 senger motor vehicles, to ensure that power windows and 

4 panels automatically reverse direction when they detect an 

5 obstruction to prevent children from being trapped, in6 jured, or killed. 

7 (b) REARWARD VISIBILITY.—Not later than 18 

8 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec9 retary shall issue regulations, applicable to all passenger 

10 motor vehicles, requiring a rearward visibility performance 

11 standard that will provide drivers with a means for detect12 ing the presence of a person or object behind the vehicle 

13 in order to prevent backing incidents involving death and 

14 injury especially to small children and disabled persons. 

15 (c) PREVENTING VEHICLES FROM ROLLING AWAY.— 

16 Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of 

17 this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations, applicable 

18 to all passenger motor vehicles, requiring the vehicle serv19 ice brake to be engaged in all key positions and while the 

20 key is out of the ignition, before starting the engine or 

21 engaging the transmission in order to prevent accidents 

22 resulting from vehicles accidentally or unintentionally roll23 ing away. 

24 (d) PHASE IN PERIOD.—The regulations issued pur25 suant to subsections (a) through (c) shall require— 
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1 (1) a phase-in period, as determined by the Sec2 retary, for compliance with the regulations, which 

3 shall commence not later than 6 months after the 

4 date on which final regulations are issued; and 

5 (2) all new passenger motor vehicles manufac6 tured after the date that is 3 years after the 

7 issuance of final regulations to be fully compliant 

8 with such regulations. 

9 (e) DATABASE ON INJURIES AND DEATHS IN NON10 TRAFFIC, NONCRASH EVENTS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 

12 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec13 retary shall establish and maintain a database of in14 juries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events in15 volving passenger motor vehicles. 

16 (2) CONTENTS.—The database shall include in17 formation regarding— 

18 (A) the number, types, and proximate 

19 causes of injuries and deaths resulting from the 

20 events described in paragraph (1); 

21 (B) the make, model, and model year of 

22 passenger motor vehicles involved in such 

23 events; and 

24 (C) other variables that the Secretary de25 termines will enhance the value of the database. 
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1 (3) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall make 

2 the information contained in the database available 

3 to the public. 

4 (f) DEFINED TERM.—In this section, the term ‘‘pas5 senger motor vehicle’’ has the meaning given the term in 

6 section 32304(a) of title 49, United States Code. 

7 SEC. 3. CHILD SAFETY INFORMATION PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 

9 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 

10 (1) supplement a consumer information pro11 gram relating to child safety; or 

12 (2) create a new program with information 

13 about hazards to children in nontraffic, noncrash in14 cident situations. 

15 (b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—In executing the 

16 program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

17 (1) utilize information collected pursuant to sec18 tion 2(e) regarding nontraffic, noncrash injuries, 

19 and other relevant data from private organizations, 

20 to establish priorities for the program; 

21 (2) address ways in which parents can mitigate 

22 dangers to small children arising from back over in23 cidents, hyperthermia in closed vehicles, accidental 

24 actuation of power windows, and similar dangers; 

25 and 
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1 (3) make information related to the program 

2 available to the public through the Internet and 

3 other means. 

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