Calendar No. 595

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1848

[Report No. 103–353]

A BILL

To provide for disclosure of the bumper impact casuch vehicles. to require a 5-mile-per-hour bumper standard for pability of certain passenger motor vehicles and

AUGUST 22 (legislative day, AUGUST 18), 1994

Reported with amendments
II

Calendar No. 595

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1848

[Report No. 103–353]

To provide for disclosure of the bumper impact capability of certain passenger

motor vehicles and to require a 5-mile-per-hour bumper standard for

such vehicles.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 10 (legislative day, JANUARY 25), 1994

Mr. DANFORTH (for himself, Mr. BRYAN, and Mr. GORTON) introduced the

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

AUGUST 22 (legislative day, AUGUST 18), 1994

Reported by Mr. HOLLINGS, with amendments

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL

To provide for disclosure of the bumper impact capability

of certain passenger motor vehicles and to require a

5-mile-per-hour bumper standard for such vehicles.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2

S 1848 RS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Automobile and

3 Minivan Bumper Improvement Act of 1994’’.

4 SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF BUMPER IMPACT CAPABILITY.

5 The Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act

6 (15 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) is amended by inserting imme7 diately after section 102 the following new subsection

8 section:

9 ‘‘DISCLOSURE OF BUMPER IMPACT CAPABILITY

10 ‘‘SEC. 102A. (a) The Secretary shall promulgate, in

11 accordance with the provisions of this section, a regulation

12 establishing bumper system labeling requirements for pas13 senger motor vehicles—

14 ‘‘(1) manufactured for model years beginning

15 more than 180 days after the date such regulation

16 is promulgated, as provided in subsection (c)(2); and

17 ‘‘(2) constructed without special features for oc18 casional off-road operation.

19 ‘‘(b)(1) The regulation promulgated under this sec20 tion shall provide that, before any such passenger motor

21 vehicle is offered for sale, the manufacturer shall affix a

22 label to such vehicle, in a format prescribed in such regula23 tion, disclosing an impact speed at which the manufac24 turer represents that the vehicle meets the applicable dam25 age criteria.
3

S 1848 RS

1 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘appli2 cable damage criteria’ means the damage criteria applica3 ble under the bumper standard set forth in part 581 of

4 title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, or under a successor

5 bumper standard.

6 ‘‘(c)(1) Not later than 90 days after the date of en7 actment of this section the Automobile and Minivan

8 Bumper Improvement Act of 1994, the Secretary shall pub9 lish in the Federal Register a proposed initial regulation

10 under this section.

11 ‘‘(2) Not later than 180 days after such date of en12 actment, the Secretary shall promulgate a final initial reg13 ulation under this section.

14 ‘‘(d) The Secretary may allow a manufacturer to

15 comply with the labeling requirements described in sub16 section (b) by permitting such manufacturer to make the

17 required bumper system impact speed disclosure on the

18 label required by section 506 of this Act or on the label

19 required by section 3 of the Automobile Information Dis20 closure Act (15 U.S.C. 1232).

21 ‘‘(e) The regulation promulgated under this section

22 shall provide that the information disclosed under this sec23 tion be provided to the Secretary at the beginning of the

24 model year for the model involved. As soon as practicable

25 after receiving such information, the Secretary shall fur-
4

S 1848 RS

1 nish and distribute to the public such information in a

2 simple and readily understandable form in order to facili3 tate comparison among the various types of passenger

4 motor vehicles. The Secretary may by rule require auto5 mobile dealers to distribute to prospective purchasers any

6 information compiled pursuant to this Secretary section.’’.

7 SEC. 3. BUMPER STANDARD FOR CERTAIN PASSENGER

8 MOTOR VEHICLES.

9 (a) AMENDMENT OF BUMPER STANDARD.—Not later

10 than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the

11 Secretary of Transportation shall amend the bumper

12 standard published as part 581 of title 49, Code of Fed13 eral Regulations, to ensure that such standard is identical

14 to the bumper standard under such part 581 that was in

15 effect on January 1, 1982. The amendment standard shall

16 apply to all passenger motor vehicles—

17 (1) manufactured after September 1, 1994

18 1995; and

19 (2) constructed without special features for oc20 casional off-road operation.

21 (b) MORE STRINGENT BUMPER STANDARDS NOT

22 AFFECTED.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to

23 prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from requiring

24 under such part 581 that passenger motor vehicle bump25 ers be capable of resisting impact speeds higher than those
5

S 1848 RS

1 specified in the bumper standard in effect under such part

2 581 on January 1, 1982.

3 (c) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the

4 term ‘‘passenger motor vehicle’’ has the meaning given

5 that term in section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Information

6 and Cost Savings Act (15 U.S.C. 1901).

Æ