II

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1848

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 and Mr. BRYAN) introduced the following bill;

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

Science, and Transportation

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,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

5 Minivan Bumper Improvement Act of 1994’’.

6 SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF BUMPER IMPACT CAPABILITY.

7 The Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act

8 (15 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) is amended by inserting imme9 diately after section 102 the following new subsection:
2

S 1848 IS

1 ‘‘DISCLOSURE OF BUMPER IMPACT CAPABILITY

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

3 accordance with the provisions of this section, a regulation

4 establishing bumper system labeling requirements for pas5 senger motor vehicles—

6 ‘‘(1) manufactured for model years beginning

7 more than 180 days after the date such regulation

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

9 ‘‘(2) constructed without special features for oc10 casional off-road operation.

11 ‘‘(b)(1) The regulation promulgated under this sec12 tion shall provide that, before any such passenger motor

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

14 label to such vehicle, in a format prescribed in such regula15 tion, disclosing an impact speed at which the manufac16 turer represents that the vehicle meets the applicable dam17 age criteria.

18 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘appli19 cable damage criteria’ means the damage criteria applica20 ble under the bumper standard set forth in part 581 of

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

22 bumper standard.

23 ‘‘(c)(1) Not later than 90 days after the date of en24 actment of this section, the Secretary shall publish in the
3

S 1848 IS

1 Federal Register a proposed initial regulation under this

2 section.

3 ‘‘(2) Not later than 180 days after such date of en4 actment, the Secretary shall promulgate a final initial reg5 ulation under this section.

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

7 comply with the labeling requirements described in sub8 section (b) by permitting such manufacturer to make the

9 required bumper system impact speed disclosure on the

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

11 required by section 3 of the Automobile Information Dis12 closure Act (15 U.S.C. 1232).

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

14 shall provide that the information disclosed under this sec15 tion be provided to the Secretary at the beginning of the

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

17 after receiving such information, the Secretary shall fur18 nish and distribute to the public such information in a

19 simple and readily understandable form in order to facili20 tate comparison among the various types of passenger

21 motor vehicles. The Secretary may by rule require auto22 mobile dealers to distribute to prospective purchasers any

23 information compiled pursuant to this Secretary.’’.
4

S 1848 IS

1 SEC. 3. BUMPER STANDARD FOR CERTAIN PASSENGER

2 MOTOR VEHICLES.

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

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

5 Secretary of Transportation shall amend the bumper

6 standard published as part 581 of title 49, Code of Fed7 eral Regulations, to ensure that such standard is identical

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

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

10 apply to all passenger motor vehicles—

11 (1) manufactured after September 1, 1994; and

12 (2) constructed without special features for oc13 casional off-road operation.

14 (b) MORE STRINGENT BUMPER STANDARDS NOT

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

16 prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from requiring

17 under such part 581 that passenger motor vehicle bump18 ers be capable of resisting impact speeds higher than those

19 specified in the bumper standard in effect under such part

20 581 on January 1, 1982.

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

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

23 that term in section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Information

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

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