II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 694 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to reduce 

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

light motor vehicles, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2007 

Mrs. CLINTON (for herself, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. REED, Mr. KERRY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. SCHUMER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. ROBERTS, Mrs. HUTCHISON, and Mr. LAUTENBERG) 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 light 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 2007’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RULEMAKING REGARDING CHILD SAFETY. 

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

3 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

4 Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this Act as the 

5 ‘‘Secretary’’) shall issue regulations, applicable to light 

6 motor vehicles, requiring power windows and panels to 

7 automatically reverse direction when they detect an ob8 struction to prevent children from being trapped, injured, 

9 or killed. 

10 (b) REARWARD VISIBILITY.—Not later than 24 

11 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

12 Secretary shall issue regulations, applicable to light motor 

13 vehicles, requiring a rearward visibility performance 

14 standard that provides drivers with a means for detecting 

15 the presence of a person or object behind the vehicle to 

16 prevent death and injury resulting from backing incidents, 

17 particularly incidents involving small children and disabled 

18 persons. 

19 (c) PHASE-IN PERIOD.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The regulations issued pur21 suant to subsections (a) and (b) shall require— 

22 (A) a phase-in period, as determined by 

23 the Secretary, for compliance with the regula24 tions, which period shall commence not later 

25 than 6 months after the date on which final 

26 rules are issued; and 


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1 (B) that new light motor vehicles manufactured after the date that is 31 2 ⁄2 years after the 

3 issuance of the final rule shall comply with such 

4 regulations. 

5 (2) PHASE-IN PRIORITIES.—In requiring the 

6 phase-in of rearward visibility performance regula7 tions under this subsection, the Secretary shall con8 sider whether to give priority during the phase-in to 

9 types of light motor vehicles that have a compara10 tively larger or longer rear blind zone. If the Sec11 retary determines that any type of light motor vehi12 cles should be given priority, the Secretary shall 

13 issue regulations that specify— 

14 (A) which type or types of light motor ve15 hicles shall be phased-in first; and 

16 (B) the percentages in which such light 

17 motor vehicles shall be phased-in. 

18 (d) PREVENTING VEHICLES FROM ROLLING

19 AWAY.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months 

21 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec22 retary shall issue regulations to require light motor 

23 vehicles that are equipped with an automatic trans24 mission that includes a ‘‘Park’’ position to have a 

25 system that requires the service brake to be deVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:38 Feb 28, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S694.IS S694

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1 pressed before the transmission can be shifted out of 

2 ‘‘Park’’. This system shall function in any starting 

3 system key position in which the transmission can be 

4 shifted out of ‘‘Park’’. 

5 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The regulation issued 

6 under paragraph (1) shall apply to light motor vehi7 cles manufactured on or after September 1, 2010. 

8 (3) PUBLICATION OF NONCOMPLIANT VEHI9 CLES.— 

10 (A) INFORMATION SUBMISSION.—Not later 

11 than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 

12 this Act, for the current model year, and annu13 ally thereafter through 2010, each motor vehi14 cle manufacturer shall submit to the Secretary 

15 the make and model of light motor vehicles that 

16 are equipped with automatic transmissions that 

17 do not comply with the regulations required 

18 under paragraph (1). 

19 (B) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 30 

20 days after receiving the information submitted 

21 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 

22 publish and otherwise make available to the 

23 public the make and model of the light motor 

24 vehicles that do not comply with the regulations 

25 required under paragraph (1). Any vehicle not 


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1 included in the publication under this subpara2 graph will be assumed to comply with the regu3 lations issued under paragraph (1). 

4 (e) DATABASE ON INJURIES AND DEATHS IN NON5 TRAFFIC, NONCRASH EVENTS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec8 retary shall establish and maintain a database of in9 juries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events in10 volving light motor vehicles. 

11 (2) CONTENTS.—The database established pur12 suant to paragraph (1) shall include information re13 garding— 

14 (A) the number, types, and causes of inju15 ries and deaths resulting from the events de16 scribed in paragraph (1); 

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

18 light motor vehicles involved in such events; and 

19 (C) other variables that the Secretary de20 termines will enhance the value of the database. 

21 (3) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall make 

22 the information contained in the database estab23 lished pursuant to paragraph (1) available to the 

24 public. 

25 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) LIGHT MOTOR VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘light 

2 motor vehicle’’ means a motor vehicle, other than a 

3 motorcycle, with a gross vehicle weight rating of not 

4 more than 10,000 pounds. 

5 (2) REAR BLIND ZONE.—The term ‘‘rear blind 

6 zone’’ means the area behind a light motor vehicle 

7 which the driver cannot see using the vehicle mirrors 

8 and windows provided as original equipment. 

9 SEC. 3. CHILD SAFETY INFORMATION PROGRAM. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 

11 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall pro12 vide information about hazards to children in nontraffic, 

13 noncrash incident situations by— 

14 (1) supplementing an existing consumer infor15 mation program relating to child safety; or 

16 (2) creating a new consumer information pro17 gram relating to child safety. 

18 (b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the 

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

20 (1) utilize information collected under section 

21 2(e) regarding nontraffic, noncrash injuries, and 

22 other relevant data from private organizations, to es23 tablish priorities for the program; 

24 (2) address ways in which parents and care25 givers can reduce risks to small children arising 


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1 from backover incidents, hyperthermia in closed ve2 hicles, accidental actuation of power windows, and 

3 any other risks that the Secretary determines should 

4 be addressed; and 

5 (3) make information related to the program 

6 available to the public through the Internet and 

7 other means. 

Æ 


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