I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1216 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2007 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RULEMAKING REGARDING CHILD SAFETY. 

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

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

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

2 

•HR 1216 IH

1 Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as 

2 the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall issue regulations, applicable to light 

3 motor vehicles, requiring power windows and panels to 

4 automatically reverse direction when they detect an ob5 struction to prevent children from being trapped, injured, 

6 or killed. 

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

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

9 Secretary shall issue regulations, applicable to light motor 

10 vehicles, requiring a rearward visibility performance 

11 standard that provides drivers with a means for detecting 

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

13 prevent death and injury resulting from backing incidents, 

14 particularly incidents involving small children and disabled 

15 persons. 

16 (c) PHASE-IN PERIOD.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The regulations issued pur18 suant to subsections (a) and (b) shall require— 

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

20 the Secretary, for compliance with the regula21 tions, which period shall commence not later 

22 than 6 months after the date on which final 

23 rules are issued; and 

24 (B) that new light motor vehicles manufactured after the date that is 31 25 ⁄2 years after the 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

3 

•HR 1216 IH

1 issuance of the final rule shall comply with such 

2 regulations. 

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

4 phase-in of rearward visibility performance regula5 tions under this subsection, the Secretary shall con6 sider whether to give priority during the phase-in to 

7 types of light motor vehicles that have a compara8 tively larger or longer rear blind zone. If the Sec9 retary determines that any type of light motor vehi10 cles should be given priority, the Secretary shall 

11 issue regulations that specify— 

12 (A) which type or types of light motor ve13 hicles shall be phased-in first; and 

14 (B) the percentages in which such light 

15 motor vehicles shall be phased-in. 

16 (d) PREVENTING VEHICLES FROM ROLLING

17 AWAY.— 

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

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec20 retary shall issue regulations to require light motor 

21 vehicles that are equipped with an automatic trans22 mission that includes a ‘‘park’’ position to have a 

23 system that requires the service brake to be de24 pressed before the transmission can be shifted out of 

25 ‘‘park’’. This system shall function in any starting 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

4 

•HR 1216 IH

1 system key position in which the transmission can be 

2 shifted out of ‘‘park’’. 

3 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The regulation issued 

4 under paragraph (1) shall apply to light motor vehi5 cles manufactured on or after September 1, 2010. 

6 (3) PUBLICATION OF NONCOMPLIANT VEHI7 CLES.— 

8 (A) INFORMATION SUBMISSION.—Not later 

9 than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 

10 this Act, for the current model year and annu11 ally thereafter through 2010, each motor vehi12 cle manufacturer shall submit to the Secretary 

13 the make and model of light motor vehicles that 

14 are equipped with automatic transmissions that 

15 do not comply with the regulations issued under 

16 paragraph (1). 

17 (B) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 30 

18 days after receiving the information submitted 

19 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 

20 publish and otherwise make available to the 

21 public the make and model of the light motor 

22 vehicles that do not comply with the regulations 

23 issued under paragraph (1). Any vehicle not in24 cluded in the publication under this subparamstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

5 

•HR 1216 IH

1 graph will be assumed to comply with the regu2 lations issued under paragraph (1). 

3 (e) DATABASE ON INJURIES AND DEATHS IN NON4 TRAFFIC, NONCRASH EVENTS.— 

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

6 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec7 retary shall establish and maintain a database of in8 juries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events in9 volving light motor vehicles. 

10 (2) CONTENTS.—The database established pur11 suant to paragraph (1) shall include information re12 garding— 

13 (A) the number, types, and causes of inju14 ries and deaths resulting from the events de15 scribed in paragraph (1); 

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

17 light motor vehicles involved in such events; and 

18 (C) other variables that the Secretary de19 termines will enhance the value of the database. 

20 (3) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall make 

21 the information contained in the database estab22 lished pursuant to paragraph (1) available to the 

23 public. 

24 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

6 

•HR 1216 IH

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 pursuant to sec21 tion 2(e) regarding nontraffic, noncrash injuries, 

22 and other relevant data from private organizations, 

23 to establish priorities for the program; 

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

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

7 

•HR 1216 IH

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

3 any other risks the Secretary determines should be 

4 addressed; and 

5 (3) make information related to the program 

6 available to the public through the Internet and 

7 other means. 

Æ 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS