Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015

To amend chapter 301 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015 2. Definitions Section 30102(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs (12) and (13), respectively; (2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (9) as paragraphs (2) through (10), respectively; (3) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated, the following: (1) covered rental vehicle (A) has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less; (B) is rented without a driver for an initial term of less than 4 months; and (C) is part of a motor vehicle fleet of 5 or more motor vehicles that are used for rental purposes by a rental company. ; and (4) by inserting after paragraph (10), as redesignated, the following: (11) rental company (A) is engaged in the business of renting covered rental vehicles; and (B) uses for rental purposes a motor vehicle fleet of 5 or more covered rental vehicles. . 3. Remedies for defects and noncompliance Section 30120(i) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in the subsection heading, by adding , or rental (2) in paragraph (1)— (A) by striking (1) If notification (1) In general If notification ; (B) by indenting subparagraphs (A) and (B) four ems from the left margin; (C) by inserting or the manufacturer has provided to a rental company notification about a covered rental vehicle in the company’s possession at the time of notification time of notification (D) by striking the dealer may sell or lease, the dealer or rental company may sell, lease, or rent (E) in subparagraph (A), by striking sale or lease sale, lease, or rental agreement (3) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) Rule of construction Nothing in this subsection may be construed to prohibit a dealer or rental company from offering the vehicle or equipment for sale, lease, or rent. ; and (4) by adding at the end the following: (3) Specific rules for rental companies (A) In general Except as otherwise provided under this paragraph, a rental company shall comply with the limitations on sale, lease, or rental set forth in subparagraph (C) and paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 24 hours after the earliest receipt of the notice to owner under subsection (b) or (c) of section 30118 (including the vehicle identification number for the covered vehicle) by the rental company, whether by electronic means or first class mail. (B) Special rule for large vehicle fleets Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if a rental company receives a notice to owner covering more than 5,000 motor vehicles in its fleet, the rental company shall comply with the limitations on sale, lease, or rental set forth in subparagraph (C) and paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 48 hours after the earliest receipt of the notice to owner under subsection (b) or (c) of section 30118 (including the vehicle identification number for the covered vehicle) by the rental company, whether by electronic means or first class mail. (C) Special rule for when remedies not immediately available If a notification required under subsection (b) or (c) of section 30118 indicates that the remedy for the defect or noncompliance is not immediately available and specifies actions to temporarily alter the vehicle that eliminate the safety risk posed by the defect or noncompliance, the rental company, after causing the specified actions to be performed, may rent (but may not sell or lease) the motor vehicle. Once the remedy for the rental vehicle becomes available to the rental company, the rental company may not rent the vehicle until the vehicle has been remedied, as provided in subsection (a). (D) Inapplicability to junk automobiles Notwithstanding paragraph (1), this subsection does not prohibit a rental company from selling a covered rental vehicle if such vehicle— (i) meets the definition of a junk automobile under section 201 of the Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992 ( 49 U.S.C. 30501 (ii) is retitled as a junk automobile pursuant to applicable State law; and (iii) is reported to the National Motor Vehicle Information System, if required under section 204 of such Act ( 49 U.S.C. 30504 . 4. Making safety devices and elements inoperative Section 30122(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting rental company, dealer, 5. Inspections, investigations, and records Section 30166 of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking or dealer dealer, or rental company (2) in subsection (e), by striking or dealer dealer, or rental company (3) in subsection (f), by striking or to owners , rental companies, or other owners 6. Research authority The Secretary of Transportation may conduct a study of— (1) the effectiveness of the amendments made by this Act; and (2) other activities of rental companies (as defined in section 30102(a)(11) of title 49, United States Code) related to their use and disposition of motor vehicles that are the subject of a notification required under section 30118 of title 49, United States Code. 7. Study (a) Additional requirement Subsection (b)(2) of section 32206 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act ( Public Law 112–141 (1) in subparagraph (E), by striking and (2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (G); and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following: (F) evaluate the completion of safety recall remedies on rental trucks; and . (b) Report Subsection (c) of such section is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting such subparagraphs, as so redesignated, an additional two ems from the left margin; (2) by striking Report (c) Reports (1) Initial report Not later ; (3) in paragraph (1), by striking subsection (b) subparagraphs (A) through (E) and (G) of subsection (b)(2) (4) by adding at the end the following: (2) Safety recall remedy report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015 (A) the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (b)(2)(F); and (B) any recommendations for legislation that the Secretary determines to be appropriate. . 8. Public comments The Secretary of Transportation shall solicit comments regarding the implementation of this Act from members of the public, including rental companies, consumer organizations, automobile manufacturers, and automobile dealers. 9. Rule of construction Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall— (1) be construed to create or increase any liability, including for loss of use, for a manufacturer as a result of having manufactured or imported a motor vehicle subject to a notification of defect or noncompliance under subsection (b) or (c) of section 30118 of title 49, United States Code; or (2) supersede or otherwise affect the contractual obligations, if any, between such a manufacturer and a rental company (as defined in section 30102(a) of title 49, United States Code). 10. Rulemaking The Secretary of Transportation may promulgate rules, as appropriate, to implement this Act and the amendments made by this Act. 11. Effective date The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Summary: Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015 Authorizes a rental company that receives a notification (approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) from the manufacturer of a covered rental vehicle about any equipment defect, or noncompliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards, to rent or sell the vehicle or equipment only if the defect or noncompliance is remedied. Specifies any rental vehicle: (1) rated at 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or less, (2) rented without a driver for an initial term of under 4 months, and (3) that is part of a motor vehicle fleet of 5 or more motor vehicles used for rental purposes by a rental company. Prescribes a special rule to require rental companies to comply with specified limitations on sale, lease, or rental of a motor vehicle as soon as practicable, but within 24 hours after the earliest receipt of the manufacturer's notification of a defect or noncompliance with vehicle safety standards, whether by electronic means or first class mail. Extends the 24-hour deadline for complying with such limitations to 48 hours if the notification covers more than 5,000 motor vehicles in the rental company's fleet. Permits a rental company to rent (but not sell or lease) a motor vehicle subject to recall if the defect or noncompliance remedy is not immediately available and the company takes any actions specified in the notice to alter the vehicle temporarily to eliminate the safety risk posed. Makes these special rules for rental companies inapplicable to junk automobiles. Prohibits a rental company from knowingly making inoperable any safety devices or elements of design installed on or in a compliant motor vehicle or vehicle equipment unless the company reasonably believes the vehicle or equipment will not be used when the devices or elements are inoperable. Authorizes the Secretary, upon request, to inspect records of a rental company with respect to a safety investigation. Authorizes the Secretary to require a rental company to keep records or make reports for purposes of compliance with federal motor vehicle safety orders or regulations. Authorizes the Secretary to study the effectiveness of the amendments made by this Act and of other activities of rental companies. Amends the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) to require the mandatory study of the safety of rental trucks during a specified seven-year period to evaluate the completion of safety recall remedies on rental trucks. Directs the Secretary to solicit comments regarding the implementation of this Act from members of the public, including rental companies, consumer organizations, automobile manufacturers, and automobile dealers. Declares that nothing in this Act shall: (1) be construed to create or increase any liability for a manufacturer who manufactures or imports a motor vehicle that is subject to defect or noncompliance recall requirements; or (2) supersede or otherwise affect the contractual obligations, if any, between such manufacturer and a rental company.