SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ‘‘Anton’s Law’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) It is the policy of the Department of Trans-
portation that all child occupants of motor vehicles,
regardless of seating position, be appropriately re-
strained in order to reduce the incidence of injuries
and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes
on the streets, roads, and highways.
(2) Research has shown that very few children
between the ages of 4 to 8 years old are in the ap-
propriate restraint for their age when riding in pas-
senger motor vehicles.
(3) Children who have outgrown their child
safety seats should ride in a belt-positioning booster
seat until an adult seat belt fits properly.
(4) Children who were properly restrained when
riding in passenger motor vehicles suffered less se-
vere injuries from accidents than children not prop-
erly restrained.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY OF CHILD RESTRAINTS
IN PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation
(hereafter referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall initiate a
rulemaking proceeding to establish performance require-
ments for child restraints, including booster seats, for the
restraint of children weighing more than 50 pounds.
(b) ELEMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION.—In the rule-
making proceeding required by subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall—
(1) consider whether to include injury perform-
ance criteria for child restraints, including booster
seats and other products for use in passenger motor
vehicles for the restraint of children weighing more
than 50 pounds, under the requirements established
in the rulemaking proceeding;
(2) consider whether to establish performance
requirements for seat belt fit when used with booster
seats and other belt guidance devices;
(3) consider whether to address situations
where children weighing more than 50 pounds only
have access to seating positions with lap belts, such
as allowing tethered child restraints for such chil-
dren; and
(4) review the definition of the term ‘‘booster
seat’’ in Federal motor vehicle safety standard No.
213 under section 571.213 of title 49, Code of Fed-
eral Regulation, to determine if it is sufficiently
comprehensive.
(c) COMPLETION.—The Secretary shall complete the
rulemaking proceeding required by subsection (a) not later
than 30 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DE-
VICE SIMULATING A 10-YEAR OLD CHILD.
(a) DEVELOPMENT
AND EVALUATION.—Not later
than 24 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall develop and evaluate an
anthropomorphic test device that simulates a 10-year old
child for use in testing child restraints used in passenger
motor vehicles.
(b) ADOPTION BY RULEMAKING.—Within 1 year fol-
lowing the development and evaluation carried out under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking
proceeding for the adoption of an anthropomorphic test
device as developed under subsection (a).
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTALLATION OF LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
complete a rulemaking proceeding to amend Federal
motor vehicle safety standard No. 208 under section
571.208 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, relating
to occupant crash protection, in order to—
(1) require a lap and shoulder belt assembly for
each rear designated seating position in a passenger
motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of
10,000 pounds or less, except that if the Secretary
determines that installation of a lap and shoulder
belt assembly is not practicable for a particular des-
ignated seating position in a particular type of pas-
senger motor vehicle, the Secretary may exclude the
designated seating position from the requirement;
and
(2) apply that requirement to passenger motor
vehicles in phases in accordance with subsection (b).
(b) IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE.—The requirement
prescribed under subsection (a)(1) shall be implemented
in phases on a production year basis beginning with the
production year that begins not later than 12 months after
the end of the year in which the regulations are prescribed
under subsection (a). The final rule shall apply to all pas-
senger motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating
of 10,000 pounds or less that are manufactured in the
third production year of the implementation phase-in
under the schedule.
SEC. 6. EVALUATION OF INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SYS-
TEMS.
(a) EVALUATION.—Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall initiate
an evaluation of integrated or built-in child restraints and
booster seats. The evaluation should include—
(1) the safety of the child restraint and correct-
ness of fit for the child;
(2) the availability of testing data on the sys-
tem and vehicle in which the child restraint will be
used;
(3) the compatibility of the child restraint with
different makes and models;
(4) the cost-effectiveness of mass production of
the child restraint for consumers;
(5) the ease of use and relative availability of
the child restraint to children riding in motor vehi-
cles; and
(6) the benefits of built-in seats for improving
compliance with State child occupant restraint laws.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report of this
evaluation.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) CHILD RESTRAINT.—The term ‘‘child re-
straint’’ means any product designed to provide re-
straint to a child (including booster seats and other
products used with a lap and shoulder belt assem-
bly) that meets applicable Federal motor vehicle
safety standards prescribed by the National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration.
(2) PRODUCTION YEAR.—The term ‘‘production
year’’ means the 12-month period between Sep-
tember 1 of a year and August 31 of the following
year.
(3) PASSENGER
MOTOR
VEHICLE.—The term
‘‘passenger motor vehicle’’ has the meaning given
that term in section 405(f)(5) of title 23, United
States Code.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated $5,000,000 to the Secretary of Transportation
for—
(1) the evaluation required by Section 6 of this
Act; and
(2) research of the nature and causes of injury
to children involved in motor vehicle crashes.
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5504
AN ACT
To provide for the improvement of the safety of
child restraints in passenger motor vehicles, and
for other purposes.