the manufacturer shall include a plan addressing how to
prevent, to the extent reasonably within the control of the
manufacturer, replaced tires from being resold for installa-
tion on a motor vehicle, and how to limit, to the extent
reasonably within the control of the manufacturer, the dis-
posal of replaced tires in landfills, particularly through
shredding, crumbling, recycling, recovery, and other alter-
native beneficial non-vehicular uses. The manufacturer
shall include information about the implementation of
such plan with each quarterly report to the Secretary re-
garding the progress of any notification or remedy cam-
paigns.’’.
SEC. 8. SALES OF REPLACED EQUIPMENT.
Section 30120 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(j) PROHIBITION ON SALES OF REPLACED EQUIP-
MENT.—No person may sell or lease any motor vehicle
equipment (including a tire), for installation on a motor
vehicle, that is the subject of a decision under section
30118(b) or a notice required under section 30118(c) in
a condition that it may be reasonably used for its original
purpose unless—
‘‘(1) the defect or noncompliance is remedied as
required by this section before delivery under the
sale or lease; or
‘‘(2) notification of the defect or noncompliance
is required under section 30118(b) but enforcement
of the order is set aside in a civil action to which
section 30121(d) applies.’’.
SEC. 9. CERTIFICATION LABEL.
Section 30115 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before ‘‘A
manufacturer’’ and by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION LABEL.—In the case of the cer-
tification label affixed by an intermediate or final stage
manufacturer of a motor vehicle built in more than 1
stage, each intermediate or final stage manufacturer shall
certify with respect to each applicable Federal motor vehi-
cle safety standard—
‘‘(1) that it has complied with the specifications
set forth in the compliance documentation provided
by the incomplete motor vehicle manufacturer in ac-
cordance with regulations prescribed by the Sec-
retary; or
‘‘(2) that it has elected to assume responsibility
for compliance with that standard.
If the intermediate or final stage manufacturer elects to
assume responsibility for compliance with the standard
covered by the documentation provided by an incomplete
motor vehicle manufacturer, the intermediate or final
stage manufacturer shall notify the incomplete motor vehi-
cle manufacturer in writing within a reasonable time of
affixing the certification label. A violation of this sub-
section shall not be subject to a civil penalty under section
30165.’’.
SEC. 10. ENDURANCE AND RESISTANCE STANDARDS FOR
TIRES.
The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a rule-
making to revise and update the tire standards published
at 49 CFR 571.109 and 49 CFR 571.119. The Secretary
shall complete the rulemaking under this section not later
than June 1, 2002.
SEC. 11. IMPROVED TIRE INFORMATION.
(a) TIRE LABELING.—Within 30 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding to improve
the labeling of tires required by section 30123 of title 49,
United States Code to assist consumers in identifying tires
that may be the subject of a decision under section
30118(b) or a notice required under section 30118(c). The
Secretary shall complete the rulemaking not later than
June 1, 2002.
(b) INFLATION LEVELS AND LOAD LIMITS.—In the
rulemaking initiated under subsection (a), the Secretary
may take whatever additional action is appropriate to en-
sure that the public is aware of the importance of observ-
ing motor vehicle tire load limits and maintaining proper
tire inflation levels for the safe operation of a motor vehi-
cle. Such additional action may include a requirement that
the manufacturer of motor vehicles provide the purchasers
of the motor vehicles information on appropriate tire infla-
tion levels and load limits if the Secretary determines that
requiring such manufacturers to provide such information
is the most appropriate way such information can be pro-
vided.
SEC. 12. ROLLOVER TESTS.
Section 30117 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(c) ROLLOVER TESTS.—
‘‘(1) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 2 years
from the date of the enactment of this subsection,
the Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) develop a dynamic test on rollovers by
motor vehicles for the purposes of a consumer
information program; and
‘‘(B) carry out a program of conducting
such tests.
‘‘(2) TEST RESULTS.—As the Secretary devel-
ops a test under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary
shall conduct a rulemaking to determine how best to
disseminate test results to the public.
‘‘(3) MOTOR VEHICLES COVERED.—This sub-
section applies to motor vehicles, including passenger
cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and trucks,
with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds
or less. A motor vehicle designed to provide tem-
porary residential accommodations is not covered.’’.
SEC. 13. TIRE PRESSURE WARNING.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall complete
a rulemaking for a regulation to require a warning system
in new motor vehicles to indicate to the operator when a
tire is significantly under inflated. Such requirement shall
become effective not later than 2 years after the date of
the completion of such rulemaking.
SEC. 14. IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF CHILD RESTRAINTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Transportation shall initiate a rulemaking for the purpose
of improving the safety of child restraints, including mini-
mizing head injuries from side impact collisions.
(b) ELEMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION.—In the rule-
making required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall
consider—
(1) whether to require more comprehensive
tests for child restraints than the current Federal
motor vehicle safety standards requires, including
the use of dynamic tests that—
(A) replicate an array of crash conditions,
such as side-impact crashes and rear-impact
crashes; and
(B) reflect the designs of passenger motor
vehicles as of the date of the enactment of this
Act;
(2) 
whether 
to 
require 
the 
use 
of
anthropomorphic test devices that—
(A) represent a greater range of sizes of
children including the need to require the use of
an anthropomorphic test device that is rep-
resentative of a ten-year-old child; and
(B) are Hybrid III anthropomorphic test
devices;
(3) whether to require improved protection from
head injuries in side-impact and rear-impact crashes;
(4) how to provide consumer information on the
physical compatibility of child restraints and vehicle
seats on a model-by-model basis;
(5) whether to prescribe clearer and simpler la-
bels and instructions required to be placed on child
restraints;
(6) whether to amend Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 213 (49 CFR 571.213) to
cover restraints for children weighing up to 80
pounds;
(7) whether to establish booster seat perform-
ance and structural integrity requirements to be dy-
namically tested in 3-point lap and shoulder belts;
(8) whether to apply scaled injury criteria per-
formance levels, including neck injury, developed for
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208 to
child restraints and booster seats covered by in Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213; and
(9) whether to include child restraint in each
vehicle crash tested under the New Car Assessment
Program.
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—If the Secretary does
not incorporate any element described in subsection (b)
in the final rule, the Secretary shall explain, in a report
to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the House of Representatives Com-
mittee on Commerce submitted within 30 days after
issuing the final rule, specifically why the Secretary did
not incorporate any such element in the final rule.
(d) COMPLETION.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, the Secretary shall complete the rulemaking
required by subsection (a) not later than 24 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(e) CHILD RESTRAINT DEFINED.—In this section,
the term ‘‘child restraint’’ has the meaning given the term
‘‘Child restraint system’’ in section 571.213 of title 49,
Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of
the enactment of this Act).
(f) FUNDING.—For each fiscal year, of the funds
made available to the Secretary for activities relating to
safety, not less than $750,000 shall be made available to
carry out crash testing of child restraints.
(g) CHILD
RESTRAINT
SAFETY
RATINGS
PRO-
GRAM.—No later than 12 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation
shall issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish
a child restraint safety rating consumer information pro-
gram to provide practicable, readily understandable, and
timely information to consumers for use in making in-
formed decisions in the purchase of child restraints. No
later than 24 months after the date of the enactment of
this Act the Secretary shall issue a final rule establishing
a child restraint safety rating program and providing
other consumer information which the Secretary deter-
mines would be useful consumers who purchase child re-
straint systems.
(h) BOOSTER SEAT STUDY.—In addition to consider-
ation of booster seat performance and structural integrity
contained in subsection (b)(7), not later than 12 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Transportation shall initiate and complete a study, tak-
ing into account the views of the public, on the use and
effectiveness of automobile booster seats for children, com-
piling information on the advantages and disadvantages
of using booster seats and determining the benefits, if any,
to children from use of booster with lap and shoulder belts
compared to children using lap and shoulder belts alone,
and submit a report on the results of that study to the
Congress.
(i) BOOSTER SEAT EDUCATION PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary of Transportation within 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act shall develop 5 year strategic
plan to reduce deaths and injuries caused by failure to
use the appropriate booster seat in the 4 to 8 year old
age group by 25 percent.
SEC. 15. IMPROVING CRITERIA USED IN A RECALL.
(a) REVIEW OF STANDARDS AND CRITERIA USED IN
OPENING
A DEFECT
OR NONCOMPLIANCE INVESTIGA-
TION.—The Secretary shall, not later than 30 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, undertake a com-
prehensive review of all standards, criteria, procedures,
and methods, including data management and analysis
used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-
tion in determining whether to open a defect or noncompli-
ance investigation pursuant to subchapter II or IV of
chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, and shall un-
dertake such steps as may be necessary to update and im-
prove such standards, criteria, procedures, or methods, in-
cluding data management and analysis.
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall transmit to the Committee on Commerce of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report
describing the Secretary’s findings and actions under sub-
section (a).
SEC. 16. FOLLOW-UP REPORT.
One year after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Transportation shall report to the Con-
gress on the implementation of the amendments made by
this Act and any recommendations for additional amend-
ments for consumer safety.
SEC. 17. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
In addition to any sums authorized to be appro-
priated by sections 30104 or 32102 of title 49, United
States Code, there is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary of Transportation for the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration for fiscal year 2001
$9,100,000 to carry out this Act and the amendments
made by this Act. Such funds shall not be available for
the general administrative expenses of the Secretary or the
Administration.
Passed the House of Representatives October 10,
2000.
Attest:
Clerk.
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5164
AN ACT
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require
reports concerning defects in motor vehicles or
tires or other motor vehicle equipment in foreign
countries, and for other purposes.