I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 873 
To improve the safety of motorcoaches and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 2, 2011 
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve the safety of motorcoaches and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2011’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. Regulations for improved occupant protection and collision avoidance. 
Sec. 4. Standards for improved fire safety. 
Sec. 5. Occupant protection and collision avoidance research. 
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Sec. 6. New entrants. 
Sec. 7. Reincarnated carriers. 
Sec. 8. Improved oversight of motorcoach service providers. 
Sec. 9. Motorcoach driver training. 
Sec. 10. Improved testing for the commercial driver’s license passenger endorse-
ment. 
Sec. 11. Improved physical fitness oversight and commercial driver medical cer-
tificates. 
Sec. 12. Safety and enforcement technology for motorcoaches. 
Sec. 13. Safety inspection program for commercial motor vehicles of pas-
sengers. 
Sec. 14. Distracted driving. 
Sec. 15. Motorcoach rental or leasing companies. 
Sec. 16. Registration of brokers for motor carriers of passengers. 
Sec. 17. Regulations. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADVANCED GLAZING.—The term ‘‘advanced 
glazing’’ means glazing installed in a portal on the 
side or the roof of a motorcoach that is designed to 
be highly resistant to partial or complete occupant 
ejection in all types of motor vehicle crashes. 
(2) BUS.—The term ‘‘bus’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 571.3(b) of title 49, Code 
of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the day be-
fore the date of enactment of this Act). 
(3) COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE.—Except as 
otherwise specified, the term ‘‘commercial motor ve-
hicle’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
31132(1) of title 49, United States Code. 
(4) DIRECT TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM.—The term ‘‘direct tire pressure monitoring 
system’’ means a tire pressure monitoring system 
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that is capable of directly detecting when the air 
pressure level in any tire is significantly under-
inflated and providing the driver a low tire pressure 
warning as to which specific tire is significantly 
underinflated. 
(5) ELECTRONIC
ON-BOARD
RECORDER.—The 
term ‘‘electronic on-board recorder’’ means an elec-
tronic device that acquires and stores data showing 
the record of duty status of the vehicle operator and 
performs the functions required of an automatic on- 
board recording device in section 395.15(b) of title 
49, Code of Federal Regulations. 
(6) EVENT DATA RECORDER.—The term ‘‘event 
data recorder’’ has the meaning given that term in 
section 563.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regula-
tions. 
(7) MOTOR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘motor car-
rier’’ means— 
(A) a motor carrier, as defined in section 
13102(14) of title 49, United States Code; or 
(B) a motor private carrier, as defined in 
section 13102(15) of such title. 
(8) MOTORCOACH.—The term ‘‘motorcoach’’ 
means a bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of 
26,000 pounds or greater, 16 or more designated 
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seating positions (including the driver), and at least 
2 rows of passenger seats rearward of the driver’s 
seating position that are forward-facing or can be 
converted to forward-facing without the use of tools, 
but does not include— 
(A) a bus used in transit service provided 
by a State or local government; or 
(B) a school bus, including a multifunction 
school activity bus. 
(9) MOTORCOACH SERVICES.—The term ‘‘mo-
torcoach services’’ means passenger transportation 
by motorcoach for compensation. 
(10) 
MULTIFUNCTION
SCHOOL
ACTIVITY 
BUSES.—The term ‘‘multifunction school activity 
buses’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
571.3(b) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
in effect on the day before the date of enactment of 
this Act). 
(11) PORTAL.—The term ‘‘portal’’ means any 
opening on the front, sides, rear, or roof of a motor-
coach that could, in the event of a crash involving 
the motorcoach, permit the partial or complete ejec-
tion of any occupant from the motorcoach, including 
a young child. 
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(12) PROVIDER OF MOTORCOACH SERVICES.— 
The term ‘‘provider of motorcoach services’’ means 
a motor carrier that provides passenger transpor-
tation services with a motorcoach, including per-trip 
compensation and contracted or chartered com-
pensation. 
(13) SAFETY BELT.—The term ‘‘safety belt’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 
153(i)(4)(B) of title 23, United States Code. 
(14) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Transportation. 
(15) TRANSIT
SERVICE.—The term ‘‘transit 
service’’ means motorcoach service characterized by 
operating speeds of less than 45 miles per hour and 
frequent stops. 
SEC. 3. REGULATIONS FOR IMPROVED OCCUPANT PROTEC-
TION AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE. 
(a) REGULATIONS REQUIRED WITHIN 1 YEAR.—Not 
later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations as follows: 
(1) SAFETY BELTS.—The Secretary shall issue 
a final rule in Docket No. NHTSA 2010–0112: Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Standards; Motorcoach Defini-
tion; Occupant Crash Protection, to require safety 
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the relationship occurred in the 3-year period pre-
ceding the date of the filing of the application for 
registration.’’. 
(b) DENIAL, SUSPENSION, AMENDMENT, OR REV-
OCATION OF REGISTRATION.—Section 13905(d)(1) of title 
49, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘registration; and’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘registration;’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘penalty.’’ and inserting ‘‘pen-
alty; and (C) deny, suspend, amend, or revoke all or 
part of a registration of a motor carrier following a 
determination by the Secretary that the motor car-
rier failed to disclose in its application for registra-
tion a material fact relevant to its willingness and 
ability to comply with— 
‘‘(i) this part; 
‘‘(ii) an applicable regulation or order of 
the Secretary or the Board; or 
‘‘(iii) a condition of its registration.’’. 
(c) PROCEDURE.—Section 13905(e)(1) of such title 
is amended by striking ‘‘registrant’’ and inserting ‘‘reg-
istrant, or if the Secretary determines that the registrant 
has failed to disclose a material fact in its application for 
registration in accordance with subsection (d)(1)(C),’’. 
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