I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2691
To reauthorize and improve the operations of the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 22, 1997
Mr. TAUZIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Commerce
A BILL
To reauthorize and improve the operations of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration Reauthorization Act of
1997’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACTIVITIES.—Section
30104 of title 49, United States Code, is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘§ 30104. Authorization of appropriations
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary $81,200,000 for the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration to carry out this part in each fiscal
year beginning in fiscal year 1999 and ending in fiscal
year 2001.’’.
(b) MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION ACTIVITIES.—
Section 32102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended
to read as follows:
‘‘§ 32102. Authorization of appropriations
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary $6,200,000 for the National Highway Traffic Safe-
ty Administration to carry out this part in each fiscal year
beginning in fiscal year 1999 and ending in fiscal year
2001.’’.
SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES.
Subchapter I of chapter 301 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘§ 30105. Restriction on lobbying activities
‘‘No funds appropriated to the Secretary pursuant to
section 30104 or 32102 may be available for any activity
specifically designed to advocate or oppose the adoption
of any specific legislative proposal pending before any
State or local legislature.’’.
SEC. 4. STANDARDS.
(a) RISK DISCLOSURE.—Section 30111 of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by redesignating sub-
sections (d) and (e) as subsections (f) and (g), respec-
tively, and by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
‘‘(d) EFFECTIVE DISCLOSURE OF RELATIVE RISKS
AND BENEFITS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—When prescribing or revis-
ing a motor vehicle safety standard under this chap-
ter, the Secretary shall, to the extent relevant and
practicable, state the relative reasonable risks and
benefits to motor vehicle occupants and operators of
the provisions of such standard, based upon infor-
mation contained in the record of the rulemaking
and received by public comment, in a manner which
is scientifically objective and relies upon, to the ex-
tent available and practicable, scientific findings.
‘‘(2) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall, with-
in 60 days of the date of the enactment of this sub-
section, commence a rulemaking to consider methods
of making information developed under paragraph
(1) available to consumers in a clear and easily un-
derstandable format, including use of the Internet
and public libraries. The Secretary may not require
any manufacturer or dealer to provide such informa-
tion.’’.
(b) OCCUPANT PROTECTION PREFERENCES.—Sec-
tion 30111 of title 49, United States Code, as amended
by subsection (a), is amended by inserting after subsection
(d) the following:
‘‘(e) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO OCCU-
PANT PROTECTION.—When prescribing or revising a
motor vehicle safety standard under this section or section
30127 relating to the protection of motor vehicle occu-
pants under this chapter, the Secretary shall, to the extent
relevant and practicable, design such standard to protect
improperly restrained and positioned occupants only to the
extent that such a design would not substantially increase
the risk of injury to properly restrained and positioned oc-
cupants.’’.
SEC. 5. ODOMETERS.
(a) TRANSFERS OF NEW MOTOR VEHICLES.—Sec-
tion 32705(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(4)(A) This subsection shall apply to all transfers
of motor vehicles (unless otherwise exempted by the Sec-
retary by regulation), except in the case of transfers of
new motor vehicles from a vehicle manufacturer jointly to
a dealer and a person engaged in the business of renting
or leasing vehicles for a period of 30 days or less.
‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term
‘new motor vehicle’ means any motor vehicle driven with
no more than the limited use necessary in moving, trans-
porting, or road testing such vehicle prior to delivery from
the vehicle manufacturer to a dealer, but in no event shall
the odometer reading of such vehicle exceed 300 miles.’’.
(b) EXEMPTED VEHICLES.—Section 32705(a) of title
49, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a),
is amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph:
‘‘(5) The Secretary may exempt such classes or cat-
egories of vehicles as the Secretary deems appropriate
from these requirements. Until such time as the Secretary
amends or modifies the regulations set forth in 49 CFR
580.6, such regulations shall have full force and effect.’’.
SEC. 6. INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION.
Subchapter III of chapter 301 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing:
‘‘§ 30148. International motor vehicle safety outreach
‘‘(a) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary is authorized, in
consultation with the Secretaries of State and Commerce
where appropriate, to engage in activities that improve
worldwide motor vehicle safety through appropriate activi-
ties. Such activities may include—
‘‘(1) promoting the adoption of international
and national vehicle standards that are harmonized
with, functionally equivalent to, or compatible with
United States vehicle standards;
‘‘(2) participating in efforts to foster an inter-
national acceptance of globally harmonized or func-
tionally equivalent or compatible motor vehicle regu-
lations and standards to otherwise improve inter-
national highway and motor vehicle safety;
‘‘(3) promoting international cooperative pro-
grams for conducting research, development, dem-
onstration projects, training, and other forms of
technology transfer and exchange, including safety
conferences, seminars, and expositions to enhance
international motor vehicle safety; and
‘‘(4) providing technical assistance to other
countries relating to their adoption of United States
vehicle regulations or standards functionally equiva-
lent to United States vehicle standards.
‘‘(b) COOPERATION.—The Secretary may carry out
the authority granted by this section, in cooperation with
appropriate United States Government agencies, any
State or local agency, and any authority, association, insti-
tution, corporation (profit or nonprofit), foreign govern-
ment, multinational institution, or any other organization
or person.
‘‘(c) CONSIDERATION.—When engaging in activities
to improve worldwide motor vehicle safety, the Secretary
shall ensure that these activities maintain or improve the
level of safety of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equip-
ment sold in the United States.’’.
SEC. 7. MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS.
(a) NOTIFICATION OF DEFECTS AND NONCOMPLI-
ANCE.—Section 30118(d) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended by striking the second sentence.
(b) REMEDIES
FOR DEFECTS
AND NONCOMPLI-
ANCE.—Section 30120(i)(1) of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘(including retailers of
motor vehicle equipment)’’ after ‘‘dealer’’ the first time
it appears.
(c) TIRES.—Section 30123 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by striking subsections (a), (b), and (c)
and by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f), as sub-
sections (a), (b), and (c), respectively.
(d) AUTOMATIC OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION AND
SEAT BELT USE.—Section 30127(g)(1) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘every 6 months’’ and
inserting ‘‘annually’’.
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