with a gross vehicle rating of more than 10,000 
pounds manufactured before the effective date of the 
rule required by paragraph (1) to be equipped with 
side underride guards that meet the performance 
standards described in paragraph (3). 
‘‘(3) 
PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS.—A 
side 
underride guard meets the performance standards 
described in this paragraph if the side underride 
guard is able to prevent intrusion from the body or 
frame of a vehicle described in paragraph (1) into 
the passenger compartment of a passenger motor ve-
hicle that contacts the guard while traveling 35 
miles per hour at any angle between 10 degrees and 
90 degrees. 
‘‘(4) COMPLIANCE DATES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), compliance with each of the 
rules issued by the Secretary under paragraphs 
(1) and (2) shall be required beginning on the 
date that is 1 year after the respective issuance 
date of each such rule. 
‘‘(B) PHASE-IN.—The Secretary may per-
mit a phase-in period, not to exceed 3 years, 
pursuant to paragraph (2) for the installation 
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of side underride guards on trailers and semi- 
trailers described in that paragraph. 
‘‘(c) FRONT UNDERRIDE GUARDS.— 
‘‘(1) RULE REQUIRED.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Secretary shall issue a final rule requiring all com-
mercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight 
rating of more than 10,000 pounds manufactured on 
or after the effective date of the rule to be equipped 
with front underride guards. 
‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(A) complete research on equipping com-
mercial motor vehicles with a gross weight rat-
ing of more than 10,000 pounds with a front 
underride guard to prevent trucks from over-
riding the passenger vehicle; and 
‘‘(B) submit to the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate and the Committees on Transportation and 
Infrastructure and Energy and Commerce of 
the House of Representatives a report on the 
research described in subparagraph (A). 
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‘‘(3) RETROFIT
REQUIREMENTS.—Not later 
than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Secretary shall issue a rule requiring all 
commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle 
weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds to be 
equipped with a front underride guard. 
‘‘(4) COMPLIANCE DATES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), compliance with each of the 
rules issued by the Secretary under paragraphs 
(1) and (3) shall be required beginning on the 
date that is 1 year after the respective issuance 
date of each such rule. 
‘‘(B) PHASE-IN.—The Secretary may per-
mit a phase-in period (not to exceed 3 years) 
pursuant to paragraph (3) for the installation 
of front underride guards on commercial motor 
vehicles. 
‘‘(d) MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) REVISED STANDARD.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
require that the underride guard required under 
this section be maintained in safe and proper 
operating condition to maximize its effective-
ness in saving lives. 
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‘‘(B) PERIODIC
INSPECTIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall require periodic inspections of the 
comprehensive underride protection system in 
trailers, semi-trailers, and single unit trucks to 
ensure that the guards are in safe and proper 
operating condition, including identification of 
any rust, corrosion, cracked welds, cracked or 
fractured vertical members, cuts, or tears in 
any underride guard to ensure the integrity of 
the guard. 
‘‘(C) EFFECT OF INSPECTION RESULTS.— 
‘‘(i) PASSING.—In carrying out sub-
paragraph (B), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(I) authorize motor vehicles that 
pass the inspection described in sub-
paragraph (B) to display a Commer-
cial Vehicle Safety Alliance Inspection 
Decal, which shall be valid for 3 
months; and 
‘‘(II) permit the reinspection of 
motor vehicles. 
‘‘(ii) NOT
PASSING.—The Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(I) require that any motor vehi-
cle that does not pass the inspection 
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described in subparagraph (B) be 
issued an Out of Service violation and 
bear an Out of Service Vehicle sticker; 
and 
‘‘(II) require the vehicle owner or 
lessor— 
‘‘(aa) to pay a fine; and 
‘‘(bb) to repair or replace 
equipment, as necessary, so that 
the comprehensive underride pro-
tection system is in safe and 
proper operating condition at all 
times before a driver may operate 
the vehicle. 
‘‘(2) INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS.— 
‘‘(A) POST-ACCIDENT
INSPECTIONS.—To 
ensure that underride guards are maintained in 
safe and proper operating condition at all times, 
the Secretary shall require— 
‘‘(i) 
the 
inspection 
of 
underride 
guards immediately following a crash that 
impacts an underride guard; and 
‘‘(ii) the owner or lessor of the vehicle 
involved in such crash to inspect and re-
pair or replace the underride guard so that 
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it is in safe and proper operating condition 
at all times before the vehicle is allowed to 
be driven. 
‘‘(B) PRE-TRIP
INSPECTIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall require drivers— 
‘‘(i) to conduct a pre-trip inspection of 
the comprehensive underride protection 
system of their trailer, semi-trailer, or sin-
gle unit truck to identify any rust, corro-
sion, cracked welds, cracked or fractured 
vertical members, cuts and tears in any 
underride guard, and to ensure the dimen-
sional integrity of such guards; 
‘‘(ii) to include the results of the in-
spection described in clause (i) in the driv-
er vehicle inspection report; and 
‘‘(iii) to complete any necessary re-
pairs to, or replacement of, the underride 
protection system before the vehicle is op-
erated.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The chapter analysis 
for chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is amend-
ed by striking the item relating to section 30128 and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘30128. Vehicle rollover prevention and crash mitigation. 
‘‘30129. Underride guards.’’. 
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‘‘(A) that does not meet the requirements 
under section 393.86; 
‘‘(B) that is missing or has rust, corrosion, 
cracked welds, cracked or fractured vertical 
members, or cuts or tears in any underride 
guard component; or 
‘‘(C) for which the dimensional integrity of 
the guard or protection is compromised.’’. 
SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND PERIODIC REVIEW OF UNDERRIDE 
GUARD STANDARDS. 
(a) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.—As soon as prac-
ticable, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue a Re-
quest for Proposals for the design of 2 high capacity rear 
underride barrier prototypes of a generic guard (with en-
ergy absorption and without energy absorption) to prevent 
underride crashes and protect motor vehicle passengers 
against severe injury at crash speeds of up to 65 miles 
per hour. 
(b) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) evaluate the proposals received in response 
to the Request for Proposals issued pursuant to sub-
section (a); and 
(2) update the underride guard standards 
under section 30129 of title 49, United States Code, 
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as appropriate, to provide the best underride protec-
tion that is technologically feasible. 
(c) PERIODIC REVIEWS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years after 
the underride guard standards are updated pursuant 
to subsection (b)(2), and every 5 years thereafter, 
the Secretary shall— 
(A) conduct a review of underride guard 
standards to evaluate the need for changes in 
response to advancements in technology; and 
(B) update such standards accordingly. 
(2) REPORT.—After each review conducted 
under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate and the Committees on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure and Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives a report on 
the results of the review. 
SEC. 6. COMMITTEE ON UNDERRIDE PROTECTION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall establish the Committee on Underride Protec-
tion (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Committee’’) to 
oversee the ongoing underride rulemaking process. 
(b) REPRESENTATION.—The Committee shall be 
composed of— 
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(1) truck and trailer manufacturers; 
(2) motor vehicle engineers, including techni-
cians who work on motor vehicle safety improve-
ments; 
(3) motor vehicle crash reconstructionists; 
(4) traffic safety organizations; 
(5) public health or injury prevention profes-
sionals; and 
(6) at least 2 people whose families have been 
impacted by an underride crash. 
(c) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall meet— 
(1) until the final rules have been issued pursu-
ant to section 30129 of title 49, United States Code, 
as added by section 4— 
(A) monthly, via conference call; and 
(B) quarterly, in person, at the Depart-
ment of Transportation headquarters; and 
(2) subsequent to the issuance of the final rules 
described in paragraph (1), annually, at the Depart-
ment of Transportation headquarters, to assess the 
status of underride crash protection. 
(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Committee shall submit 
an annual report to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees that describes the progress made by the Secretary of 
Transportation in meeting the rulemaking deadlines set 
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forth in section 30129 of title 49, United States Code, 
as added by section 4. 
SEC. 7. PUBLICATION OF VICTIMS OF TRUCK UNDERRIDE 
CRASHES. 
The Secretary of Transportation shall— 
(1) publish data on victims of truck underride 
crashes on a publicly accessible website; and 
(2) update the data described in paragraph (1) 
not less frequently than quarterly. 
Æ 
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