I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3044 
To direct the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration to carry out a collaborative research effort to prevent drunk 
driving injuries and fatalities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 13, 2015 
Mrs. LOWEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration to carry out a collaborative re-
search effort to prevent drunk driving injuries and fatali-
ties, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Research of Alcohol 
Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-Related Fatalities 
Everywhere Act of 2015’’ or the ‘‘ROADS SAFE Act of 
2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities represent 
approximately 1⁄3 of all highway fatalities in the 
United States in a given year. 
(2) In 2013, there were 10,336 alcohol-im-
paired driving fatalities in the United States. 
(3) The National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration has partnered with automobile manu-
facturers to develop alcohol detection technologies 
that could be installed in vehicles to prevent drunk 
driving. 
(4) 
An 
estimated 
59,000 
lives 
and 
$343,000,000,000 could be saved over a 15-year pe-
riod by the widespread installation of alcohol detec-
tion technologies in motor vehicles. 
(5) Alcohol detection technologies will not be 
widely accepted by the public unless they are— 
(A) moderately priced; 
(B) absolutely reliable; and 
(C) set at a level that would not prevent a 
driver whose blood alcohol content is less than 
the legal limit from operating a vehicle. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED
DRIVING.—The term 
‘‘alcohol-impaired driving’’ means operation of a 
motor vehicle (as defined in section 30102(a)(6) of 
title 49, United States Code) by an individual whose 
blood alcohol content is at or above the legal limit. 
(2) LEGAL
LIMIT.—The term ‘‘legal limit’’ 
means a blood alcohol concentration of— 
(A) 0.08 percent or greater (as specified in 
section 163(a) of title 23, United States Code); 
or 
(B) such other percentage limitation as 
may be established by applicable Federal, State, 
or local law. 
SEC. 4. DRIVER ALCOHOL DETECTION SYSTEM FOR SAFETY 
RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na-
tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall carry 
out a collaborative research effort to continue to explore 
the feasibility and the potential benefits of, and the public 
policy challenges associated with, more widespread deploy-
ment of in-vehicle technology to prevent alcohol-impaired 
driving. 
(b) REPORTS.—The Administrator shall submit an 
annual report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
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Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) describes the progress made by the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration in carrying 
out the collaborative research effort required under 
subsection (a); and 
(2) includes an accounting of the use of Federal 
funds obligated or expended in carrying out such ef-
fort. 
SEC. 5. APPLICATION WITH OTHER LAWS. 
Nothing in this Act may be construed to modify or 
otherwise affect any Federal, State, or local government 
law (whether civil or criminal) with respect to the oper-
ation of a motor vehicle. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the 
Mass Transit Account), to carry out the collaborative re-
search effort described in section 4(a)— 
(1) $6,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2016 
and 2017; 
(2) $8,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2018 
and 2019; and 
(3) $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2020 and 2021. 
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(b) APPLICABILITY OF TITLE 23.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), amounts made available under subsection 
(a) shall be available for obligation and administered 
in the same manner as if the funds were apportioned 
under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—The Federal share payable 
for a project or activity carried out using amounts 
appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) shall be 100 
percent. 
Æ 
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