I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3217 
To require the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on the ade-
quacy of motor vehicle refueling assistance to individuals with disabilities, 
to promulgate regulations in accordance with the results of such study, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2015 
Mrs. BUSTOS (for herself, Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Mr. FARR) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a 
study on the adequacy of motor vehicle refueling assist-
ance to individuals with disabilities, to promulgate regu-
lations in accordance with the results of such study, 
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 ‘‘Refueling Assistance 
Act of 2015’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:44 Jul 28, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3217.IH
H3217
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. STUDY ON MOTOR VEHICLE REFUELING ASSIST-
ANCE FOR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WITH 
DISABILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans-
portation (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), in 
consultation with the Attorney General, shall conduct a 
study on motor vehicle refueling assistance to qualified in-
dividuals with disabilities. 
(b) SUBJECT MATTER.—The study required by sub-
section (a) shall address the following: 
(1) The adequacy of Federal regulations and 
guidance in effect at the time the study is conducted 
to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to re-
ceive motor vehicle refueling assistance in a safe, 
timely, convenient, and consistent manner. 
(2) Data on the practices of gas stations for 
providing motor vehicle refueling assistance to quali-
fied individuals with disabilities. 
(3) Measures available to gas stations to im-
prove motor vehicle refueling assistance for qualified 
individuals with disabilities, including an assessment 
of the cost and feasibility of implementing such 
measures, taking into account variations in the 
equipment and technology used by gas stations at 
the time of the study. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:44 Jul 28, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3217.IH
H3217
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(4) The extent to which the location of gas sta-
tions in rural or urban areas affects the measures 
available to such gas stations to improve motor vehi-
cle refueling assistance for qualified individuals with 
disabilities. 
(5) The feasibility of requiring gas stations to 
install a freestanding device operable with a closed 
fist and reachable from inside a motor vehicle (re-
ferred to in this subsection as a ‘‘calling device’’) to 
be used by a qualified individual with a disability to 
alert a station attendant that such individual re-
quires motor vehicle refueling assistance, including 
an assessment of— 
(A) the extent to which the installation of 
a calling device would improve the ability of 
qualified individuals with disabilities to receive 
motor vehicle refueling assistance in a safe, 
timely, convenient, and consistent manner; 
(B) the measures necessary to ensure that 
a calling device be designed and installed in ac-
cordance with all accessibility guidelines for 
public accommodations under title III of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 12181 et seq.); 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:44 Jul 28, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3217.IH
H3217
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(C) the need for appropriate signage at gas 
stations— 
(i) that clearly identifies the purpose 
of a calling device and the hours during 
which motor vehicle refueling assistance is 
available through use of the device; and 
(ii) that is clearly visible to a qualified 
individual with a disability inside a motor 
vehicle in the refueling area of a gas sta-
tion; 
(D) the cost to a gas station to install and 
maintain a calling device and the burden of 
such cost on small and large gas stations; and 
(E) funding opportunities to offset the cost 
of installing calling devices, including grant pro-
grams and new or existing tax credits. 
(6) Methods of disseminating information relat-
ing to the availability of motor vehicle refueling as-
sistance in consultation with State officials, includ-
ing the use of Internet-based and smart phone tech-
nology to allow individuals to search by location for 
gas stations with operable calling devices. 
(c) CONSULTATION WITH INTERESTED PARTIES.— 
In conducting the study required by subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall consult with groups representing individ-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:44 Jul 28, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3217.IH
H3217
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
uals with disabilities, groups representing veterans, gas 
station owners, and other interested parties. 
SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 90 days after completing the study 
required by section 2(a), the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Attorney General, shall submit to Congress a re-
port that— 
(1) summarizes the results of the study; and 
(2) includes recommendations for imposing fea-
sible and cost-effective requirements on gas stations 
to improve motor vehicle refueling assistance for 
qualified individuals with disabilities. 
SEC. 4. REGULATIONS. 
Not later than 180 days after submitting the report 
required by section 3, the Secretary, in consultation with 
the Attorney General, shall promulgate any regulations 
that the Secretary considers necessary to improve motor 
vehicle refueling assistance for qualified individuals with 
disabilities, taking into account the results of the study 
required by section 2(a). 
SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) CIVIL PENALTY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub-
section (b), the Secretary may impose a civil penalty 
on a person that the Secretary determines, in ac-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:44 Jul 28, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3217.IH
H3217
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS