I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 259 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish national standards for 
State safety inspections of motor vehicles, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 7, 2009 
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish national 
standards for State safety inspections of motor vehicles, 
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 ‘‘Michael Jon Newkirk 
Transportation Safety Enhancement Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. STATE SAFETY INSPECTIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter I of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘§ 167. State safety inspections of motor vehicles 
‘‘(a) WITHHOLDING OF APPORTIONMENTS FOR NON-
COMPLIANCE.— 
‘‘(1) FISCAL YEAR 2012.—On October 1, 2011, 
the Secretary shall withhold 5 percent of the amount 
required to be apportioned to a State on that date 
under each of paragraphs (1), (3), and (4) of section 
104(b) if the State does not meet the requirements 
of paragraph (3) on that date. 
‘‘(2) THEREAFTER.—On October 1, 2012, and 
on the first day of each fiscal year thereafter, the 
Secretary shall withhold 10 percent of the amount 
required to be apportioned to a State on that date 
under each of paragraphs (1), (3), and (4) of section 
104(b) if the State does not meet the requirements 
of paragraph (3) on that date. 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENT.—A State meets the re-
quirements of this paragraph if the State has en-
acted and is enforcing a law that requires the owner 
of a motor vehicle (as such term is defined in section 
154(a)) registered in the State to present the vehicle 
for inspection on an annual basis to ensure that the 
vehicle meets or exceeds motor vehicle safety stand-
ards to be established by the State. At a minimum, 
such standards shall ensure that the seatbelts and 
speedometer installed in the vehicle are operable. 
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‘‘(b) APPORTIONMENT OF WITHHELD FUNDS AFTER 
COMPLIANCE.— 
‘‘(1) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY OF WITHHELD 
FUNDS.— 
‘‘(A) FUNDS WITHHELD ON OR BEFORE 
SEPTEMBER
30, 
2013.—Any funds withheld 
under subsection (a) from apportionment to any 
State on or before September 30, 2013, shall 
remain available until the end of the third fiscal 
year following the fiscal year for which the 
funds are authorized to be appropriated. 
‘‘(B) FUNDS
WITHHELD
AFTER
SEP-
TEMBER
30, 2013.—No funds withheld under 
this section from apportionment to any State 
after September 30, 2013, shall be available for 
apportionment to the State. 
‘‘(2) APPORTIONMENT.—If, before the last day 
of the period for which funds withheld under sub-
section (a) from apportionment are to remain avail-
able for apportionment to a State under paragraph 
(1), the State meets the requirement of subsection 
(a)(3), the Secretary shall, on the first day on which 
the State meets the requirement, apportion to the 
State the funds withheld under subsection (a) that 
remain available for apportionment to the State. 
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‘‘(3) PERIOD
OF
AVAILABILITY
OF
SUBSE-
QUENTLY APPORTIONED FUNDS.—Any funds appor-
tioned pursuant to paragraph (2) shall remain avail-
able for expenditure until the end of the third fiscal 
year following the fiscal year in which the funds are 
so apportioned. Sums not obligated at the end of 
that period shall lapse. 
‘‘(4) EFFECT OF NONCOMPLIANCE.—If, at the 
end of the period for which funds withheld under 
subsection (a) from apportionment are available for 
apportionment to a State under paragraph (1), the 
State does not meet the requirement of subsection 
(a)(3), the funds shall lapse.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘167. State safety inspections of motor vehicles.’’. 
Æ 
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