SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STAND-
ARDS TO CAR RENTAL COMPANIES. 
(a) COVERED RENTAL VEHICLE AND RENTAL COM-
PANY DEFINED.—Section 30102(a) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(11) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), 
(9), (10), (12), and (13), respectively; 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(1) ‘covered rental vehicle’ means a motor ve-
hicle that— 
‘‘(A) is rated at 26,000 pounds gross vehi-
cle weight or less; 
‘‘(B) is rented without a driver for an ini-
tial term of less than 4 months; and 
‘‘(C) is part of a motor vehicle fleet of 5 
or more motor vehicles that is used for rental 
purposes by a rental company.’’; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (10) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(11) ‘rental company’ means a person who— 
‘‘(A) is engaged in the business of renting 
covered rental vehicles; and 
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‘‘(B) uses for rental purposes a motor ve-
hicle fleet of 5 or more covered rental vehi-
cles.’’. 
(b) NOTIFICATION BY RENTAL COMPANIES TO RENT-
ERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 30119 of such title 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) NOTIFICATION
BY
RENTAL
COMPANY
TO 
RENTER.—A rental company that receives a notification 
required under section 30118 of this title that includes 
the vehicle identification number of a covered rental vehi-
cle during a period in which the vehicle is rented shall, 
as soon as practicable, contact the renter of the vehicle 
and any authorized driver of the vehicle for whom the 
rental company has immediate contact information to in-
form the renter and authorized driver of the defect or non-
compliance.’’. 
(2) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Trans-
portation may not begin any process to promulgate 
regulations under subsection (g) of such section, as 
added by paragraph (1), until the date that is 3 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) LIMITATION ON SALES, LEASES, OR RENTALS BY 
RENTAL COMPANIES.—Section 30120(i) of such title is 
amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, or the manufac-
turer has provided to a rental company no-
tification about a covered rental vehicle 
(including the vehicle identification number 
for such vehicle) in the company’s posses-
sion at the time of notification,’’ after 
‘‘time of notification’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘the dealer may sell or 
lease’’ and inserting ‘‘the dealer or rental 
company may sell, lease, or rent’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘under the sale or lease’’ and inserting ‘‘under 
the sale, lease, or rental agreement’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or rental 
company’’ after ‘‘a dealer’’; and 
(3) in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘OR 
LEASE’’ and inserting ‘‘, LEASE, OR RENTAL’’. 
(d) PROHIBITION ON MAKING SAFETY DEVICES AND 
ELEMENTS INOPERATIVE.—Section 30122(b) of such title 
is amended by inserting ‘‘rental company,’’ after ‘‘dealer,’’ 
both places it appears. 
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(e) 
INSPECTIONS, 
INVESTIGATIONS, 
AND 
RECORDS.— 
(1) MATTERS THAT CAN BE INSPECTED AND 
IMPOUNDMENT.—Subsection (c)(2) of section 30166 
of such title is amended by striking ‘‘or dealer’’ both 
places it appears and inserting ‘‘dealer, or rental 
company’’. 
(2) RECORDS
AND
MAKING
REPORTS.—Sub-
section (e) of such section is amended by striking 
‘‘or dealer’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘dealer, or rental company’’. 
(3) PROVIDING
COPIES
OF
COMMUNICATIONS 
ABOUT DEFECTS AND NONCOMPLIANCE.—Subsection 
(f) of such section is amended by inserting ‘‘rental 
companies or other’’ after ‘‘dealers or to’’. 
(f) RESEARCH
AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of 
Transportation may conduct a study of the effectiveness 
of the amendments made by this section and of other ac-
tivities of rental companies (as defined in section 30102(a) 
of title 49, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a)(2)) related to their use and disposition of motor vehi-
cles that are the subject of a notification required under 
section 30118 of title 49, United States Code. 
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(g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date that is 60 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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