‘‘(ii) FATAL INCIDENTS.—If an inci-
dent described in clause (i) involves one or 
more deaths, the manufacturer shall report 
to the Secretary, in such manner as the 
Secretary establishes by regulation— 
‘‘(I) all initial claims or notice 
documents that notified the manufac-
turer of the incident; 
‘‘(II) all investigative documents 
prepared by any local, State, or Fed-
eral government agency or personnel 
related to the incident, including pho-
tographs, police reports, cause and or-
igin reports, or other documents de-
scribing or reconstructing the inci-
dent; 
‘‘(III) any amendments or sup-
plements to the documents described 
in subclause (I), except for— 
‘‘(aa) 
medical 
documents 
and bills; 
‘‘(bb) property damage in-
voices or estimates; and 
‘‘(cc) documents related to 
quantification of damages; and 
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‘‘(IV) the manufacturer’s assess-
ment of the circumstances that led to 
the incident, including the manufac-
turer’s analysis of the claims or no-
tices regarding allegations of a defect. 
‘‘(iii) LIMITATION.—The regulations 
promulgated by the Secretary under clause 
(ii) may not require a manufacturer to 
submit records respecting information de-
scribed in subclause (II) of such clause 
that is not in the possession of the manu-
facturer.’’. 
(c) COMPONENT CATEGORIES.— 
(1) COMMENCEMENT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to 
amend the system and component categories re-
quired to be used in early warning reports on light 
vehicles submitted pursuant to section 579.21 of 
title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. In issuing 
rules under this subsection, the Secretary shall, to 
the extent each may assist in the identification of 
defects related to motor vehicle safety, maximize— 
(A) interoperability between the early 
warning reporting database and the publicly 
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available consumer complaint database, by en-
suring that the amended set of categories estab-
lished by rule are the same as those available 
to vehicle owners or lessees reporting safety 
issues to the publicly available consumer com-
plaint database; 
(B) precision, including by dividing cat-
egories that are imprecise and adding new cat-
egories that identify specific vehicle equipment 
not previously represented; and 
(C) organization and ease of use, including 
by housing categories pertaining to specific 
items of equipment within more general vehicle 
safety categories and operating systems. 
(2) FINAL RULE.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall issue a final rule pursuant to paragraph (1). 
(d) STANDARDIZATION OF MANUFACTURER REPORT-
ING PRACTICES.— 
(1) REVIEW.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall complete a comprehensive review of 
individual light vehicle manufacturers’ practices 
for reporting to the Secretary incidents involv-
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ing death or injury pursuant to section 579.21 
of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. 
(B) COMPONENTS.—The review conducted 
under subparagraph (A) shall— 
(i) identify the major differences 
among 
such 
manufacturers’ 
reporting 
practices; 
(ii) identify the extent to which such 
manufacturers report precisely the infor-
mation required under subsection (b) of 
section 579.21 of title 49, Code of Federal 
Regulations, or, alternatively, report addi-
tional information under such subsection; 
(iii) identify the types and sources of 
additional information, as described in 
clause (ii), that manufacturers report to 
the Secretary; 
(iv) assess and explain the extent to 
which differing reporting practices hinder 
the ability of the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration to compare a manu-
facturer’s data for vehicles or equipment to 
the data of another manufacturer’s vehi-
cles or equipment, all peer vehicles or 
equipment, or the entire United States 
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population of vehicles or equipment, or to 
data on vehicles or equipment submitted to 
the Secretary by a vehicle owner or lessee; 
and 
(v) determine, based on findings 
under clause (iv), whether differences 
among individual light vehicle manufactur-
ers’ practices for reporting to the Sec-
retary incidents involving death or injury 
pursuant to section 579.21 of title 49, 
Code of Federal Regulations, are detri-
mental to the identification of defects re-
lated to motor vehicle safety in motor vehi-
cles and motor vehicle equipment in the 
United States. 
(2) GUIDELINES.—If the Secretary makes an 
affirmative determination under clause (v) of para-
graph (1)(B), the Secretary may issue guidelines for 
the standardization of reporting practices described 
in such clause. 
(e) REPORT ON MANUFACTURER COMPLIANCE WITH 
EARLY
WARNING
REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS.—Not 
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Inspector General of the Department of Transpor-
tation shall— 
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(1) review the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration’s policies, procedures, and practices 
intended to ensure that manufacturers subject to the 
early warning reporting requirements of section 
30166(m) of title 49, United States Code, and sub-
part C of part 579 of title 49, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations, submit all required information in full and 
without delay; 
(2) assess the extent to which key agency and 
manufacturer employees are aware of and under-
stand such policies, procedures, and practices; 
(3) assess the extent to which manufacturers 
submit all required information in full and without 
delay; and 
(4) submit a report to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate that contains the In-
spector General’s findings, conclusions, and rec-
ommendations for formalizing or strengthening 
agency policies, procedures, and practices in order to 
ensure timely and complete reporting of early warn-
ing data. 
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SEC. 203. ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY. 
(a) PETITIONS
FOR STANDARDS
AND ENFORCE-
MENT.— 
(1) MISSED DEADLINES.—Section 30162(d) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by insert-
ing at the end the following: ‘‘If the Secretary fails 
to grant or deny a petition within the 120-day pe-
riod, the Secretary shall promptly publish in the 
Federal Register an explanation for missing the 
deadline and a projected date by which the Secretary 
will decide whether to grant the petition. On Feb-
ruary 1 and August 1 of each year, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a letter listing each deadline the Sec-
retary missed under this subsection during the 6- 
month period ending on such date, explaining why 
the Secretary missed the deadline, and describing 
any investigations, proceedings, or actions related to 
the relevant petition that the Secretary has con-
ducted or taken since the petition was filed.’’. 
(2) APPEAL
OF
DEFECT
PETITION
REJEC-
TION.—Section 30162 of title 49, United States 
Code, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
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‘‘(e) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—A decision of the Secretary 
to deny a petition filed under subsection (a)(2) is agency 
action subject to judicial review under chapter 7 of title 
5, and such action shall not be considered committed to 
agency discretion within the meaning of section 701(a)(2) 
of such title. A person aggrieved by the denial of a petition 
may obtain judicial review by filing an action in the court 
of appeals of the United States for the circuit in which 
the person resides or has its principal place of business 
or the United States Court of Appeals for the District of 
Columbia Circuit not more than 180 days after notice of 
the denial of the petition is published in the Federal Reg-
ister.’’. 
(b) 
INFORMATION
PROVIDED
BY
WHISTLE-
BLOWERS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subchapter IV of chapter 
301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 30172. Review of information provided by employ-
ees 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF COVERED PERSON.—In this 
section, the term ‘covered person’ means an employee of 
a manufacturer, distributor, part supplier, or dealer (or 
any person acting pursuant to a request of the employee 
or to the extent such person is engaged in collecting and 
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analyzing information provided by one or more such em-
ployees) who, in good faith, provides information to the 
Secretary indicating— 
‘‘(1) the existence of a possible safety-related 
defect or noncompliance with a motor vehicle safety 
standard; or 
‘‘(2) a violation of this chapter or a regulation 
prescribed or order issued under this chapter. 
‘‘(b) REVIEW AND EVALUATION.—Upon receipt of 
motor vehicle safety information from a covered person, 
the Secretary shall review and evaluate the information 
promptly to determine whether a safety-related defect or 
noncompliance, or a violation of this chapter or a regula-
tion prescribed or order issued under this chapter, exists. 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary shall not trans-
mit or otherwise disclose any information received from 
a covered person to a manufacturer, distributor, part sup-
plier, or dealer, except pursuant to a written request by, 
or with the prior written consent of, the covered person.’’. 
(2) REPORT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 30 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and biennially thereafter for 6 years, the Sec-
retary shall complete a report on the activities 
of the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin-
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istration under section 30172 of title 49, 
United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), 
and, upon completion, shall— 
(i) submit the report to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate; and 
(ii) publish the report in an easily ac-
cessible and downloadable electronic for-
mat. 
(B) CONTENTS.—Such report shall in-
clude— 
(i) a summary of submissions by cov-
ered persons (as defined in such section) to 
the Secretary in the 24 months preceding 
the submission of the report, consisting 
of— 
(I) the total number of such sub-
missions and the number within this 
total which were submitted directly by 
an employee described in subsection 
(a) of such section; and 
(II) the number of submissions 
pertaining to a possible safety-related 
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defect or noncompliance and the num-
ber of submissions pertaining to a vio-
lation of chapter 301 of title 49, 
United States Code, or a regulation 
prescribed or order issued under such 
chapter; and 
(ii) a summary of actions taken and 
proceedings, investigations, or research 
conducted by the Secretary in the 24 
months preceding the submission of the re-
port resulting from submissions by covered 
persons (as defined in such section). 
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 
sections for chapter 301 of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 30171 the following: 
‘‘30172. Review of information provided by employees.’’. 
SEC. 204. IMMINENT HAZARD AUTHORITY. 
Section 30118 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(1) The 
Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) IN
GEN-
ERAL.—Except as provided under paragraph 
(3), the Secretary may’’. 
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(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘OR-
DERS.—’’ before ‘‘If the Secretary’’; and 
(C) by adding after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) IMMINENT HAZARDS.— 
‘‘(A) DECISIONS
AND
ORDERS.—If the 
Secretary decides that a defect or noncompli-
ance, or combination of both, under subsection 
(a) presents an imminent hazard, the Sec-
retary— 
‘‘(i) shall notify the manufacturer of 
the motor vehicle or replacement equip-
ment immediately under subsection (a); 
‘‘(ii) shall order the manufacturer of 
the motor vehicle or replacement equip-
ment to immediately— 
‘‘(I) give notification under sec-
tion 30119 of this title to the owners, 
purchasers, and dealers of the vehicle 
or equipment of the imminent hazard; 
and 
‘‘(II) remedy the defect or non-
compliance under section 30120 of 
this title; 
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‘‘(iii) notwithstanding section 30119 
or 30120, may order the time for notifica-
tion, means of providing notification, ear-
liest remedy date, and time the owner or 
purchaser has to present the motor vehicle 
or equipment, including a tire, for remedy; 
and 
‘‘(iv) may include in an order under 
this subparagraph any other terms or con-
ditions that the Secretary determines nec-
essary to abate the imminent hazard. 
‘‘(B) OPPORTUNITY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE 
REVIEW.—Subsequent to the issuance of an 
order under subparagraph (A), opportunity for 
administrative review shall be provided in ac-
cordance with section 554 of title 5, except that 
such review shall occur not later than 10 days 
after issuance of such order. 
‘‘(C) DEFINITION
OF
IMMINENT
HAZ-
ARD.—In this paragraph, the term ‘imminent 
hazard’ means any condition which substan-
tially increases the likelihood of serious injury 
or death if not remedied immediately.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘or electronic 
mail’’ after ‘‘certified mail’’. 
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SEC. 205. COOPERATION WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. 
Section 30182(b) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after paragraph (5) the following: 
‘‘(6) enter into cooperative agreements (in co-
ordination with the Department of State) and col-
laborative research and development agreements 
with foreign governments.’’. 
SEC. 206. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENT. 
(a) RULE.—Not later than 2 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a final 
rule that— 
(1) establishes standards for passenger motor 
vehicles in order to reduce the number of injuries 
and fatalities suffered by pedestrians and other non- 
occupants who are struck by such vehicles; and 
(2) considers means for protecting especially 
vulnerable pedestrian and non-occupant populations, 
including children, older adults, and individuals with 
disabilities. 
(b) DEFINITION OF PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLE.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘passenger motor vehicle’’ means 
a motor vehicle (as defined in section 30102(a)(6) of title 
49, United States Code) that is rated at less than 10,000 
pounds gross vehicular weight. Such term does not in-
clude— 
(1) a motorcycle; 
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(2) a trailer; or 
(3) a low-speed vehicle (as defined in section 
571.3 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations). 
SEC. 207. REGIONAL RECALLS LIMITATION. 
Section 30118 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
sections: 
‘‘(f) LONG-TERM EXPOSURE
TO ENVIRONMENTAL 
CONDITIONS.—If a manufacturer of a motor vehicle or re-
placement equipment learns the vehicle or equipment con-
tains a safety problem caused by long-term exposure to 
environmental conditions, the manufacturer shall give no-
tice under subsection (c) as if the manufacturer learned 
the vehicle or equipment contains a defect and decides in 
good faith that the defect is related to motor vehicle safe-
ty. 
‘‘(g) NATIONAL ORDERS AND NOTIFICATIONS.—All 
orders under subsection (b)(2) and notifications under 
subsection (c) shall be carried out on a national basis and 
shall not be limited to vehicles or equipment in certain 
States or territories or other geographic regions of the 
United States.’’. 
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TITLE III—CONSUMER 
PROTECTION 
SEC. 301. LIMITATION ON SALE OR LEASE OF USED MOTOR 
VEHICLES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 30120 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(k) LIMITATION
ON SALE
OR LEASE
OF USED 
MOTOR VEHICLES.— 
‘‘(1) A dealer may not sell or lease a used 
motor vehicle until— 
‘‘(A) the dealer clearly and conspicuously 
notifies the purchaser or lessee, in writing, of 
any notifications of a defect or noncompliance 
under section 30118(b) or section 30118(c) of 
this title with respect to the used motor vehicle 
that have not been remedied; and 
‘‘(B) the purchaser or lessee acknowledges, 
in writing, receipt of the notification from the 
dealer under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply if— 
‘‘(A) the defect or noncompliance is rem-
edied under section 30120 of this title before 
delivery under the sale or lease; or 
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‘‘(B) notification of the defect or non-
compliance is required under section 30118(b), 
but enforcement of the order is set aside in a 
civil action to which 30121(d) applies. 
‘‘(3) This subsection shall not apply to a dealer 
if the recall information regarding a used motor ve-
hicle was not accessible at the time of sale or lease 
using the means established by the Secretary under 
section 31301 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in 
the 21st Century Act (49 U.S.C. 30166 note), and 
was not otherwise known to and accessible to the 
dealer at such time. 
‘‘(4) In this subsection, notwithstanding section 
30102(a)(1) of this title— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘dealer’ means a person that 
has sold at least 10 motor vehicles to 1 or more 
consumers during the prior 12 months; and 
‘‘(B) the term ‘used motor vehicle’ means 
a motor vehicle that has previously been pur-
chased other than for resale. 
‘‘(5) By rule, the Secretary may exempt the 
auctioning of a used passenger motor vehicle to a 
dealer from the requirements of this section to the 
extent that the exemption does not harm public safe-
ty.’’. 
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