I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1990
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to take certain actions to improve
the safety of persons present at roadside emergency scenes, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 27, 1999
Mr. HALL of Ohio (for himself, and Mr. WOLF) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to take certain
actions to improve the safety of persons present at road-
side emergency scenes, 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 ‘‘Roadside Emergency
Safety Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. STUDY ON ROADSIDE EMERGENCY SAFETY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation
shall conduct a study to evaluate means of improving the
safety of persons present at roadside emergency scenes,
including motor vehicle accident scenes.
(b) SCOPE.—The study conducted by the Secretary
under subsection (a) shall include—
(1) an evaluation the effectiveness of State laws
designed to improve the safety of persons present at
roadside emergency scenes;
(2) an evaluation the feasibility of requiring
drivers operating motor vehicles approaching a road-
side 
emergency 
scene 
to 
take 
certain 
steps
including—
(A) moving to the traffic lane that is far-
thest from the roadside emergency scene of the
lanes available for vehicles traveling in the di-
rection traveled by the driver; and
(B) decreasing motor vehicle speed to 10
miles per hour less than the posted speed limit;
and
(3) the collection of such statistics as may be
necessary to assist policy makers in addressing
issues of safety at roadside emergency scenes.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall transmit
to Congress a report on the results of the study conducted
under subsection (a), together with any recommendations
for improving the safety of persons present at roadside
emergency scenes.
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SAFETY PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
completion of the study described in section 2, the Sec-
retary of Transportation shall establish and begin to im-
plement a program to improve the safety of emergency
personnel at roadside emergency scenes.
(b) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—The program established
under subsection (a) shall—
(1) promote public awareness regarding safety
at roadside emergency scenes;
(2) provide assistance for education and train-
ing to emergency personnel regarding safety at road-
side emergency scenes; and
(3) provide technical assistance regarding
equipment, highway design, and emergency re-
sponses that enhance the safety of emergency per-
sonnel at roadside emergency scenes.
(c) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—The program es-
tablished under subsection (a) shall include funding for
demonstration projects designed to improve the safety of
emergency personnel at roadside emergency scenes.
(d) EMERGENCY PERSONNEL DEFINED.—In this
section, the term ‘‘emergency personnel’’ means law en-
forcement personnel, fire department personnel, emer-
gency medical services personnel, and any other persons
who may be called upon to respond to a roadside emer-
gency.
SEC. 4. STATE HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS.
Subsection (a) of section 402 of title 23, United
States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and (6)’’ and inserting ‘‘(6)’’;
and
(2) by inserting after ‘‘post-accident proce-
dures’’ the following:
‘‘, and (7) to improve the safety of law enforcement, fire
department, and emergency medical services personnel,
and any other persons who may be called upon to respond,
in the case of a roadside emergency’’.
Æ