I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2801 
To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring all 
new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with a child safety alert 
system, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 2017 
Mr. RYAN of Ohio (for himself, Mr. KING of New York, and Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule 
requiring all new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped 
with a child safety alert system, 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 ‘‘Helping Overcome 
Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act’’ or the 
‘‘HOT CARS Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. CHILD SAFETY. 
(a) AMENDMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 323 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding after sec-
tion 32304A the following new section: 
‘‘§ 32304B. Child safety 
‘‘(a) RULE REQUIRED.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
issue a final rule requiring all new passenger motor vehi-
cles weighing less than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight 
to be equipped with a system for rear seating positions 
to alert the operator to check rear designated seating posi-
tions after the vehicle motor is deactivated by the oper-
ator. The means shall include a distinct auditory and vis-
ual alert that may be combined with a haptic alert, and 
shall be activated after the vehicle motor is deactivated 
by the operator. 
‘‘(b) PHASE-IN.—The rule issued pursuant to sub-
section (a) shall require full compliance with the rule be-
ginning on September 1st of the calendar year that begins 
2 years after the date on which the final rule is issued. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLE.—The term 
‘passenger motor vehicle’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 32101. 
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‘‘(2) REAR DESIGNATED SEATING POSITION.— 
The term ‘rear designated seating position’ means 
any designated seating position that is rearward of 
the front seat. 
‘‘(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
chapter 323 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking the item relating to section 
32304A and inserting the following new items: 
‘‘32304A. Consumer tire information and standards. 
‘‘32304B. Child safety.’’. 
(b) AWARENESS
OF CHILDREN
IN MOTOR VEHI-
CLES.—Section 402 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after subsection (k) the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(l) UNATTENDED PASSENGERS.—A State shall use 
a portion of the amounts received under this section to 
carry out a program to educate the public on the risks 
of leaving a child or unattended passenger in a vehicle 
after the vehicle motor is deactivated by the operator. A 
State does not need to carry out the program through its 
transportation or highway safety office.’’. 
Æ 
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