65 miles per hour, or 70 miles per hour with certain 
safety technologies. 
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 ‘‘Cullum Owings Large 
Truck Safe Operating Speed Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD AND 
FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULA-
TION FOR SPEED-LIMITING TECHNOLOGIES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) according to the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration, during the period beginning 
on January 1, 2004, and ending on December 31, 
2013, 10,440 people were killed in motor vehicle 
crashes in which the speed of a commercial motor 
vehicle likely contributed to severity; 
(2) a 2007 survey of truck drivers by the Insur-
ance Institute for Highway Safety determined that 
64 percent of the drivers were in favor of a speed- 
limiting requirement; 
(3) according to a 2012 study commissioned by 
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 
trucks not using a speed-limiting technology had a 
speed limit-relevant crash rate almost 2 times higher 
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than the rate of trucks using a speed-limiting tech-
nology; 
(4) speed-limiting devices have been required to 
be installed and used on commercial motor vehicles 
throughout the world, including in— 
(A) Australia, which has required the use 
of those devices since 1990; 
(B) the United Kingdom, which has re-
quired the use of those devices since 1992; and 
(C) the European Union, which has re-
quired the use of those devices since 1994; and 
(5) the Department of Transportation has been 
examining the issues involving speed-limiting tech-
nologies since at least 2006. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘‘adaptive cruise control system’’ means a sys-
tem on a commercial motor vehicle that is de-
signed— 
(A) to maintain a set speed; and 
(B) when applicable, to adjust the set 
speed to maintain a specified distance from a 
lead vehicle. 
(2) AUTOMATIC
EMERGENCY
BRAKING
SYS-
TEM.—The term ‘‘automatic emergency braking sys-
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tem’’ means a system on a commercial motor vehicle 
that— 
(A) detects potential collisions; 
(B) provides to the driver a warning of 
each detected potential collision; and 
(C) applies brakes automatically when a 
forward collision is imminent. 
(3) COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE.—The term 
‘‘commercial motor vehicle’’ means a motor vehicle 
that— 
(A) is used in interstate commerce; and 
(B) has a gross vehicle weight rating or a 
gross vehicle weight of not less than 26,001 
pounds. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
(5) SPEED-LIMITING TECHNOLOGY.—The term 
‘‘speed-limiting technology’’ means a technology that 
prevents a commercial motor vehicle from exceeding 
a preprogrammed maximum speed. 
(c) FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 
AND MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall— 
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(A) acting through the Administrator of 
the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration, issue a final rule that— 
(i) establishes a Federal motor vehicle 
safety standard that requires that all com-
mercial motor vehicles manufactured after 
the effective date of the standard shall be 
equipped with a speed-limiting technology; 
and 
(ii) prescribes performance standards 
for speed-limiting technologies, automatic 
emergency braking systems, and adaptive 
cruise control systems that reduce or miti-
gate collisions at speeds of not faster than 
70 miles per hour; and 
(B) acting through the Administrator of 
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administra-
tion, issue a final rule that establishes a Fed-
eral motor carrier safety regulation that re-
quires that any existing speed-limiting tech-
nology already installed in a commercial motor 
vehicle manufactured after December 31, 1992, 
shall be used at any time during which the com-
mercial motor vehicle is in operation, in accord-
ance with paragraph (2). 
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(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In issuing a final rule 
pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
(A) include requirements to ensure that 
each speed-limiting technology— 
(i) accurately measures the speed of 
the applicable commercial motor vehicle; 
and 
(ii) maintains a maximum speed of 
not faster than 65 miles per hour, or not 
faster than 70 miles per hour with the use 
of an adaptive cruise control system and 
an automatic emergency braking system, 
to ensure the safety of commercial motor 
vehicle drivers and the public, regardless of 
whether the speed-limiting technology was 
installed in the commercial motor vehicle— 
(I) prior to the effective date of 
the standard or regulation; or 
(II) for purposes of achieving 
compliance with the standard under 
paragraph (1)(A); and 
(B) as necessary, amend any Federal 
motor vehicle safety standards or Federal motor 
carrier safety regulations to require that all 
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commercial motor vehicles shall travel at a 
speed of not faster than— 
(i) 65 miles per hour; or 
(ii) 70 miles per hour with the use of 
adaptive cruise control systems and auto-
matic emergency braking systems. 
(3) SECRETARIAL REVIEW.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not less frequently 
than once every 5 years, the Secretary shall 
conduct a review of all applicable Federal 
speed-governing regulations, taking into consid-
eration— 
(i) deployed safety technologies avail-
able in commercial motor vehicles; 
(ii) the overall impact of the safety 
technologies described in clause (i) on 
highway safety; and 
(iii) available data relating to the use 
of speed-limiting technologies by commer-
cial motor vehicles. 
(B) PURPOSE.—The purpose of each re-
view under this paragraph shall be to ensure 
that proven technologies and data are consid-
ered in the context of speed-governing regula-
tions to enhance road safety. 
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(C) RECOMMENDATIONS; PUBLICATION.— 
On conclusion of each review under this para-
graph, the Secretary shall— 
(i) submit to Congress recommenda-
tions for improvement of Federal speed- 
governing regulations, if any; and 
(ii) publish and provide an oppor-
tunity for public comment regarding the 
findings of the review and recommenda-
tions, if any. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, each commercial 
motor vehicle that is subject to the standard estab-
lished under subsection (c)(1)(A) shall ensure that a 
speed-limiting technology establishes and maintains 
for the commercial motor vehicle a maximum safe 
speed of not faster than— 
(A) 65 miles per hour; or 
(B) 70 miles per hour with the use of an 
adaptive cruise control system and an auto-
matic emergency braking system. 
(2) VERIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH RE-
QUIREMENTS.—The owner of each commercial motor 
vehicle subject to a requirement under this section 
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shall verify, and submit to the Secretary a certifi-
cation of, compliance with the requirement at such 
time and in such manner as the Secretary may es-
tablish, by regulation. 
Æ 
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