H. R. 5504
One Hundred Seventh Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the twenty-third day of January, two thousand and two
An Act
To provide for the improvement of the safety of child restraints in passenger
motor vehicles, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ‘‘Anton’s Law’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) It is the policy of the Department of Transportation
that all child occupants of motor vehicles, regardless of seating
position, be appropriately restrained in order to reduce the
incidence of injuries and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle
crashes on the streets, roads, and highways.
(2) Research has shown that very few children between
the ages of 4 to 8 years old are in the appropriate restraint
for their age when riding in passenger motor vehicles.
(3) Children who have outgrown their child safety seats
should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until an adult
seat belt fits properly.
(4) Children who were properly restrained when riding
in passenger motor vehicles suffered less severe injuries from
accidents than children not properly restrained.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY OF CHILD RESTRAINTS IN PAS-
SENGER MOTOR VEHICLES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation (hereafter
referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding
to establish performance requirements for child restraints, including
booster seats, for the restraint of children weighing more than
50 pounds.
(b) ELEMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION.—In the rulemaking pro-
ceeding required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall—
(1) consider whether to include injury performance criteria
for child restraints, including booster seats and other products
for use in passenger motor vehicles for the restraint of children
weighing more than 50 pounds, under the requirements estab-
lished in the rulemaking proceeding;
(2) consider whether to establish performance requirements
for seat belt fit when used with booster seats and other belt
guidance devices;
(3) consider whether to address situations where children
weighing more than 50 pounds only have access to seating
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positions with lap belts, such as allowing tethered child
restraints for such children; and
(4) review the definition of the term ‘‘booster seat’’ in Fed-
eral motor vehicle safety standard No. 213 under section
571.213 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to determine
if it is sufficiently comprehensive.
(c) COMPLETION.—The Secretary shall complete the rulemaking
proceeding required by subsection (a) not later than 30 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICE SIMU-
LATING A 10-YEAR OLD CHILD.
(a) DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION.—Not later than 24 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
develop and evaluate an anthropomorphic test device that simulates
a 10-year old child for use in testing child restraints used in
passenger motor vehicles.
(b) ADOPTION BY RULEMAKING.—Within 1 year following the
development and evaluation carried out under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding for the adoption
of an anthropomorphic test device as developed under subsection
(a).
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTALLATION OF LAP AND SHOULDER
BELTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete a rule-
making proceeding to amend Federal motor vehicle safety standard
No. 208 under section 571.208 of title 49, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, relating to occupant crash protection, in order to—
(1) require a lap and shoulder belt assembly for each rear
designated seating position in a passenger motor vehicle with
a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, except
that if the Secretary determines that installation of a lap and
shoulder belt assembly is not practicable for a particular des-
ignated seating position in a particular type of passenger motor
vehicle, the Secretary may exclude the designated seating posi-
tion from the requirement; and
(2) apply that requirement to passenger motor vehicles
in phases in accordance with subsection (b).
(b) IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE.—The requirement prescribed
under subsection (a)(1) shall be implemented in phases on a produc-
tion year basis beginning with the production year that begins
not later than 12 months after the end of the year in which
the regulations are prescribed under subsection (a). The final rule
shall apply to all passenger motor vehicles with a gross vehicle
weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less that are manufactured in
the third production year of the implementation phase-in under
the schedule.
SEC. 6. EVALUATION OF INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SYSTEMS.
(a) EVALUATION.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall initiate an evaluation
of integrated or built-in child restraints and booster seats. The
evaluation should include—
(1) the safety of the child restraint and correctness of
fit for the child;
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(2) the availability of testing data on the system and vehicle
in which the child restraint will be used;
(3) the compatibility of the child restraint with different
makes and models;
(4) the cost-effectiveness of mass production of the child
restraint for consumers;
(5) the ease of use and relative availability of the child
restraint to children riding in motor vehicles; and
(6) the benefits of built-in seats for improving compliance
with State child occupant restraint laws.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Committee
on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate a report of this evaluation.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) CHILD RESTRAINT.—The term ‘‘child restraint’’ means
any product designed to provide restraint to a child (including
booster seats and other products used with a lap and shoulder
belt assembly) that meets applicable Federal motor vehicle
safety standards prescribed by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration.
(2) PRODUCTION YEAR.—The term ‘‘production year’’ means
the 12-month period between September 1 of a year and August
31 of the following year.
(3) PASSENGER
MOTOR
VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘passenger
motor vehicle’’ has the meaning given that term in section
405(f)(5) of title 23, United States Code.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated
$5,000,000 to the Secretary of Transportation for—
(1) the evaluation required by section 6 of this Act; and
(2) research of the nature and causes of injury to children
involved in motor vehicle crashes.
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(b) LIMITATION.—Funds appropriated under subsection (a) shall
not be available for the general administrative expenses of the
Secretary.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.