I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4167 
To authorize appropriations for the motor vehicle safety and information 
and cost savings programs of the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration for fiscal years 2005 through 2007, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 2, 2004 
Mr. STEARNS (by request) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To authorize appropriations for the motor vehicle safety and 
information and cost savings programs of the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration for fiscal years 
2005 through 2007, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
TITLE I—MOTOR VEHICLE 
SAFETY 
SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 30104 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 30104. Authorization of Appropriations 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Transportation $125,221,000 for the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration to carry out this 
part for fiscal year 2005, and such sums as may be nec-
essary for fiscal years 2006 and 2007.’’. 
SEC. 102. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 301 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 30106. International Cooperation 
‘‘The Secretary of Transportation may participate 
and cooperate in international activities to enhance motor 
vehicle and traffic safety through such means as exchang-
ing information, conducting safety research, examining 
safety needs, best practices, new technology, and improve-
ments in motor vehicle safety standards, and participating 
in the implementation of existing international agreements 
concerning motor vehicle safety to which the United States 
is a contracting partner.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for subchapter I of chapter 301 of title 49, United States 
Code is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item: 
‘‘30106. International cooperation.’’.
SEC. 103. CERTIFICATION LABELS. 
Section 30115(a) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting at the end the following: ‘‘A person 
shall not affix a certification label to a motor vehicle or 
item of motor vehicle equipment unless the person has ei-
ther performed tests or otherwise documented the basis 
for certifying compliance with all applicable safety stand-
ards prescribed under this chapter, except that, in affixing 
the certification label or tag, a manufacturer that com-
pletes a vehicle after receiving compliance documentation 
from the manufacturer of the earlier stage of the vehicle 
may rely on such documentation in accordance with the 
regulations issued by the Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 104. NOTIFICATION OF NONCOMPLIANCE. 
Section 30118 of title 49, United States Code is 
amended in subsections (a), (b), and (c) by striking 
‘‘motor vehicle or replacement equipment’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘motor vehicle, original equipment, 
or replacement equipment’’. 
SEC. 105. NOTIFICATION OF AND REMEDIES FOR NON-
COMPLIANCE. 
Section 30120 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) LIMITATION
ON SALE
OR LEASE
OF USED 
MOTOR VEHICLES.—
‘‘(1) A dealer may not sell a used motor vehicle 
for purposes other than resale or lease a used motor 
vehicle until the dealer informs the purchaser or les-
see of any notification of a defect or noncompliance 
pursuant to section 30118(b) or (c) of this title with 
respect to a vehicle that has not been remedied, and 
either— 
‘‘(A) offers to have the defects or non-
compliances remedied; or 
‘‘(B) gives the purchaser or lessee a writ-
ten description of the defects or noncompli-
ances, including all relevant information from 
any notification pursuant to section 30118(b) 
or (c) of this title, and 
reviews a written acknowledgment of the offer or de-
scription from the purchaser or lessee. 
‘‘(2) The requirements of paragraph (1) of this 
subsection shall apply after a period of time fol-
lowing issuance of notifications that the Secretary 
shall specify. The Secretary may extend this period 
with respect to particular notifications. 
‘‘(3) In this subsection, notwithstanding section 
30102(a)(1) of this title— 
‘‘(A) ‘dealer’ means a person who sold at 
least 10 motor vehicles during the prior 12
months to purchasers that in good faith pur-
chased the vehicles other than for resale; and 
‘‘(B) ‘used motor vehicle’ means a motor 
vehicle that has previously been purchased 
other than for resale. 
‘‘(4) Subject to regulations issued by the Sec-
retary, a manufacturer of a motor vehicle shall es-
tablish and maintain an Internet-accessible record 
system that dealers of used motor vehicles and mem-
bers of the public may access, without charge, to de-
termine whether a particular vehicle manufactured 
by the manufacturer has been subject to any notifi-
cation of a defect or noncompliance pursuant to sec-
tion 30118(b) or (c) of this title that has not been 
remedied. If the Secretary determines that estab-
lishing and maintaining such an Internet-accessible 
record system is not practicable for certain classes 
of manufacturers, the Secretary may exempt such 
manufacturers from the requirements of this para-
graph. 
‘‘(l) LIMITATION ON OPERATION BY OWNERS AND 
LESSORS OF SCHOOL BUSES AND VEHICLES USED TO 
TRANSPORT PASSENGERS FOR COMPENSATION.— 
‘‘(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a per-
son who owns or leases a school bus or a motor vehi-
cle used to transport passengers for compensation 
and who receives a notice of a defect or noncompli-
ance pursuant to section 30118(b) or (c) of this title 
may not operate the vehicle to which the notice ap-
plies as a school bus or for compensation until the 
defect or noncompliance is remedied as required by 
this section. 
‘‘(2) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall 
apply after a period of time following issuance of 
such notifications that the Secretary shall specify. 
The Secretary may extend this period with respect 
to particular notifications. 
‘‘(3) This subsection shall not apply to taxicabs, 
or to motor vehicles owned or operated by State or 
local governments.’’. 
SEC. 106. NONUSE OF SAFETY BELT INTERLOCKS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 30124 of title 49 United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 30124. Nonuse of safety belt interlocks 
‘‘A motor vehicle safety standard prescribed under 
this chapter may not require or allow a manufacturer to 
comply with the standard by using a safety belt interlock 
designed to prevent starting or operating a motor vehicle 
if an occupant is not using a safety belt.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for subchapter II of chapter 301 of title 49, United States 
Code is amended by amending the item related to section 
30124 to read as follows: 
‘‘30124. Nonuse of safety belt interlocks.’’. 
SEC. 107. RESEARCH, TESTING, DEVELOPMENT, AND TRAIN-
ING. 
Section 30168 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) SAFETY INITIATIVE FOR ALTERNATE FUEL VE-
HICLES.—In addition to the authority provided under this 
section, the Secretary is authorized to expend $5,000,000 
per year to conduct a safety research initiative for alter-
nate fuel vehicles that includes risk assessment studies of 
hydrogen-fueled and other alternative-fuel vehicles, the de-
velopment of test and evaluation procedures and perform-
ance criteria to assess the likelihood of potential failures 
that could indicate unsafe conditions, and the development 
of suitable countermeasures. In particular, such research 
initiative shall investigate the safety of the power train, 
the vehicle fuel container and delivery system, the onboard 
refueling system, and the full vehicle system performance 
of alternate fuel vehicles. 
‘‘(g) SAFETY INITIATIVE FOR DRIVER ASSISTANCE 
TECHNOLOGIES.—In addition to the authority provided 
under this section, the Secretary is authorized to expend
$10,000,000 per year to conduct research into vehicle- 
based driver assistance technologies, and to develop appro-
priate performance standards and consumer education 
programs, to ensure that appropriate safety benefits are 
derived from these technologies. Such research shall in-
clude evaluations of crash avoidance technologies, such as 
electronic stability control, telematics, radar braking and 
other similar vehicle advances.’’. 
TITLE II—MOTOR VEHICLE IN-
FORMATION AND COST SAV-
INGS 
SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 32102 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 32102. Authorization of appropriations 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Transportation $14,080,000 for the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration to carry out this 
part in fiscal year 2005, and such sums as may be nec-
essary in fiscal years 2006 and 2007.’’. 
SEC. 202. PENALTIES AND ENFORCEMENT. 
Section 32709(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) 
by 
striking 
‘‘$2,000’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘$5,000’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘$100,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$1,000,000’’. 
SEC. 203. CIVIL ACTIONS BY PRIVATE PERSON. 
Section 32710(a) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘$1,500’’ and inserting ‘‘$10,000’’. 
SEC. 204. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) CRASH AVOIDANCE.—Section 32301 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(3) ‘crash avoidance’ means preventing a 
motor vehicle accident.’’. 
(b) PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION.— 
Section 32302 of title 49, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and 
crash avoidance’’ after ‘‘crashworthiness’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraph (4); and 
(2) by striking subsection (c). 
SEC. 205. REPEALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Sections 32303 and 33112 of title 
49, United States Code, are repealed. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
(1) The table of sections for chapter 323 of title 
49, United States Code is amended by striking the 
item related to section 32303. 
(2) The table of sections for chapter 331 of title 
49, United States Code is amended by striking the 
item related to section 33112. 
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