I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4622 
To reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries caused by underride 
crashes, to improve motor carrier and passenger motor vehicle safety, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2017 
Mr. COHEN (for himself and Mr. DESAULNIER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries 
caused by underride crashes, to improve motor carrier 
and passenger motor vehicle safety, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Stop Underrides Act 
of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Underride crashes involving passenger 
motor vehicles striking and traveling underneath a 
truck or trailer are a significant public health and 
safety threat. 
(2) The National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration has reported that hundreds of prevent-
able fatalities and life-threatening injuries have oc-
curred as a result of underride crashes. 
(3) The National Transportation Safety Board 
has recommended the installation of rear, side, and 
front underride guards on tractor-trailers to improve 
passenger motor vehicle safety. 
(4) This bill is introduced in the memory of the 
thousands of victims of underride crashes, includ-
ing— 
(A) Roya Christine Sadigh, AnnaLeah 
Karth, Mary Lydia Karth, Roderick Cota, 
Moonjohn Kim, Corey Moore, Gregg Williams, 
Guy Champ Crawford, Carl Hall, Michael 
Higginbotham, 
Sandra 
Maddamma, 
David 
Mathis, Mary Katherine Mathis, James Moon-
ey, 
Christopher 
Weigl, 
Bill 
Zink, 
David 
Magnan, Jasen Swift, Samuel Sierra, Brittany 
McHargue, Christopher Samuel Padilla, and 
Edward Hall; 
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(B) those whose catastrophic injuries dra-
matically changed their lives, including Julie 
Magnan, Nancy Meuleners, Joshua Rojas, Maiv 
Yang, and Anita Plantage Bomgaars; and 
(C) those whose precious lives were cut far 
too short as a result of preventable underride 
crashes. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is— 
(1) to reduce the number of preventable deaths 
and injuries caused by underride crashes; and 
(2) to improve motor carrier and passenger 
motor vehicle safety. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 30102(a) of title 49 is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), (7), 
(8), (9), (10), (11), (12), and (13) as paragraphs 
(6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (14), (19), and (21), 
respectively; 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (4) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(5) ‘front underride guard’ means a device in-
stalled on or near the front of a motor vehicle that 
limits the distance that a vehicle struck in the rear 
by the vehicle with the device will slide under the 
front of the striking vehicle.’’; 
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(3) by inserting after paragraph (11), as redes-
ignated, the following: 
‘‘(12) ‘passenger motor vehicle’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 32101. 
‘‘(13) ‘rear underride guard’ means a device in-
stalled on or near the rear of a motor vehicle that 
limits the distance that the front end of a vehicle 
striking the rear of the vehicle with the device will 
slide under the rear of the impacted vehicle.’’; 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (14), as redes-
ignated, the following: 
‘‘(15) ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Trans-
portation. 
‘‘(16) ‘semi-trailer’ means a trailer, other than 
a pole trailer, which is designed to rest upon, or be 
carried by, a motor vehicle. 
‘‘(17) ‘side underride guard’ means a device in-
stalled on or near the side of a motor vehicle that 
limits the distance that the front end of a vehicle 
striking the side of the vehicle with the device will 
slide under the side of the impacted vehicle. 
‘‘(18) ‘single unit truck’ means a truck with a 
gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 
pounds (excluding any attached trailer).’’; and 
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(5) by inserting after paragraph (19), as redes-
ignated, the following: 
‘‘(20) ‘trailer’ means a vehicle, with or without 
motive power, which is designed— 
‘‘(A) to carry persons or property; and 
‘‘(B) to be drawn by a motor vehicle.’’. 
SEC. 4. UNDERRIDE GUARD RULEMAKING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 301 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 30129. Underride guards 
‘‘(a) REAR UNDERRIDE GUARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall issue a final rule to require the installa-
tion of rear underride guards that meet the perform-
ance standards described in paragraph (2) on all 
trailers, semi-trailers, and single unit trucks with a 
gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 
pounds that are manufactured on or after the effec-
tive date of the rule. 
‘‘(2) 
PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS.—A 
rear 
underride guard shall be considered to meet the per-
formance standard referred to in paragraph (1) if a 
passenger motor vehicle traveling at 35 miles per 
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hour is prevented, as verified through crash testing 
while attached to a trailer, from moving underneath 
the rear of a trailer, semi-trailer, or single unit truck 
on which the rear underride guard has been installed 
after— 
‘‘(A) an impact in which the passenger ve-
hicle impacts the center of the rear of the trail-
er, semi-trailer, or single unit truck; 
‘‘(B) an impact in which 50 percent the 
width of the passenger vehicle overlaps the rear 
of the trailer, semi-trailer, or single unit truck; 
and 
‘‘(C) an impact in which 30 percent of the 
width of the passenger vehicle overlaps the rear 
of the trailer, semi-trailer, or single unit truck. 
‘‘(3) RETROFIT
REQUIREMENTS.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Secretary shall issue a final rule requir-
ing the installation of rear underride guards de-
scribed in paragraph (1) on all trailers, semi-trailers, 
and single unit trucks with a gross vehicle weight 
rating of more than 10,000 pounds that are manu-
factured before the effective date of the rule required 
by paragraph (1). 
‘‘(4) COMPLIANCE DATES.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), compliance with each of the 
rules issued by the Secretary under paragraphs 
(1) and (3) shall be required beginning 1 year 
after the date on which the final rule is pub-
lished in the Federal Register. 
‘‘(B) PHASE-IN.—The Secretary may per-
mit a phase-in period (not to exceed 2 years) 
for the installation of rear underride guards on 
trailers, semi-trailers, and single unit trucks de-
scribed in paragraph (3). 
‘‘(b) SIDE UNDERRIDE GUARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall issue a final rule requiring the installa-
tion of side underride guards that meet the perform-
ance standards described in paragraph (3) on all 
trailers, semi-trailers, and single unit trucks with a 
gross vehicle rating of more than 10,000 pounds 
manufactured on or after the effective date of the 
rule. 
‘‘(2) RETROFIT
REQUIREMENTS.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Secretary shall issue a final rule requir-
ing all trailers, semi-trailers, and single unit trucks 
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