Protecting Roadside First Responders Act
Bill: S.1386 | Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. (D-IL)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Protecting Roadside First Responders Act
This bill addresses transportation matters relating to Move Over laws and crash avoidance technology. Move Over laws are intended to ensure first responder and motorist safety by requiring motorists to change lanes or slow down when approaching an authorized emergency vehicle that is parked or otherwise stopped on a roadway.
Specifically, the bill requires

To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for efforts relating 
 to Move Over laws, to amend title 49, United States Code, to require 
 crash avoidance technology on 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 the ``Protecting Roadside First Responders 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MOVE OVER LAWS.

    (a) Highway Safety Programs.--Section 402 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(o) Move Over Laws.--
            ``(1) Definition of move over law.--In this subsection, the 
        term `Move Over law' means a State law intended to ensure first 
        responder and motorist safety by requiring motorists to change 
        lanes or slow down when approaching an authorized emergency 
        vehicle that is parked or otherwise stopped on a roadway.
            ``(2) Compliance with move over laws.--For each of fiscal 
        years 2022 through 2026, subject to the requirements of the 
        highway safety plan of a State under subsection (k), as 
        approved by the Secretary, a State may use a portion of the 
        amounts received under this section to implement statewide 
        efforts to improve compliance with Move Over laws in the State.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--Statewide efforts under paragraph (2) 
        may include--
                    ``(A) purchasing and deploying digital alert 
                technology that is capable of sending alerts to 
                civilian drivers to protect first responders on the 
                scene and en route; and
                    ``(B) educating the public about Move Over laws in 
                the State through public information campaigns.''.
    (b) Study on Move Over Law Public Awareness Campaigns.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation shall seek 
        to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of 
        Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National 
        Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall carry 
        out a study on the efficacy of Move Over laws (as defined in 
        section 402(o) of title 23, United States Code) and related 
        public awareness campaigns.
            (2) Report.--On the completion of the report under 
        paragraph (1), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
        and Medicine shall submit to the Secretary of Transportation 
        and to Congress and make publicly available a report on--
                    (A) the findings of the study; and
                    (B) any recommendations to improve public awareness 
                campaigns related to the laws described in that 
                paragraph.
    (c) National Priority Safety Programs.--
            (1) In general.--Section 405 of title 23, United States 
        Code, is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (6), by striking ``5'' and 
                        inserting ``4'';
                            (ii) by redesignating paragraphs (8) 
                        through (10) as paragraphs (9) through (11), 
                        respectively; and
                            (iii) by inserting after paragraph (7) the 
                        following:
            ``(8) Preventing roadside deaths.--In each fiscal year, 1 
        percent of the funds provided under this section shall be 
        allocated among States that meet requirements with respect to 
        preventing roadside deaths (as described in subsection (i)).''; 
        and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Preventing Roadside Deaths.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
        States to prevent death and injury from crashes involving 
        vehicles striking vehicles and individuals stopped at the 
        roadside.
            ``(2) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
        carrying out an activity funded through a grant under this 
        subsection may not exceed 80 percent.
            ``(3) Eligibility.--A State shall receive a grant under 
        this subsection in a fiscal year if the State submits to the 
        Secretary a plan that describes how the State will use funds 
        provided under the grant, in accordance with paragraph (4).
            ``(4) Use of funds.--Amounts received by a State under this 
        subsection shall be used by the State--
                    ``(A) to purchase and deploy digital alert 
                technology (as described in section 4(b) of the 
                Protecting Roadside First Responders Act);
                    ``(B) to educate the public about the safety of 
                vehicles and individuals stopped at the roadside in the 
                State through public information campaigns for the 
                purpose of reducing roadside deaths and injury;
                    ``(C) for law enforcement costs related to 
                enforcing State laws to protect the safety of vehicles 
                and individuals stopped at the roadside; and
                    ``(D) for programs to identify, collect, and report 
                data to State and local government agencies relating to 
                crashes involving vehicles and individuals stopped at 
                the roadside.
            ``(5) Grant amount.--The allocation of grant funds to a 
        State under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be in 
        proportion to the apportionment of that State under section 402 
        for fiscal year 2009.''.
            (2) Sense of congress relating to funding.--It is the sense 
        of Congress that the national priority program for preventing 
        roadside deaths under subsections (a)(8) and (i) of section 405 
        of title 23, United States Code, should receive new and 
        additional funding in comparison to the funding level for all 
        national priority programs under section 405 of title 23, 
        United States Code, for the first fiscal year beginning after 
        the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. CRASH AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 301 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 30129. Crash avoidance technology
    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue a final rule to 
establish minimum performance standards with respect to crash avoidance 
technology and to require that passenger motor vehicles (as defined in 
section 32101) and commercial motor vehicles (as defined in section 
31101) manufactured for sale in the United States on or after the 
compliance date under subsection (b) are equipped with--
            ``(1) a forward collision warning and automatic emergency 
        braking system that--
                    ``(A) alerts the driver if the distance to a 
                vehicle ahead or an object or person, including a 
                pedestrian, a bicyclist, and any other road user, in 
                the path of travel ahead is closing too quickly and a 
                collision is imminent; and
                    ``(B) automatically applies the brakes if the 
                driver fails to do so;
            ``(2) a lane departure warning and lane keeping assist 
        system that--
                    ``(A) warns the driver to maintain the lane of 
                travel; and
                    ``(B) corrects the course of travel if the driver 
                fails to do so; and
            ``(3) a blind zone detection system that--
                    ``(A) warns the driver if another vehicle, an 
                object, or a person, including a pedestrian, a 
                bicyclist, and any other road user, is in the blind 
                zone of the vehicle; and
                    ``(B) provides an additional alert if the driver 
                attempts to change the course of travel while another 
                vehicle, an object, or a person, including a 
                pedestrian, a bicyclist, and any other road user, is in 
                the blind zone of the vehicle.
    ``(b) Compliance Date.--Compliance with the final rule under 
subsection (a) shall be required beginning for the model year that 
begins not later than 2 years after the date on which the final rule is 
published in the Federal Register.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for subchapter II of chapter 
301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 30128 the following:

``30129. Crash avoidance technology.''.

SEC. 4. REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL VEHICLE FLEETS.

    (a) Crash Avoidance Technology.--Not later than 5 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, in accordance with section 30129 of 
title 49, United States Code, the head of each Federal agency shall 
ensure that each new passenger motor vehicle (as defined in section 
32101 of that title) and commercial motor vehicle (as defined in 
section 31101 of that title) purchased or leased as part of a Federal 
fleet of the agency is equipped with--
            (1) a forward collision warning and automatic emergency 
        braking system that--
                    (A) alerts the driver if the distance to a vehicle 
                ahead or an object or person, including a pedestrian, a 
                bicyclist, or any other road user, in the path of 
                travel ahead is closing too quickly and a collision is 
                imminent; and
                    (B) automatically applies the brakes if the driver 
                fails to do so;
            (2) a lane departure warning and lane keeping assist system 
        that--
                    (A) warns the driver to maintain the lane of 
                travel; and
                    (B) corrects the course of travel if the driver 
                fails to do so; and
            (3) a blind zone detection system that--
                    (A) warns the driver if another vehicle, an object, 
                or a person, including a pedestrian, a bicyclist, and 
                any other road user, is in the blind zone of the 
                vehicle; and
                    (B) provides an additional alert if the driver 
                attempts to change the course of travel while another 
                vehicle, an object, or a person, including a 
                pedestrian, a bicyclist, and any other road user, is in 
                the blind zone of the vehicle.
    (b) Digital Alert Technology.--Not later than 5 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the head of each Federal agency shall 
ensure that each vehicle in a Federal fleet of the agency--
            (1) if the vehicle is used for emergency response 
        activities, is equipped with digital alert technology that is 
        capable of sending alerts to civilian drivers to protect first 
        responders on the scene and en route; and
            (2) is equipped with digital alert technology (which may be 
        provided by an aftermarket device) that is capable of receiving 
        alerts regarding nearby first responders.
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