Rental Car Consumer Protection Act
Bill: H.R.9635 | Sponsor: Rep. Porter, Katie (D-CA)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Rental Car Consumer Protection Act
This bill establishes protections for consumers reserving rental cars.
Specifically, if a rental car company allows consumers to reserve a vehicle in advance, it must make the vehicle available to the consumer at the reserved location within one-half hour of the reserved time. Rental car companies also must adopt certain reservation procedures and notify consumers of their rights under the bill.
The bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these requirements.

To require rental companies to provide consumer protections in renting 
          motor vehicles to consumers, 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 ``Rental Car Consumer Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSUMER PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS IN RENTING MOTOR VEHICLES.

    (a) Reservations.--If a rental company allows a consumer to make a 
reservation for a covered rental vehicle, such rental company shall 
make available to such consumer the vehicle reserved--
            (1) within \1/2\ hour of the reserved time; and
            (2) at the reserved location.
    (b) Deceptive Advertising.--A rental company may not advertise or 
represent that a consumer may make a reservation for a covered rental 
vehicle unless such rental company maintains the procedures required by 
subsection (c).
    (c) Records.--
            (1) In general.--A rental company that allows consumers to 
        make reservations for covered rental vehicles shall maintain 
        procedures reasonably calculated to fulfill such reservations.
            (2) Procedures.--The procedures required by paragraph (1) 
        shall include maintaining a record of each such reservation and 
        of the scheduled return time of each such vehicle. Such records 
        shall be preserved for not fewer than 6 months.
    (d) Notice.--A rental company that rents covered rental vehicles to 
consumers shall conspicuously display on the business premises of such 
rental company a notice informing consumers of the rights of consumers 
under this section. The Commission shall include in the regulations 
promulgated under subsection (e) requirements for the form and content 
of such notice.
    (e) Rulemaking.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations 
under section 553 of title 5, United States Code, to implement this 
section.
    (f) Enforcement.--
            (1) Unfair or deceptive acts or practices.--A violation of 
        this section or a regulation promulgated under this section 
        shall be treated as a violation of a regulation under section 
        18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 
        57a(a)(1)(B)) regarding unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
            (2) Powers of the commission.--The Commission shall enforce 
        this section and the regulations promulgated under this section 
        in the same manner, by the same means, and with the same 
        jurisdiction, powers, and duties as through all applicable 
        terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 
        U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of 
        this section. Any person who violates this section or a 
        regulation promulgated under this section shall be subject to 
        the penalties entitled to the privileges and immunities 
        provided in the Federal Trade Commission Act.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Trade Commission.
            (2) Covered rental vehicle.--The term ``covered rental 
        vehicle'' has the meaning given such term in section 30102(a) 
        of title 49, United States Code.
            (3) Rental company.--The term ``rental company'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 30102(a) of title 49, United 
        States Code.
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