PARTS Act of 2021
Bill: S.1416 | Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. (D-MA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Promoting Auto Recalls Toward Safety Act of 2021 or the PARTS Act of 2021
This bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a program to provide grants and other assistance, including technical assistance, to states for use in notifying motor vehicle owners and lessees about open recalls on their motor vehicles.
Additionally, the bill (1) sets forth additional notice requirements for manufacturers regarding motor vehicle or equipment defects and noncompliance with safety standards, and (2) requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to publish an annual scorecard on how effectively manufacturers are completing recalls.

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Transportation to establish a motor vehicle recall assistance program, 
                        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 ``Promoting Auto Recalls Toward Safety 
Act of 2021'' or the ``PARTS Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. MOTOR VEHICLE RECALL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (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. Motor vehicle recall assistance program
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Open recall.--The term `open recall' means a motor 
        vehicle recall--
                    ``(A) for which a notification by a manufacturer 
                has been provided under section 30119; and
                    ``(B) that has not been remedied under section 
                30120.
            ``(2) Registration.--The term `registration' means the 
        process for registering a motor vehicle in a State (including 
        registration renewal).
            ``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
    ``(b) Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a 
        program under which the Secretary shall provide grants and 
        other assistance, including technical assistance, to States in 
        informing owners and lessees of a motor vehicle about open 
        recalls on the motor vehicle at the time of registration of the 
        motor vehicle in the State.
            ``(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive assistance 
        under this subsection, a State shall--
                    ``(A) submit to the Secretary an application at 
                such time, in such manner, and containing such 
                information as the Secretary may require; and
                    ``(B) agree--
                            ``(i) to notify each owner or lessee of a 
                        motor vehicle presented for registration in the 
                        State of any open recall on that motor vehicle; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) to provide to each owner or lessee 
                        of the motor vehicle presented for 
                        registration--
                                    ``(I) the open recall information 
                                for the motor vehicle at no cost; and
                                    ``(II) such other information as 
                                the Secretary may require.
            ``(3) Factors for consideration.--In selecting recipients 
        for assistance under this subsection, the Secretary shall take 
        into consideration the methodology of a State for--
                    ``(A) identifying open recalls on a motor vehicle;
                    ``(B) informing the owner or lessee of a motor 
                vehicle of an open recall; and
                    ``(C) measuring performance in--
                            ``(i) informing owners and lessees about 
                        open recalls; and
                            ``(ii) remedying open recalls.
            ``(4) Grants.--
                    ``(A) Limitation.--A State may receive not more 
                than 1 grant under this subsection.
                    ``(B) Performance period.--A grant provided under 
                this subsection shall require a performance period of 2 
                years.
            ``(5) Report to the secretary.--Not later than 90 days 
        after the date of completion of the performance period under 
        paragraph (4)(B), each State that receives a grant under this 
        subsection shall submit to the Secretary a performance report 
        that contains such information as the Secretary considers to be 
        necessary--
                    ``(A) to evaluate the extent to which open recalls 
                have been remedied in the State; and
                    ``(B) to enable a comparison of--
                            ``(i) recall completion under this 
                        subsection; and
                            ``(ii) existing recall completion data.
            ``(6) Evaluation and report to congress.--Not later than 
        180 days after the date on which the Secretary receives from a 
        State a performance report under paragraph (5), the Secretary 
        shall--
                    ``(A) evaluate the extent to which open recalls 
                have been remedied in the State; and
                    ``(B) submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
                and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
                Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
                Representatives and make publicly available a report 
                describing the results of the evaluation under 
                subparagraph (A).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for subchapter II of chapter 
301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
relating to section 30128 and inserting the following:

``30128. Vehicle rollover prevention and crash mitigation.
``30129. Motor vehicle recall assistance program.''.

SEC. 3. RECALL COMPLETION REPORTS AND SCORECARD.

    (a) Reports on Notification Campaigns.--Section 30118 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Reports on Notification Campaigns.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each manufacturer that is conducting a 
        campaign under subsection (b) or (c), or any other law 
        (including regulations), to notify manufacturers, distributors, 
        owners, purchasers, or dealers of a defect or noncompliance 
        shall submit to the Administrator of the National Highway 
        Traffic Safety Administration--
                    ``(A) by the applicable date described in section 
                573.7(d) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or a 
                successor regulation), a quarterly report on the 
                campaign for each of 8 consecutive quarters, beginning 
                with the quarter in which the campaign was initiated; 
                and
                    ``(B) an annual report for each of the 3 years 
                following completion of the last quarter for which a 
                quarterly report is submitted under subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) Requirements.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
        subsection, each report under this subsection shall comply with 
        the requirements of section 573.7 of title 49, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (or a successor regulation).''.
    (b) Scorecard and Notification to Owners and Lessees of Unremedied 
Vehicles.--Section 30120 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Recall Remedy Scorecard.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator of the National 
        Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall publish an annual 
        scorecard of recall completion rates for each manufacturer 
        submitting a report under section 30118(f) during the year 
        covered by the scorecard.
            ``(2) Requirement.--The annual scorecard under paragraph 
        (1) shall include--
                    ``(A) for each manufacturer submitting a report 
                under section 30118(f) during the year covered by the 
                scorecard--
                            ``(i) the total number of--
                                    ``(I) recalls issued by the 
                                manufacturer during the year covered by 
                                the scorecard; and
                                    ``(II) vehicles of the manufacturer 
                                subject to a recall during the year 
                                covered by the scorecard; and
                            ``(ii) the percentage of vehicles of the 
                        manufacturer that--
                                    ``(I) were subject to a recall at 
                                any time during the year covered by the 
                                scorecard; and
                                    ``(II) have been remedied under 
                                this section; and
                    ``(B) for each campaign that is the subject of a 
                report submitted under section 30118(f) during the year 
                covered by the scorecard--
                            ``(i) the total number of recalls issued by 
                        the manufacturer pursuant to the campaign--
                                    ``(I) during the year covered by 
                                the scorecard; and
                                    ``(II) since the date on which the 
                                campaign was initiated;
                            ``(ii) the total number of vehicles of the 
                        manufacturer subject to the campaign--
                                    ``(I) during the year covered by 
                                the scorecard; and
                                    ``(II) since the date on which the 
                                campaign was initiated; and
                            ``(iii) the percentage of vehicles subject 
                        to the campaign that have been remedied under 
                        this section--
                                    ``(I) during the year covered by 
                                the scorecard; and
                                    ``(II) since the date on which the 
                                campaign was initiated.''.
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