Enhancing Child Passenger Safety in Underserved Communities Act
Bill: H.R.3547 | Sponsor: Rep. Titus, Dina (D-NV)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Enhancing Child Passenger Safety in Underserved Communities Act
This bill incorporates efforts to improve child safety into federally supported transportation programs.
Specifically, the bill includes promoting the proper use of child safety seats and increasing public awareness of pediatric vehicular heatstroke within the scope of state highway safety programs.
In addition, the bill expands the permitted uses of occupant protection grants. (These grants support activities to reduce highway deaths and injuries resulting from unrestrained or improperly restrained individuals riding in motor vehicles.) Currently, states may use the grants to purchase and distribute child safety seats to low-income families. Under this bill, states may also use their grants to hire and train certified child passenger safety technicians and educate parents and caregivers about the proper use of child safety seats. Further, the bill requires certain states to expend a portion of their occupant protection grant funds on projects or activities related to child safety seats.

To amend title 23, United States Code, to encourage widespread and 
       proper use of child safety seats, 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 ``Enhancing Child Passenger Safety in 
Underserved Communities Act''.

SEC. 2. HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS.

    Section 402(2)(A) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in clause (vii) by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ix) to encourage widespread and proper 
                        use of child safety seats (including booster 
                        seats), with an emphasis on encouraging the use 
                        of such child safety seats in underserved 
                        populations; and
                            ``(x) to increase public awareness of the 
                        dangers of pediatric vehicular hyperthermia;''.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL SAFETY PRIORITY PROGRAMS.

    Section 405(b)(4) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A) by striking clause (v) and 
        inserting the following:
                            ``(v) carry out programs in low-income and 
                        underserved populations to--
                                    ``(I) recruit and train nationally 
                                certified child passenger safety 
                                technicians among first responders, 
                                including law enforcement, fire, and 
                                emergency medical personnel, 
                                organizations for children, and other 
                                individuals serving low-income and 
                                underserved populations;
                                    ``(II) educate parents and 
                                caregivers about the proper use and 
                                installation of child safety seats; and
                                    ``(III) purchase and distribute 
                                child safety seats to families in low-
                                income and underserved populations; 
                                and''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) by striking ``100 percent'' and inserting ``90 
                percent''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``, except that 10 percent of such funds shall be used 
                to carry out a program described in subparagraph 
                (A)(v).''.
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