Title: Hot Cars Act of 2019
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Hot Cars Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a final rule requiring all new passenger motor vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less to be equipped with an alert system to detect the presence of an occupant (e.g., a child or domestic animal) in a rear designated seating position after the vehicle engine is turned off. DOT must also consider requiring systems that can detect the presence of any occupant unable to independently exit the vehicle and the presence of a child who has entered an unoccupied vehicle independently.
The alert must (1) include a distinct auditory and visual alert to notify individuals inside and outside of the vehicle of the presence of an occupant which must be combined with an interior haptic warning (i.e., vibrations), and (2) be activated when the vehicle engine is turned off and the presence of an occupant is detected.
DOT must enter into an agreement with an independent third party for a study on retrofitting existing passenger motor vehicles with technology to address the problem of occupants left unattended in motor vehicles.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3593 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3593

 To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring 
  all new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with a child safety 
                 alert system, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2019

   Mr. Ryan (for himself, Ms. Schakowsky, and Mr. King of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation 
 and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring 
  all new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with a child safety 
                 alert system, 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 ``Hot Cars Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Children and domestic animals left unattended in 
        vehicles, or independently accessing unoccupied vehicles on 
        their own, are a significant public health and safety problem.
            (2) Thirty-eight children on average are killed by 
        hyperthermia each year as a result of being left unattended in 
        a vehicle or as a result of gaining access independently into 
        an unoccupied vehicle.
            (3) In 2018, at least 52 children were killed by 
        hyperthermia as a result of being left unattended in a vehicle 
        or as a result of gaining access independently into an 
        unoccupied vehicle.
            (4) Between 1990 and 2018, at least 889 children have been 
        killed by hyperthermia as a result of being left unattended in 
        a vehicle or as a result of gaining access independently into 
        an unoccupied vehicle. Of those deaths, where the circumstances 
        were known, 27 percent were the result of the child accessing 
        the vehicle independently.
            (5) Fourteen percent of parents reported leaving a child 6 
        or younger in a parked, locked car alone. According to a 2014 
        Public Opinion Strategies survey, fourteen percent of parents 
        reported leaving a child six or younger in a parked, locked car 
        alone. The survey finds that, according to United States Census 
        data, that's nearly 2,000,000 United States parents 
        transporting more than 3,300,000 United States children.
            (6) In 2018, at least 57 domestic animals were killed as a 
        result of being left unattended in a vehicle.
            (7) Technology currently exists to detect the presence of a 
        child in the rear seat of a vehicle.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to reduce the deaths and 
injuries that result from occupants being left in unattended vehicles 
as well as instances in which children independently access an 
unoccupied vehicle.

SEC. 3. OCCUPANT SAFETY.

    (a) Amendment.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 323 of title 49, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding after section 32304A the following 
        new section:
``Sec. 32304B. Occupant safety
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Passenger motor vehicle.--The term `passenger motor 
        vehicle' has the meaning given that term in section 32101.
            ``(2) Rear designated seating position.--The term `rear 
        designated seating position' means all designated seating 
        positions that are rearward of the front seat.
            ``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
    ``(b) Rulemaking.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of the Hot Cars Act of 2019, the Secretary shall issue a 
final rule requiring all new passenger motor vehicles with a gross 
vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less to be equipped with a system to 
detect the presence of an occupant in a rear designated seating 
position after the vehicle engine or motor is deactivated and engage a 
warning. In developing the rule required under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall consider requiring systems that also detect the 
presence of any occupant unable to independently exit the vehicle as 
well as detect the presence of a child who has entered an unoccupied 
vehicle independently.
    ``(c) Means.--The alert required under subsection (b)--
            ``(1) shall include a distinct auditory and visual alert to 
        notify individuals inside and outside of the vehicle of the 
        presence of an occupant, which shall be combined with an 
        interior haptic warning; and
            ``(2) shall be activated when the vehicle motor is 
        deactivated by the operator and the presence of an occupant is 
        detected.
    ``(d) Phase-In.--The rule issued pursuant to subsection (b) shall 
require full compliance with the rule not later than 2 years after the 
date on which the final rule is issued.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for Chapter 323 of 
        title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
        relating to section 32304A and inserting the following:

``32304A. Consumer tire information and standards.
``32304B. Occupant safety.''.
    (b) Awareness of Occupants in Motor Vehicles.--Section 402 of title 
23, United States Code, is amended by inserting after subsection (k) 
the following:
    ``(l) Unattended Passengers.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State shall use a portion of the 
        amount it receives under this section to carry out a program to 
        educate the public on the risks of leaving an occupant in a 
        vehicle.
            ``(2) Program placement.--A State does not need to carry 
        out the program described in paragraph (1) through the State 
        transportation or highway safety office.''.
    (c) Study and Report.--
            (1) Independent study.--
                    (A) Agreement.--
                            (i) In general.--The Secretary of 
                        Transportation shall enter into an agreement or 
                        a contract with an independent third party that 
                        does not have any financial or contractual ties 
                        with passenger motor vehicle manufacturers or 
                        technology companies producing occupant 
                        reminder warning systems or child restraint 
                        systems to perform the services under this 
                        paragraph.
                            (ii) Timing.--The Secretary shall enter 
                        into the agreement or contract described in 
                        clause (i) not later than the date that the 
                        Secretary determines is the latest date by 
                        which completion of the services under this 
                        paragraph will allow the Secretary enough time 
                        to prepare and submit the study required under 
                        paragraph (2) in accordance with such 
                        paragraph.
                    (B) Independent study.--
                            (i) In general.--Under an agreement between 
                        the Secretary and an independent third party 
                        under this paragraph, the independent third 
                        party shall carry out a study on retrofitting 
                        existing passenger motor vehicles with 
                        technology to address the problem of occupants 
                        left unattended in motor vehicles.
                            (ii) Elements.--In carrying out the study 
                        required under clause (i), the independent 
                        third party shall--
                                    (I) survey and evaluate a variety 
                                of methods used by current and emerging 
                                aftermarket technology or products to 
                                solve the problem of occupants being 
                                left unattended in the vehicle or 
                                occupants gaining access to the vehicle 
                                independently;
                                    (II) make recommendations for 
                                manufacturers of such technology or 
                                products to undergo a functional safety 
                                performance to ensure that the products 
                                perform as designed by the manufacturer 
                                under a variety of real world 
                                conditions; and
                                    (III) provide recommendations for 
                                consumers on how to select such 
                                technology or products in order to 
                                retrofit existing vehicles.
            (2) Report.--During the 180-day period beginning on the 
        date on which the Secretary of Transportation issues the final 
        rule required under section 32304B(b) of title 49, United 
        States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall 
        submit the results of the study carried out under paragraph (1) 
        to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
        House of Representatives.
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