Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2326
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2007-11-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Bus drivers
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Curricula
Department of Transportation
Driver education
Driver licenses
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Employee training
Federal aid to transportation
Fire prevention
Glass and glass industry
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health
Hours of labor
Labor and Employment
Law
Medical records
Medical tests
Motor buses
Motor vehicle safety
Physical examinations
Seat belts
State laws
Traffic accidents and safety

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-08
text: 
Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to prescribe regulations requiring motorcoaches to be installed with: (1) safety seat belts at each seating position; (2) advanced glazing in each portal to prevent passenger ejection; (3) improved firefighting equipment; and (4) enhanced compartmentalization safety countermeasures and certain other motor vehicle safety features.

Requires the Secretary to complete, and report to Congress on, a study on improving bus crashworthiness, bus crash avoidance, and bus fire protection and passenger evacuation.

Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary to prescribe regulations: (1) requiring providers of motorcoach services registered with the the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to undergo periodic safety reviews; (2) establishing a training curriculum and providing certification for each driver of a motorcoach seeking a commercial driver's license (CDL) passenger endorsement; (3) improving CDL testing; (4) requiring a driver of a commercial motor vehicle that transports for compensation not fewer than 9 and not more than 15 passengers to have a CDL; (5) requiring a federal medical qualification certificate to be made a part of CDLs; (6) requiring the annual review of state licensing authorities to assess the accuracy of physical examination reports and medical certificates of CDL applicants that are submitted by medical examiners to such authorities; and (7) requiring that all commercial motor vehicles be equipped with electronic on-board recorders that record driver hours of service. Sets forth a deadline for the Secretary to establish the national registry of medical examiners.

Requires a state to carry out an annual commercial motor vehicle inspection program in order to receive a grant for the development or implementation of programs for improving motor carrier safety.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-18
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-1219.
action_date: 2007-11-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14394-14395)
action_date: 2007-11-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2007-11-08
text: Introduced in Senate