Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2008

Bill: 110-hr-6747
Sponsor: Rep. Lewis, John [D-GA-5]
Introduced: 2008-07-31 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Department of Transportation
Fires
Government lending and loan guarantees
Income tax credits
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Small business
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: 
Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2008- 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

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for the purchase of qualified new motorcoaches and for the cost of improvements to existing motorcoaches to satisfy new federal safety requirements. Limits the amount of such credit to $45,000. Terminates such credit after 2026.

Directs the Secretary to develop and administer supplemental grants, not to exceed $20,000, for the cost of retrofitting motorcoaches to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Limits eligibility for such grants to certain motorcoach operators who have a fleet of not more than 25 motorcoaches and have total annual revenues of less than $5 million.

Amends the Small Business Act to set forth loan and loan guarantee requirements for the motorcoach industry.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-08-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Small Business, 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.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Small Business, 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.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Small Business, 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.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Small Business, 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.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Small Business, 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.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Introduced in House