Motorcoach Safety, Accountability, and Technology Act of 2013

Bill: 113-hr-2505
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Negrete McLeod, Gloria [D-CA-35]
Introduced: 2013-06-26
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of Transportation

Government studies and investigations

Hazardous wastes and toxic substances

Intergovernmental relations

Motor carriers

Motor vehicles

State and local government operations

Transportation safety and security
Latest action: action_date: 2013-06-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-06-26
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Motorcoach Safety, Accountability, and Technology Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations to ensure that an individual conducts a brake performance inspection before each motorcoach trip to ensure that the brake performance satisfies all federal law requirements.</p> <p>Directs the Secretary to issue regulations to: (1) establish minimum performance standards for onboard electronic air brake monitoring systems for motorcoaches, (2) require motorcoaches to be equipped with automatic emergency braking and collision warning systems, (3) require motorcoaches with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds to be equipped with a lane departure warning system, and (4) require motorcoaches to be equipped with a device to limit maximum speed to 70 miles per hour. Requires the Secretary to make such technologies tamper resistant.</p> <p>Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of requiring motorcoaches be retrofitted with such technologies.</p> <p>Directs the Secretary to issue regulations to establish standards for motorcoaches to use regrooved, recapped, or retreaded tires.</p> <p>Revises Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program requirements. </p> <p>Requires the Secretary to approve plans under which states agree to assume responsibility for improving motor carrier safety and adopt and to enforce commercial motor vehicle safety, hazardous materials transportation safety, or compatible regulations, standards, and orders if the plan ensures that (except in the case of an imminent or obvious safety hazard) an inspection of a passenger motorcoach is conducted at a station, terminal, border crossing maintenance facility, and destination (as under current law), but also a weigh station, rest stop, turnpike service area, or other location where adequate food, shelter, and sanitation facilities are available for passengers as well as passengers with disabilities. </p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2505 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 26, 2013 Mrs. Negrete McLeod (for herself and Mrs. Napolitano ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure , and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , 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 direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue certain regulations with respect to motorcoach safety, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Motorcoach Safety, Accountability, and Technology Act of 2013 . 2. Brake performance inspections Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations to ensure that an individual conducts, before each trip of a motorcoach carried out by a provider of motorcoach services, a brake performance inspection for that motorcoach to ensure that the brake performance satisfies all requirements under Federal law. 3. Brake monitoring systems Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations that— (1) establish minimum performance standards for any electronic system onboard a motorcoach that is used to monitor the performance of an air brake system of that motorcoach; and (2) require that each motorcoach with an air brake system, if manufactured after the date that is 2 years after the effective date of the standards established under paragraph (1), be equipped with such an electronic system. 4. Automatic emergency braking and collision warning systems Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations requiring that each motorcoach manufactured after the effective date of such regulations be equipped with— (1) an automatic emergency braking system; and (2) a collision warning system. 5. Lane departure warning systems Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations requiring that each motorcoach manufactured after the effective date of such regulations, and with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds, be equipped with a lane departure warning system. 6. Speed limiting devices Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations requiring that each motorcoach manufactured after the effective date of such regulations be equipped with a device that limits the speed at which the motorcoach may travel to not more than 70 miles per hour. 7. Additional regulation requirements In issuing regulations under sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall— (1) require that the technologies mandated for motorcoaches under those sections be tamper resistant; and (2) establish a process for certifying compliance with the regulations. 8. Retrofitting (a) Study The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a study on the feasibility of requiring that motorcoaches, if not manufactured with the technologies referenced in sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this Act, be retrofitted with such technologies. (b) Report Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of the study conducted under subsection (a). 9. Regrooved, recapped, and retreaded tires Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations that establish standards for the use of regrooved, recapped, or retreaded tires on a motorcoach. 10. Motor carrier safety assistance program Section 31102(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking subparagraph (X) and inserting the following: (X) except in the case of an imminent or obvious safety hazard, ensures that an inspection of a vehicle transporting passengers for a motor carrier of passengers is conducted at a station, terminal, border crossing, maintenance facility, destination, weigh station, rest stop, turnpike service area, or a location where adequate food, shelter, and sanitation facilities are available for passengers and reasonable accommodation is available for passengers with disabilities; and . 11. Definitions In this Act, the following definitions apply: (1) Motorcoach The term motorcoach has the meaning given that term in section 32702(6) of MAP–21, except that the reference in such section to section 3038(a)(3) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century ( 49 U.S.C. 5310 note) shall be treated as referring to such section 3038(a)(3) as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of MAP–21. (2) Provider of motorcoach services The term provider of motorcoach services has the meaning given that term in section 32702(10) of MAP–21, except that the term motorcoach , as used in such section, shall be treated as having the meaning given such term under paragraph (1) of this section.