Vehicle Safety Research Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-1474
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2025-04-10
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Latest action: action_date: 2025-04-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-04-10
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Vehicle Safety Research Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill provides statutory authority for the Partnership for&nbsp;Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). PARTS is an accord among&nbsp;automakers&nbsp;and NHTSA, which enables participants to voluntarily share safety-related data, via an independent third party, for collaborative safety analysis.</p><p>The bill specifies that</p><ul><li>NHTSA&nbsp;must develop a governing charter for the program;&nbsp;</li><li>NHTSA must contract with an external organization (i.e., a qualified nonprofit organization or institution of higher education) to conduct research to gather, analyze, and share certain traffic safety data and information;&nbsp;and</li><li>any report, data, communications, work product, or other information voluntarily submitted to NHTSA or an external organization&nbsp;under the program&nbsp;shall not be disclosed to the public.</li></ul><p>Further, the bill specifies that NHTSA is not required to promulgate any regulations to carry out the PARTS program.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1474 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 10, 2025 Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Young ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To codify the PARTS program of the Department of Transportation, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Vehicle Safety Research Act of 2025 . 2. PARTS program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) External organization The term external organization means a nonprofit organization or institution of higher education with experience fulfilling contracts with Federal agencies— (A) to carry out independent research; or (B) to administer federally-funded research and development centers. (2) PARTS program The term PARTS program means the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program established by subsection (b). (3) PARTS program participant The term PARTS program participant means an entity that has— (A) voluntarily chosen to participate in the PARTS program; and (B) been accepted as a participant in the PARTS program under the charter developed pursuant to subsection (b). (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Transportation. (b) Establishment There is established in the Department of Transportation a program, to be known as the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program , which shall be a continuation of the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act). (c) Governance Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with PARTS program participants and any external organization that enters into a contract with the Secretary under subsection (d), shall develop a charter that shall govern the PARTS program. (d) PARTS program research The Secretary shall enter into a contract with an external organization to conduct research to gather, analyze, and share certain traffic safety data and information pursuant to the PARTS program. (e) Information used for research pursuant to the parts program Data submitted by PARTS program participants under the PARTS program shall be submitted in accordance with the charter developed under subsection (c), which shall, at minimum— (1) ensure that all data— (A) remains under the ownership and control of the applicable PARTS program participant; and (B) except as provided in paragraph (2), is not accessible by any other entity other than an external organization that enters into a contract with the Secretary under subsection (d); (2) prevent PARTS program participant data or data analysis from being shared with any other PARTS program participant without express permission granted through a process agreed to pursuant to— (A) the charter developed under subsection (c); or (B) a cooperative agreement entered into between a PARTS program participant and an external organization; (3) institute safeguards in data gathering and handling by an external organization pursuant to this subsection; (4) prevent reverse engineering aggregate data analysis results or other attempts to derive the identity of PARTS program participants from data analysis results; (5) outline the intended use of data analysis results, which shall only include— (A) the development, deployment, safety assessment, and regulation of safety technology; and (B) the development of safety countermeasures; and (6) clarify that the participation of a PARTS program participant in the PARTS program does not affect or satisfy any other existing Federal regulatory requirements, including reporting requirements mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (f) Confidentiality Pursuant to section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5, United States Code, any report, data, communications between, work product, or other information voluntarily submitted to the Secretary or an external organization that enters into a contract with the Secretary under subsection (d) for purposes relating to conducting research pursuant to the PARTS program shall not be disclosed to the public. (g) Applicability of Paperwork Reduction Act Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the Paperwork Reduction Act ), shall not apply to any report, data, communication, work product, or other information gathered under the PARTS program. (h) No regulations required Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall not be required to promulgate any regulations to carry out the PARTS program. (i) Savings provision This section shall not apply to any report, data, communication, work product, or other information— (1) required to be submitted to the Secretary under any other provision of law; or (2) otherwise available to the Secretary. (j) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the PARTS program— (1) for fiscal year 2026, $4,000,000; (2) for fiscal year 2027, $6,000,000; (3) for fiscal year 2028, $7,000,000; (4) for fiscal year 2029, $8,000,000; and (5) for fiscal year 2030, $9,000,000.