Motor Vehicle Safety and Cost Savings Authorization Act of 1982
PL 97-331 (H.R.6273), enacted 10/15/1982

PUBLIC LAW 97-331—OCT. 15, 1982 
96 STAT. 1619 
Public Law 97-381 
97th Congress 
An Act 
To £imend the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and the Motor 
Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
years 1983,1984, and 1985, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SHORT TITLE 
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Motor Vehicle Safety 
and Cost Savings Authorization Act of 1982*'. 
Oct. 15, 1982 
[H.R. 6273] 
Motor Vehicle 
Safety and Cost 
Savings 
Authorization 
Act of 1982. 
15 u s e 1381 
note. 
AUTHORIZATION OP APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 2. (a) Section 121 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle 
Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1409) is amended by striking out "not" 
and all that follows through the period, and inserting in lieu thereof 
"$51,400,000 for fiscal year 1983, $55,000,000 for fiscal year 1984, and 
$58,700,000 for fiscal year 1985.". 
(b) Section 111 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1921) is amended by striking out "title" and all that 
follows through the period, and inserting in lieu thereof "title 
$320,000 for fiscal year 1983, $343,000 for fiscal year 1984, and 
$365,000 for fiscal year 1985.". 
(c) Section 209 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1949) is amended by striking out "title" and all that 
follows through the period, and inserting in lieu thereof "title 
$1,677,000 for fiscal year 1983, $1,800,000 for fiscal year 1984, and 
$1,950,000 for fiscal year 1985.". 
(d) Section 417 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1990g) is amended by striking out "title" and all that 
follows through the period, and inserting in lieu thereof "title 
$183,000 for fiscal year 1983, $196,000 for fiscal year 1984, and 
$210,000 for fiscal year 1985.". 
STATE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY 
SEC. 3. Section 103(d) of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle 
Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1392(d)) is amended by inserting after 
the first sentence thereof the following new sentence: "Nothing in 
this section shsill be construed as preventing any State from enforc-
ing any safety standard which is identical to a Federal safety 
standard.". 
TIRE REGISTRATION INFORMATION; NOTICE OF TIRE DEFECTS 
SEC. 4. (a) Section 158(b) of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle 
Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1418(b)) is amended— 
(1) by inserting "(1)" after the subsection designation; and 
97-200 0-84-pt. 2 
9 : QL3 
96 STAT. 1620 
PUBLIC LAW 97-331—OCT. 15, 1982 
(2) by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraphs: 
"(2)(A) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall 
not have any authority to establish any rule which requires a dealer 
or distributor to complete or compile the records and information 
specified in paragraph (1) if the business of such dealer or distribu-
tor is not owned or controlled by a manufacturer of tires. 
"(B) The Secretary shall require each dealer and distributor whose 
business is not owned or controlled by a manufacturer of tires to 
furnish the first purchaser of a tire with a registration form (con-
taining the tire identification number of the tire) which the purchas-
er may complete and return directly to the manufacturer of the tire. 
The contents and format of such forms shall be established by the 
Secretary and shall be standardized for all tires. Sufficient copies of 
such forms shall be furnished to such dealers and distributors by 
manufacturers of tires. 
"(3)(A) At the end of the two-year period following the effective 
date of this paragraph (and from time to time thereafter), the 
Secretary shall evaluate the extent to which the procedures estab-
lished in paragraph (2) have been successful in facilitating the 
establishment and maintenance of records regarding the first pur-
chasers of tires. 
"(B)(i) The Secretary, upon completion of any evaluation under 
subparagraph (A), shall determine (I) the extent to which dealers 
and distributors have encouraged first purchasers of tires to register 
the tires, and the extent to which dealers and distributors have 
complied with the procedures established in paragraph (2); and (II) 
whether to impose upon manufacturers, dealers, or distributors (or 
any combination of such groups) any requirements which the Secre-
tary determines will result in a significant increase in the percent-
age of first purchasers of tires with respect to whom records would 
be established and maintained. 
"(ii) Manufacturers of tires shall reimburse dealers and distribu-
tors for all reasonable costs incurred by them in order to comply 
with any requirement imposed by the Secretary under clause (i). 
"(iii) The Secretary may order by rule the imposition of require-
ments under clause (i) only if the Secretary determines that such 
requirements are necessary to reduce the risk to motor vehicle 
safety, after considering (I) the cost of such requirements to manu-
facturers and the burden of such requirements upon dealers and 
distributors, as compared to the additional percentage of first pur-
chasers of tires with respect to whom records would be established 
and maintained as a result of the imposition of such requirements; 
and (II) the extent to which dealers and distributors have encour-
aged first purchasers of tires to register the tires, and the extent to 
which dealers and distributors have complied with the procedures 
established in paragraph (2). 
Report to 
"(iv) The Secretary, upon making any determination under clause 
Congress. 
(j)^ shall Submit a report to each House of the Congress containing a 
detailed statement of the nature of such determination, together 
with an explanation of the grounds for such determination.". 
(b) Section 153(c) of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety 
Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1413(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2) thereof, by striking out "or tire,", and by 
striking out "or tire"; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (4) and paragraph (5) thereof 
as paragraph (5) and paragraph (6), respectively, and by insert-
ing after paragraph (3) thereof the following new paragraph: 
PUBLIC LAW 97-331—OCT. 15, 1982 
96 STAT. 1621 
"(4) in the case of a tire (A) by first-class mail to the most 
recent purchaser known to the manufacturer; and (B) by public 
notice in such manner as the Secretary may order after consul-
tation with the manufacturer, if the Secretary determines that 
such public notice is necessary in the interest of motor vehicle 
safety, after considering (i) the magnitude of the risk to motor 
vehicle safety caused by the defect or failure to comply; and (ii) 
the cost of such public notice as compared to the additional 
number of owners who could be notified as a result of such 
public notice;"; and 
(3) in the last sentence thereof— 
(A) by striking out "(or of a motor vehicle on which such 
tire was installed as original equipment)"; 
(B) by inserting "by first-class mail" after "notification" 
the first place it appears therein; and 
(C) by striking out "(1) or (2)" and inserting in lieu thereof 
"(4XA)". 
Approved October 15, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 6273: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 97-576 (Ck)mm. on Energy and Commerce). 
SENATE REPORT No. 97-505 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transportation). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
June 14, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 1, considered and passed Senate.