An Act to amend the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1973
PL 92-548 (H.R.15375), enacted 10/25/1972

86 
STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-548-OCT. 25, 1972 
1159 
Public Law 92-548 
AN ACT 
To amend the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 1973. 
October 25, 1972 
[H. R. 15375] 
Be it enoAited hy the Senate and House of RepreBentat'ives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may 
l)e cited as the "National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act 
Amendments of 1972". 
SEC. 2. Section 121 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety 
Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1409) is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 121. For the purpose of carrying out this Act there is author-
ized to be appropriated $52,714,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 
1973.". 
SEC. 3. Section 123 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety 
Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1410) is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 123. (a) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, 
upon application by a manufacturer at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as required in this section and as the 
Secretary shall prescribe, the Secretary may, after publication of 
notice and opportunity to comment and under such terms and condi-
tions and to such extent as he deems appropriate, temporarily exempt 
or renew the exemption of a motor vehicle from any motor vehicle 
safety standard established under this title if he finds— 
"(1) (A) that compliance would cause such manufacturer sub-
stantial economic hardship and that the manufactui'er has, in 
^ood faith, attempted to comply with each standard from which 
it requests to be exempted, 
"(B) that such temporary exemption would facilitate the 
development or field evaluation of new motor vehicle safety 
features which provide a level of safety which is equivalent to 
or exceeds the level of safety established in each standard from 
which an exemption is sought, 
"(C) that such temporary exemption would facilitate the devel-
opment or field evaluation of a low-emission motor vehicle and 
would not unreasonably degrade the safety of such vehicle, or 
"(D) that requiring compliance would prevent a manufac-
turer from selling a motor vehicle whose overall level of safety 
is equivalent to or exceeds the overall level of safety of non-
exempted motor vehicles; and 
"(2) that such temporary exemption would be consistent with 
the public interest and the objectives of the Act. 
Notice of each decision to grant a temporary exemption and the rea-
sons for granting it shall be published in the Federal Register. 
"(b) The Secretary shall require permanent labeling of each 
exempted motor vehicle. Such label shall either name or describe each 
of the standards from which the motor vehicle is exempted and be 
affixed to such exempted vehicles. The Secretary may require that 
written notification of the exemption be delivered to the dealer and 
first purchaser for purposes other than the resale of such exempted 
motor vehicle in such manner as he deems appropriate. 
"(c)(1) No exemption or renewal granted under paragraph (1) 
(A) of subsection (a) of this section shall be granted for a period 
longer than three years and no renewal shall be granted without reap-
plication and approval conforming to the requirements of subsection 
(a). 
National Traf-
fic and Motor 
Vehicle Safety 
Act Amendments 
of 1972. 
80 Stat. 728; 
84 Stat. 262. 
Appropriation. 
Safety stand-
ards, exemption. 
82 Stat. 72. 
Publication in 
Federal Register. 
Labeling. 
Limitation. 
83-081 O - 73 - 76 
1160 
PUBLIC LAW 92-548-OCT. 25, 1972 
[86 STAT. 
Ineligibility. 
Application. 
Regulations. 
Publication 
in Federal 
Register. 
"Low-emission 
motor vehicle." 
84 Stat. 1690. 
"(2) No exemption or renewal granted under paragraph (1)(B), 
( l ) ( C ) , o r (1)(I)) of subsection (a) of this section shall be granted 
for a period longer than two years and no renewal shall be granted 
without reapplication and approval conforming to the requirements 
of subsection (a). 
"(d) (1) No manufacturer whose total motor vehicle production in 
its most recent year of production exceeds 10,000, as determined by the 
Secretary, shall be eligible to apply for an exemption under paragraph 
(1) (A) of subsection (a) of this section, 
" (2) No manufacturer shall be eligible to apply for exemption under 
paragraph ( l ) ( B ) , ( l ) ( C ) , o r (1)(D) of subsection (a) of this sec-
tion for more than 2,500 vehicles to be sold in the United States in any 
12 month period, as determined by the Secretary. 
"(e) Any manufacturer applying for an exemption on the basis of 
paragraph (1) (A) of subsection (a) of this section shall include in 
the application a complete financial statement showing the basis of the 
economic hardship and a complete description of its good faith efforts 
to comply with the standards. Any manufacturer applying for an 
exemption on the basis of paragraph (1) (B) of subsection (a) of this 
section shall include in the application research, development, and test-
ing documentation establishing the innovational nature of the safety 
features and a detailed analysis establishing that the level of safety of 
the new safety feature is equivalent to or exceeds the level of safety 
established in the standard from which the exemption is sought. Any 
manufacturer applying for an exemption on the basis of paragraph 
(1) (C) of subsection (a) of this section shall include in the application 
research, development, and testing documentation establishing that the 
safety of such vehicle is not unreasonably degraded and that such 
vehicle is a low-emission motor vehicle. Any manufacturer applying 
for an exemption on the basis of paragraph (1) (D) of subsection (a) 
of this section shall include in the application a detailed analysis of how 
the vehicle provides an overall level of safety equivalent to or exceeding 
the overall level of safety of nonexempted motor vehicles. 
"(f) The Secretary shall promulgate regulations within 90 days 
(which time may be extended by the Secretary by a notice published 
in the Federal Register stating good cause therefor) after the date of 
the enactment of this subsection for applications for exemption from 
any motor vehicle safety standard provided for in this section. The 
Secretary may make public within 10 days of the date of filing an 
application under this section all information contained in such appli-
cation or other information relevant thereto unless such information 
concerns or relates to a trade secret, or other confidential business 
information, not relevant to the application for exemption. 
" (g) For the purpose of this section, the term 'low-emission motor 
vehicle' means any motor vehicle which— 
"(1) emits any air pollutant in amounts significantly below 
new motor vehicle standards applicable under section 202 of the 
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 1857i-l) at the time of manufacture to 
that type of vehicle; and 
" (2) with respect to all other air pollutants meets the new motor 
vehicle standards applicable under section 202 of the Clean Air 
Act at the time of manufacture to that type of vehicle." 
Approved October 25, 1972. 
t.s.