[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2691 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2691

   To reauthorize and improve the operations of the National Highway 
                     Traffic Safety Administration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 22, 1997

  Mr. Tauzin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To reauthorize and improve the operations of the National Highway 
                     Traffic Safety Administration.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration Reauthorization Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Motor Vehicle Safety Activities.--Section 30104 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 30104. Authorization of appropriations
    ``There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
$81,200,000 for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to 
carry out this part in each fiscal year beginning in fiscal year 1999 
and ending in fiscal year 2001.''.
    (b) Motor Vehicle Information Activities.--Section 32102 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 32102. Authorization of appropriations
    ``There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
$6,200,000 for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to 
carry out this part in each fiscal year beginning in fiscal year 1999 
and ending in fiscal year 2001.''.

SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES.

    Subchapter I of chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 30105. Restriction on lobbying activities
    ``No funds appropriated to the Secretary pursuant to section 30104 
or 32102 may be available for any activity specifically designed to 
advocate or oppose the adoption of any specific legislative proposal 
pending before any State or local legislature.''.

SEC. 4. STANDARDS.

    (a) Risk Disclosure.--Section 30111 of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as 
subsections (f) and (g), respectively, and by inserting after 
subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Effective Disclosure of Relative Risks and Benefits.--
            ``(1) In general.--When prescribing or revising a motor 
        vehicle safety standard under this chapter, the Secretary 
        shall, to the extent relevant and practicable, state the 
        relative reasonable risks and benefits to motor vehicle 
        occupants and operators of the provisions of such standard, 
        based upon information contained in the record of the 
        rulemaking and received by public comment, in a manner which is 
        scientifically objective and relies upon, to the extent 
        available and practicable, scientific findings.
            ``(2) Publication.--The Secretary shall, within 60 days of 
        the date of the enactment of this subsection, commence a 
        rulemaking to consider methods of making information developed 
        under paragraph (1) available to consumers in a clear and 
        easily understandable format, including use of the Internet and 
        public libraries. The Secretary may not require any 
        manufacturer or dealer to provide such information.''.
    (b) Occupant Protection Preferences.--Section 30111 of title 49, 
United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), is amended by 
inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Special Considerations Relating to Occupant Protection.--When 
prescribing or revising a motor vehicle safety standard under this 
section or section 30127 relating to the protection of motor vehicle 
occupants under this chapter, the Secretary shall, to the extent 
relevant and practicable, design such standard to protect improperly 
restrained and positioned occupants only to the extent that such a 
design would not substantially increase the risk of injury to properly 
restrained and positioned occupants.''.

SEC. 5. ODOMETERS.

    (a) Transfers of New Motor Vehicles.--Section 32705(a) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(4)(A) This subsection shall apply to all transfers of motor 
vehicles (unless otherwise exempted by the Secretary by regulation), 
except in the case of transfers of new motor vehicles from a vehicle 
manufacturer jointly to a dealer and a person engaged in the business 
of renting or leasing vehicles for a period of 30 days or less.
    ``(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term `new motor 
vehicle' means any motor vehicle driven with no more than the limited 
use necessary in moving, transporting, or road testing such vehicle 
prior to delivery from the vehicle manufacturer to a dealer, but in no 
event shall the odometer reading of such vehicle exceed 300 miles.''.
    (b) Exempted Vehicles.--Section 32705(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, as amended by subsection (a), is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
    ``(5) The Secretary may exempt such classes or categories of 
vehicles as the Secretary deems appropriate from these requirements. 
Until such time as the Secretary amends or modifies the regulations set 
forth in 49 CFR 580.6, such regulations shall have full force and 
effect.''.

SEC. 6. INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION.

    Subchapter III of chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 30148. International motor vehicle safety outreach
    ``(a) Activities.--The Secretary is authorized, in consultation 
with the Secretaries of State and Commerce where appropriate, to engage 
in activities that improve worldwide motor vehicle safety through 
appropriate activities. Such activities may include--
            ``(1) promoting the adoption of international and national 
        vehicle standards that are harmonized with, functionally 
        equivalent to, or compatible with United States vehicle 
        standards;
            ``(2) participating in efforts to foster an international 
        acceptance of globally harmonized or functionally equivalent or 
        compatible motor vehicle regulations and standards to otherwise 
        improve international highway and motor vehicle safety;
            ``(3) promoting international cooperative programs for 
        conducting research, development, demonstration projects, 
        training, and other forms of technology transfer and exchange, 
        including safety conferences, seminars, and expositions to 
        enhance international motor vehicle safety; and
            ``(4) providing technical assistance to other countries 
        relating to their adoption of United States vehicle regulations 
        or standards functionally equivalent to United States vehicle 
        standards.
    ``(b) Cooperation.--The Secretary may carry out the authority 
granted by this section, in cooperation with appropriate United States 
Government agencies, any State or local agency, and any authority, 
association, institution, corporation (profit or nonprofit), foreign 
government, multinational institution, or any other organization or 
person.
    ``(c) Consideration.--When engaging in activities to improve 
worldwide motor vehicle safety, the Secretary shall ensure that these 
activities maintain or improve the level of safety of motor vehicles 
and motor vehicle equipment sold in the United States.''.

SEC. 7. MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Notification of Defects and Noncompliance.--Section 30118(d) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the second 
sentence.
    (b) Remedies for Defects and Noncompliance.--Section 30120(i)(1) of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``(including 
retailers of motor vehicle equipment)'' after ``dealer'' the first time 
it appears.
    (c) Tires.--Section 30123 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subsections (a), (b), and (c) and by redesignating 
subsections (d), (e), and (f), as subsections (a), (b), and (c), 
respectively.
    (d) Automatic Occupant Crash Protection and Seat Belt Use.--Section 
30127(g)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``every 6 months'' and inserting ``annually''.
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