[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3071 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3071

To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for the enactment of 
 State laws prohibiting children under 13 years of age from riding in 
                   the front seats of motor vehicles.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 13, 1997

   Mr. Pallone (for himself, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Millender-
McDonald, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Pascrell) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for the enactment of 
 State laws prohibiting children under 13 years of age from riding in 
                   the front seats of motor vehicles.

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

SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON CHILDREN RIDING IN THE FRONT SEATS OF MOTOR 
              VEHICLES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 161. Prohibition on children riding in the front seats of motor 
              vehicles
    ``(a) Withholding of Apportionments for Noncompliance.--
            ``(1) Fiscal year 2001.--The Secretary shall withhold 5 
        percent of the amount required to be apportioned to any State 
        under each of paragraphs (1), (3), and (5)(B) of section 104(b) 
        on October 1, 2000, if the State does not meet the requirement 
        of paragraph (3) on that date.
            ``(2) Thereafter.--The Secretary shall withhold 10 percent 
        (including any amounts withheld under paragraph (1)) of the 
        amount required to be apportioned to any State under each of 
        paragraphs (1), (3), and (5)(B) of section 104(b) on October 1, 
        2000, and on October 1 of each fiscal year thereafter, if the 
        State does not meet the requirement of paragraph (3) on that 
        date.
            ``(3) Requirement.--A State meets the requirement of this 
        paragraph if the State has enacted and is enforcing a law that 
        makes unlawful throughout the State the operation of a motor 
        vehicle if a child under 13 years of age is riding in the front 
        seat of the motor vehicle.
    ``(b) Period of Availability; Effect of Compliance and 
Noncompliance.--
            ``(1) Period of availability of withheld funds.--
                    ``(A) Funds withheld on or before september 30, 
                2002.--Any funds withheld under subsection (a) from 
                apportionment to any State on or before September 30, 
                2002, shall remain available until the end of the third 
                fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the 
                funds are authorized to be appropriated.
                    ``(B) Funds withheld after september 30, 2002.--No 
                funds withheld under this section from apportionment to 
                any State after September 30, 2002, shall be available 
                for apportionment to the State.
            ``(2) Apportionment of withheld funds after compliance.--
        If, before the last day of the period for which funds withheld 
        under subsection (a) from apportionment are to remain available 
        for apportionment to a State under paragraph (1), the State 
        meets the requirement of subsection (a)(3), the Secretary 
        shall, on the first day on which the State meets the 
        requirement, apportion to the State the funds withheld under 
        subsection (a) that remain available for apportionment to the 
        State.
            ``(3) Period of availability of subsequently apportioned 
        funds.--Any funds apportioned pursuant to paragraph (2) shall 
        remain available for expenditure until the end of the third 
        fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the funds are so 
        apportioned. Sums not obligated at the end of that period shall 
        lapse.
            ``(4) Effect of noncompliance.--If, at the end of the 
        period for which funds withheld under subsection (a) from 
        apportionment are available for apportionment to a State under 
        paragraph (1), the State does not meet the requirement of 
        subsection (a)(3), the funds shall lapse.
    ``(c) Motor Vehicle Defined.--The term `motor vehicle' means any 
vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power manufactured primarily for 
use on public highways, except any vehicle operated exclusively on a 
rail or rails.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning 
of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:

``162. Prohibition on children riding in the front seats of motor 
                            vehicles.''.
                                 <all>