[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2775 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2775

To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure the safe operations of 
                         small commercial vans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 5, 1999

  Mr. Menendez (for himself and Mr. Rothman) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure the safe operations of 
                         small commercial vans.

    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 ``Safe and Efficient Passenger Van 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE SMALL COMMERCIAL VANS.

    Section 14501(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Authority of states to ensure the safe operations of 
        small commercial vans.--
                    ``(A) Commercial van defined.--For purposes of this 
                paragraph, the term `commercial van' means a motor 
                vehicle providing regular route transportation service 
                for compensation and having a capacity of not more than 
                15 passengers, including the driver.
                    ``(B) General rule.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 
                a State may regulate operations of commercial vans to 
                ensure that such operations--
                            ``(i) are safe for passengers and the 
                        public;
                            ``(ii) only load and unload passengers at 
                        locations that are safe for such purposes;
                            ``(iii) do not interfere with the flow of 
                        traffic or significantly worsen road 
                        congestion; and
                            ``(iv) are limited to routes approved by 
                        the States.
                    ``(C) Included activities.--Exercising the 
                authority provided by subparagraph (B) may include 
                limiting the number of commercial vans operating on any 
                route and inspecting such vans.
                    ``(D) Delegation of authority.--A State may 
                delegate to political subdivisions of the State the 
                authority to regulate operations of commercial vans.''.

SEC. 3. USE OF MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 31102(c) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Oversight and enforcement of State regulations 
        relating to operations of commercial vans issued under the 
        authority of section 14501(a)(3).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 31102 of such title is further 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1) by aligning subparagraph (A) with 
        subparagraph (B) of such subsection;
            (2) in subsections (c)(1) and (c)(3) by striking 
        ``enforcement'' and inserting ``Enforcement''; and
            (3) in subsection (c)(2) by striking ``detection'' and 
        inserting ``Detection''.
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