[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5164 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5164

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require reports concerning 
defects in motor vehicles or tires or other motor vehicle equipment in 
               foreign countries, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 13, 2000

   Mr. Upton (for himself, Mr. Tauzin, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Wilson, Mr. 
Boucher, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Rogan, Mr. Waxman, Mr. 
Bilbray, Mr. Fossella, Mr. Gordon, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Luther, Ms. Eshoo, 
and Ms. McCarthy of Missouri) introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require reports concerning 
defects in motor vehicles or tires or other motor vehicle equipment in 
               foreign countries, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Transportation Recall Enhancement, 
Accountability, and Documentation Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORTING OF DEFECTS IN MOTOR VEHICLES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    Section 30118 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(f) Reporting of Defects in Motor Vehicles and Products in 
Foreign Countries.--
            ``(1) Reporting of defects.--
                    ``(A) Manufacturer determination.--Not later than 5 
                days after determining to conduct a safety recall or 
                other safety campaign in a foreign country on a motor 
                vehicle, tire, or motor vehicle equipment that is also 
                offered for sale in the United States, the manufacturer 
                shall report the determination to the Secretary.
                    ``(B) Foreign government determination.--Not later 
                than 5 days after receiving notification that the 
                government of a foreign country has determined that a 
                safety recall or other safety campaign must be 
                conducted in the foreign country on a motor vehicle, 
                tire, or motor vehicle equipment that is also offered 
                for sale in the United States, the manufacturer shall 
                report the determination to the Secretary.
                    ``(C) Reporting requirements.--The Secretary shall 
                prescribe the contents of the notification required by 
                this paragraph.
            ``(2) Reporting of possible defects.--Upon making a 
        determination that there have been a significant number of 
        serious injuries or fatalities in a foreign country caused by a 
        defect in a motor vehicle, tire, or motor vehicle equipment 
        that is also offered for sale in the United States that could 
        be related to motor vehicle safety (as determined in accordance 
        with regulations promulgated by the Secretary), the 
        manufacturer of the United States motor vehicle, tire, or motor 
        vehicle equipment shall report the determination to the 
        Secretary in such manner as the Secretary establishes by 
        regulation.''.

SEC. 3. TIRE MANUFACTURER REPORTING.

    The Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration shall promulgate a rule requiring manufacturers of tires 
to report periodically to the Administration data on claims submitted 
to the manufacturer for personal injury (including death) and property 
damage from alleged defects in the manufacturer's tires. The rule shall 
prescribe the rate at which such reports shall be made.

SEC. 4. REMEDIES WITHOUT CHARGE.

    Section 30120(g)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``3 calendar years'' and inserting ``5 calendar years''.

SEC. 5. CIVIL PENALTIES.

    Section 30165 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence by--
                    (A) inserting ``(1)'' after ``Penalty.--''';
                    (B) inserting ``or'' after ``30127,''
                    (C) striking ``or 30166''; and
                    (D) striking ``$1,000'' and inserting ``$5,000'';
            (2) in the third sentence, by striking ``subsection'' and 
        inserting ``paragraph'' and by striking ``$800,000'' and 
        inserting ``$4,000,000''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) A person who violates section 30166 or a regulation 
prescribed under that section is liable to the United States for a 
civil penalty for failing or refusing to allow or perform an act 
required under that section or regulation. The maximum penalty under 
this paragraph is $5,000 per violation per day. The maximum penalty 
under this paragraph for a related series of daily violations is 
$500,000.''.

SEC. 6. ENDURANCE AND RESISTANCE STANDARDS FOR TIRES.

    The Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration shall conduct a rulemaking to revise and update the tire 
standard published at 49 C.F.R. 571.109 and 49 C.F.R. 571.119

SEC. 7. APPROPRIATION FOR OFFICE OF DEFECTS AND INVESTIGATION.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Office of Defects and 
Investigation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
$500,000 for fiscal year 2001.
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