[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 727 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 727

  To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to provide that low-speed 
      electric bicycles are consumer products subject to such Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2001

Mr. Stearns (for himself, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Oxley, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. 
 Berman, Mr. Oberstar, and Mrs. Capps) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to provide that low-speed 
      electric bicycles are consumer products subject to such Act.

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

SECTION 1. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT.

    The Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2051 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:

                     ``low-speed electric bicycles

    ``Sec. 38. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, low-
speed electric bicycles are consumer products within the meaning of 
section 3(a)(1) and shall be subject to the Commission regulations 
published at section 1500.18(a)(12) and part 1512 of title 16, Code of 
Federal Regulations.
    ``(b) For the purpose of this section, the term `low-speed electric 
bicycle' means a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable 
pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p.), whose 
maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a 
motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 
20 mph.
    ``(c) To further protect the safety of consumers who ride low-speed 
electric bicycles, the Commission may promulgate new or amended 
requirements applicable to such vehicles as necessary and appropriate.
    ``(d) This section shall supersede any State law or requirement 
with respect to low-speed electric bicycles to the extent that such 
State law or requirement is more stringent than the Federal law or 
requirements referred to in subsection (a).''.

SEC. 2. MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS.

    For purposes of motor vehicle safety standards issued and enforced 
pursuant to chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, a low-speed 
electric bicycle (as defined in section 38(b) of the Consumer Product 
Safety Act) shall not be considered a motor vehicle as defined by 
section 30102(6) of title 49, United States Code.
                                 <all>