[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2024 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2024

  To reduce the incidence of motor vehicle-related child injuries and 
  deaths occurring inside or outside of motor vehicles, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 26, 2004

  Mr. DeWine introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reduce the incidence of motor vehicle-related child injuries and 
  deaths occurring inside or outside of motor vehicles, 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 ``Safe Kids, Safe Cars Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. INCORPORATION OF CHILD DUMMIES IN SAFETY TESTS.

    (a) Rulemaking Required.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration shall conduct a rulemaking to increase 
utilization of child dummies, including Hybrid-III child dummies, in 
motor vehicle safety tests, including crash tests, conducted by the 
Administration.
    (b) Criteria.--In conducting the rulemaking under subsection (a), 
the Administrator shall select motor vehicle safety tests in which the 
inclusion of child dummies will lead to--
            (1) increased understanding of crash dynamics with respect 
        to children; and
            (2) measurably improved child safety.
    (c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall publish a 
report regarding the implementation of this section.

SEC. 3. CHILD SAFETY IN ROLLOVER CRASHES.

    (a) Consumer Information Program.--Not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall initiate and complete a consumer information program relating to 
child safety in rollover crashes. The Secretary shall make information 
related to the program available to the public following completion of 
the program.
    (b) Child Dummy Development.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National 
        Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall develop a 
        biofidelic child crast test dummy capable of measuring injury 
        forces in a simulated rollover crash.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report on progress related to such development.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON ENHANCED VEHICLE SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to Congress a report that 
describes, evaluates, and determines the relative effectiveness of--
            (1) devices and technologies designed to reduce the 
        incidence of injuries and deaths to children involved outside 
        of motor vehicles in nontraffic, noncrash motor vehicle 
        accidents, including accidents in which motor vehicles are 
        backed over children;
            (2) currently available and emerging technologies, 
        including auto-reverse functions and child-safe window 
        switches, that are designed to prevent and reduce the number of 
        injuries and deaths to children left unattended inside parked 
        motor vehicles, including injuries and deaths that result from 
        hyperthermia or are related to power windows or power sunroofs; 
        and
            (3) currently available and emerging technologies that are 
        designed to improve the performance of safety belts with 
        respect to the safety of occupants aged between 4 and 8 years 
        old.

SEC. 5. COMPLETION OF RULEMAKING REGARDING POWER WINDOWS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall--
            (1) complete the rulemaking initiated by the National 
        Highway Traffic Safety Administration that is ongoing on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act and relates to a requirement 
        that window switches be designed to reduce the accidental 
        closing by children of power windows; and
            (2) issue regulations to take effect not later than January 
        1, 2006, requiring that window switches or related technologies 
        be designed to prevent the accidental closing by children of 
        power windows.

SEC. 6. DATABASE ON INJURIES AND DEATHS IN NONTRAFFIC, NONCRASH EVENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a 
new database of, and collect data regarding, injuries and deaths in 
nontraffic, noncrash events involving motor vehicles. The database 
shall include information regarding--
            (1) the number, types, and proximate causes of injuries and 
        deaths resulting from such events;
            (2) the characteristics of motor vehicles involved in such 
        events;
            (3) the characteristics of the motor vehicle operators and 
        victims involved in such events; and
            (4) the presence or absence in motor vehicles involved in 
        such events of advanced technologies designed to prevent such 
        injuries and deaths.
    (b) Availability.--The Secretary shall make the database available 
to the public.
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