[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1216 Engrossed in House (EH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1216
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to
reduce the incidence of child injury and death occurring inside or
outside of light 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 ``Cameron Gulbransen Kids
Transportation Safety Act of 2007'' or the ``K.T. Safety Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. RULEMAKING REGARDING CHILD SAFETY.
(a) Power Window Safety.--
(1) Consideration of rule.--Not later than 18 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Transportation (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'')
shall initiate a rulemaking to consider prescribing or amending
Federal motor vehicle safety standards to require power windows
and panels on motor vehicles to automatically reverse direction
when such power windows and panels detect an obstruction to
prevent children and others from being trapped, injured, or
killed.
(2) Deadline for decision.--If the Secretary determines
such safety standards are reasonable, practicable, and
appropriate, the Secretary shall prescribe, under section 30111
of title 49, United States Code, the safety standards described
in paragraph (1) not later than 30 months after the date of
enactment of this Act. If the Secretary determines that no
additional safety standards are reasonable, practicable, and
appropriate, the Secretary shall--
(A) not later than 30 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, transmit a report to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate describing the reasons
such standards were not prescribed; and
(B) publish and otherwise make available to the
public through the Internet and other means (such as
the ``Buying a Safer Car'' brochure) information
regarding which vehicles are or are not equipped with
power windows and panels that automatically reverse
direction when an obstruction is detected.
(b) Rearward Visibility.--Not later than 12 months after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking
to revise Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 (FMVSS 111) to
expand the required field of view to enable the driver of a motor
vehicle to detect areas behind the motor vehicle to reduce death and
injury resulting from backing incidents, particularly incidents
involving small children and disabled persons. The Secretary may
prescribe different requirements for different types of motor vehicles
to expand the required field of view to enable the driver of a motor
vehicle to detect areas behind the motor vehicle to reduce death and
injury resulting from backing incidents, particularly incidents
involving small children and disabled persons. Such standard may be met
by the provision of additional mirrors, sensors, cameras, or other
technology to expand the driver's field of view. The Secretary shall
prescribe final standards pursuant to this subsection not later than 36
months after the date of enactment of this Act.
(c) Phase-In Period.--
(1) Phase-in period required.--The safety standards
prescribed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) shall establish
a phase-in period for compliance, as determined by the
Secretary, and require full compliance with the safety
standards not later than 48 months after the date on which the
final rule is issued.
(2) Phase-in priorities.--In establishing the phase-in
period of the rearward visibility safety standards required
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall consider whether to
require the phase-in according to different types of motor
vehicles based on data demonstrating the frequency by which
various types of motor vehicles have been involved in backing
incidents resulting in injury or death. If the Secretary
determines that any type of motor vehicle should be given
priority, the Secretary shall issue regulations that specify--
(A) which type or types of motor vehicles shall be
phased-in first; and
(B) the percentages by which such motor vehicles
shall be phased-in.
(d) Preventing Motor Vehicles From Rolling Away.--
(1) Requirement.--Each motor vehicle with an automatic
transmission that includes a ``park'' position manufactured for
sale after September 1, 2010, shall be equipped with a system
that requires the service brake to be depressed before the
transmission can be shifted out of ``park''. This system shall
function in any starting system key position in which the
transmission can be shifted out of ``park''.
(2) Treatment as motor vehicle safety standard.--A
violation of paragraph (1) shall be treated as a violation of a
motor vehicle safety standard prescribed under section 30111 of
title 49, United States Code, and shall be subject to
enforcement by the Secretary under chapter 301 of such title.
(3) Publication of noncompliant vehicles.--
(A) Information submission.--Not later than 60 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, for the
current model year and annually thereafter through
2010, each motor vehicle manufacturer shall transmit to
the Secretary the make and model of motor vehicles with
automatic transmissions that include a ``park''
position that do not comply with the requirements of
paragraph (1).
(B) Publication.--Not later than 30 days after
receiving the information submitted under subparagraph
(A), the Secretary shall publish and otherwise make
available to the public through the Internet and other
means the make and model of the applicable motor
vehicles that do not comply with the requirements of
paragraph (1). Any motor vehicle not included in the
publication under this subparagraph shall be presumed
to comply with such requirements.
(e) Definition of Motor Vehicle.--As used in this Act and for
purposes of the motor vehicle safety standards described in subsections
(a) and (b), the term ``motor vehicle'' has the meaning given such term
in section 30102(a)(6) of title 49, United States Code, except that
such term shall not include--
(1) a motorcycle or trailer (as such terms are defined in
section 571.3 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations); or
(2) any motor vehicle that is rated at more than 10,000
pounds gross vehicular weight.
(f) Database on Injuries and Deaths in Nontraffic, Noncrash
Events.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish and
maintain a database of injuries and deaths in nontraffic,
noncrash events involving motor vehicles.
(2) Contents.--The database established pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall include information regarding--
(A) the number, types, and causes of injuries and
deaths resulting from the events described in paragraph
(1);
(B) the make, model, and model year of motor
vehicles involved in such events, when practicable; and
(C) other variables that the Secretary determines
will enhance the value of the database.
(3) Availability.--The Secretary shall make the information
contained in the database established pursuant to paragraph (1)
available to the public through the Internet and other means.
SEC. 3. CHILD SAFETY INFORMATION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 9 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide information about
hazards to children in nontraffic, noncrash incident situations by--
(1) supplementing an existing consumer information program
relating to child safety; or
(2) creating a new consumer information program relating to
child safety.
(b) Program Requirements.--In carrying out the program under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
(1) utilize information collected pursuant to section 2(f)
regarding nontraffic, noncrash injuries, and other relevant
data the Secretary considers appropriate, to establish
priorities for the program;
(2) address ways in which parents and caregivers can reduce
risks to small children arising from back over incidents,
hyperthermia in closed motor vehicles, accidental actuation of
power windows, and any other risks the Secretary determines
should be addressed; and
(3) make information related to the program available to
the public through the Internet and other means.
SEC. 4. DEADLINES.
If the Secretary determines that the deadlines applicable under
this Act cannot be met, the Secretary shall--
(1) establish new deadlines; and
(2) notify the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate of the new deadlines
and describing the reasons the deadlines specified under this
Act could not be met.
Passed the House of Representatives December 19, 2007.
Attest:
Clerk.
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1216
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to
reduce the incidence of child injury and death occurring inside or
outside of light motor vehicles, and for other purposes.