[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1216 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.1216
One Hundred Tenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
the third day of January, two thousand and eight
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.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.