[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3985 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3985

   To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Transportation to register a person providing transportation by an 
 over-the-road bus as a motor carrier of passengers only if the person 
 is willing and able to comply with certain accessibility requirements 
  in addition to other existing requirements, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 29, 2007

   Mr. DeFazio (for himself, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Mica, and Mr. Duncan) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Transportation to register a person providing transportation by an 
 over-the-road bus as a motor carrier of passengers only if the person 
 is willing and able to comply with certain accessibility requirements 
  in addition to other existing requirements, 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 ``Over-the-Road Bus Transportation 
Accessibility Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. REGISTRATION OF MOTOR CARRIERS OF PASSENGERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 13902(a)(1) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
        (B)(iii);
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); 
        and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
                    ``(C) the accessibility requirements established by 
                the Secretary under subpart H of part 37 of title 49, 
                Code of Federal Regulations, or such successor 
                regulations to those accessibility requirements as the 
                Secretary may issue, for transportation provided by an 
                over-the-road bus; and''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Sections 13902(a)(5) and 13905(d)(1)(A) 
of such title are each amended by inserting after ``Board'' the 
following: ``(including the accessibility requirements established by 
the Secretary under subpart H of part 37 of title 49, Code of Federal 
Regulations, or such successor regulations to those accessibility 
requirements as the Secretary may issue, for transportation provided by 
an over-the-road bus)''.

SEC. 3. OVER-THE-ROAD BUS DEFINED.

    Section 13102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
            ``(27) Over-the-road bus.--The term `over-the-road bus' 
        means a bus characterized by an elevated passenger deck located 
        over a baggage compartment.''.

SEC. 4. DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall take necessary actions to implement the changes 
required by the amendment made by section 2(a) relating to registration 
of motor carriers providing transportation by an over-the-road bus.

SEC. 5. COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

    Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Transportation and the Attorney General shall enter 
into a memorandum of understanding to delineate the specific roles and 
responsibilities of the Department of Transportation and the Department 
of Justice, respectively, in enforcing the compliance of motor carriers 
of passengers providing transportation by an over-the-road bus (as 
defined in section 13102 of title 49, United States Code) with the 
accessibility requirements established by the Secretary under subpart H 
of part 37 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, or such successor 
regulations to those accessibility requirements as the Secretary may 
issue. Such memorandum shall recognize the Department of 
Transportation's statutory responsibilities as clarified by this Act 
(including the amendments made by this Act).
                                 <all>