[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 694 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 694

   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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 27, 2007

Mrs. Clinton (for herself, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Reed, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Durbin, 
 Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
 Roberts, Mrs. Hutchison, and Mr. Lautenberg) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   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 and Cars 
Safety Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. RULEMAKING REGARDING CHILD SAFETY.

    (a) Power Window Safety.--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 issue regulations, 
applicable to light motor vehicles, requiring power windows and panels 
to automatically reverse direction when they detect an obstruction to 
prevent children from being trapped, injured, or killed.
    (b) Rearward Visibility.--Not later than 24 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations, 
applicable to light motor vehicles, requiring a rearward visibility 
performance standard that provides drivers with a means for detecting 
the presence of a person or object behind the vehicle to prevent death 
and injury resulting from backing incidents, particularly incidents 
involving small children and disabled persons.
    (c) Phase-In Period.--
            (1) In general.--The regulations issued pursuant to 
        subsections (a) and (b) shall require--
                    (A) a phase-in period, as determined by the 
                Secretary, for compliance with the regulations, which 
                period shall commence not later than 6 months after the 
                date on which final rules are issued; and
                    (B) that new light motor vehicles manufactured 
                after the date that is 3\1/2\ years after the issuance 
                of the final rule shall comply with such regulations.
            (2) Phase-in priorities.--In requiring the phase-in of 
        rearward visibility performance regulations under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall consider whether to give 
        priority during the phase-in to types of light motor vehicles 
        that have a comparatively larger or longer rear blind zone. If 
        the Secretary determines that any type of light motor vehicles 
        should be given priority, the Secretary shall issue regulations 
        that specify--
                    (A) which type or types of light motor vehicles 
                shall be phased-in first; and
                    (B) the percentages in which such light motor 
                vehicles shall be phased-in.
    (d) Preventing Vehicles From Rolling Away.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 24 months after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue 
        regulations to require light motor vehicles that are equipped 
        with an automatic transmission that includes a ``Park'' 
        position to have 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) Applicability.--The regulation issued under paragraph 
        (1) shall apply to light motor vehicles manufactured on or 
        after September 1, 2010.
            (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 submit to 
                the Secretary the make and model of light motor 
                vehicles that are equipped with automatic transmissions 
                that do not comply with the regulations required under 
                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 the make and model of the light 
                motor vehicles that do not comply with the regulations 
                required under paragraph (1). Any vehicle not included 
                in the publication under this subparagraph will be 
                assumed to comply with the regulations issued under 
                paragraph (1).
    (e) Database on Injuries and Deaths in Nontraffic, Noncrash 
Events.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 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 light 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 light motor 
                vehicles involved in such events; 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.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Light motor vehicle.--The term ``light motor vehicle'' 
        means a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, with a gross 
        vehicle weight rating of not more than 10,000 pounds.
            (2) Rear blind zone.--The term ``rear blind zone'' means 
        the area behind a light motor vehicle which the driver cannot 
        see using the vehicle mirrors and windows provided as original 
        equipment.

SEC. 3. CHILD SAFETY INFORMATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 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 under section 2(e) 
        regarding nontraffic, noncrash injuries, and other relevant 
        data from private organizations, to establish priorities for 
        the program;
            (2) address ways in which parents and caregivers can reduce 
        risks to small children arising from backover incidents, 
        hyperthermia in closed vehicles, accidental actuation of power 
        windows, and any other risks that the Secretary determines 
        should be addressed; and
            (3) make information related to the program available to 
        the public through the Internet and other means.
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