[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1703 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1703

  To direct the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration to carry out a collaborative research effort to prevent 
     drunk driving injuries and fatalities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 25, 2015

   Mr. Udall introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration to carry out a collaborative research effort to prevent 
     drunk driving injuries and fatalities, 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 ``Research of Alcohol Detection 
Systems for Stopping Alcohol-Related Fatalities Everywhere Act of 
2015'' or the ``ROADS SAFE Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities represent 
        approximately \1/3\ of all highway fatalities in the United 
        States in a given year.
            (2) In 2013, there were 10,336 alcohol-impaired driving 
        fatalities in the United States.
            (3) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has 
        partnered with automobile manufacturers to develop alcohol 
        detection technologies that could be installed in vehicles to 
        prevent drunk driving.
            (4) An estimated 59,000 lives and $343,000,000,000 could be 
        saved over a 15-year period by the widespread installation of 
        alcohol detection technologies in motor vehicles.
            (5) Alcohol detection technologies will not be widely 
        accepted by the public unless they are--
                    (A) moderately priced;
                    (B) absolutely reliable; and
                    (C) set at a level that would not prevent a driver 
                whose blood alcohol content is less than the legal 
                limit from operating a vehicle.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Alcohol-impaired driving.--The term ``alcohol-impaired 
        driving'' means operation of a motor vehicle (as defined in 
        section 30102(a)(6) of title 49, United States Code) by an 
        individual whose blood alcohol content is at or above the legal 
        limit.
            (2) Legal limit.--The term ``legal limit'' means a blood 
        alcohol concentration of--
                    (A) 0.08 percent or greater (as specified in 
                section 163(a) of title 23, United States Code); or
                    (B) such other percentage limitation as may be 
                established by applicable Federal, State, or local law.

SEC. 4. DRIVER ALCOHOL DETECTION SYSTEM FOR SAFETY RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration shall carry out a collaborative research effort 
to continue to explore the feasibility and the potential benefits of, 
and the public policy challenges associated with, more widespread 
deployment of in-vehicle technology to prevent alcohol-impaired 
driving.
    (b) Reports.--The Administrator shall submit an annual report to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives that--
            (1) describes the progress made by the National Highway 
        Traffic Safety Administration in carrying out the collaborative 
        research effort required under subsection (a); and
            (2) includes an accounting of the use of Federal funds 
        obligated or expended in carrying out such effort.

SEC. 5. APPLICATION WITH OTHER LAWS.

    Nothing in this Act may be construed to modify or otherwise affect 
any Federal, State, or local government law (whether civil or criminal) 
with respect to the operation of a motor vehicle.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated out of the 
Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account), to carry out 
the collaborative research effort described in section 4(a)--
            (1) $6,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2016 and 2017;
            (2) $8,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2018 and 2019; 
        and
            (3) $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020 and 2021.
    (b) Applicability of Title 23.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be available 
        for obligation and administered in the same manner as if the 
        funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Exception.--The Federal share payable for a project or 
        activity carried out using amounts appropriated pursuant to 
        subsection (a) shall be 100 percent.
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