[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 685 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 685

To prescribe safety standards for autocycles and related equipment, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 10, 2015

  Mr. Vitter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prescribe safety standards for autocycles and related equipment, 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 Autocycle Safety Act.

SEC. 2. MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS.

    (a) Defined Term.--Section 30102(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (11) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (12), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated, the 
        following:
            ``(1) `autocycle' means a motor vehicle with 3 wheels, an 
        enclosed occupant compartment, and a steering wheel, which 
        meets applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards, as 
        determined necessary by the Secretary of Transportation through 
        regulation.''.
    (b) Applicability of Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to 
Autocycles.--Chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the table of sections, by striking the items 
        relating to sections 30113 and 30114 and inserting the 
        following:

``30113. Exemptions.
``30114. Autocycles.'';
            (2) in section 30113, by amending the section heading to 
        read as follows:
``Sec. 30113. Exemptions'';
            (3) by redesignating section 30114 as subsection (i) of 
        section 30113; and
            (4) by inserting after section 30113, as amended by 
        paragraph (3), the following:
``Sec. 30114. Autocycles
    ``(a) Interim Safety Standards for Autocycles.--During the period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of the Autocycle Safety Act and 
ending on the effective date of the rules issued pursuant to subsection 
(c), a person satisfies the requirements set forth in section 30112(a) 
with regard to an autocycle if the autocycle--
            ``(1) complies with the motor vehicle safety standards for 
        passenger vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings of less 
        than 10,000 pounds, as set forth in Part 571 of title 49, Code 
        of Federal Regulations, relating to--
                    ``(A) seating systems (FMVSS 207);
                    ``(B) belted occupant crash protection (FMVSS 208);
                    ``(C) seat belt assemblies (FMVSS 209);
                    ``(D) seat belt assembly anchorages (FMVSS 210);
                    ``(E) child restraint systems (FMVSS 213);
                    ``(F) roof crush resistance (FMVSS 216);
                    ``(G) child restraint anchorage systems (FMVSS 
                225); and
                    ``(H) flammability of interior materials (FMVSS 
                302);
            ``(2) meets the performance criteria relating to upper 
        interior impact set forth in FMVSS 201 to the extent possible 
        to reach the target points;
            ``(3) is equipped with a steering wheel air bag, 2 curtain 
        side impact air bags, anti-lock brakes, and electronic 
        stability control; and
            ``(4) complies with the motor vehicle safety standards for 
        motorcycles, as set forth in Part 571 of title 49, Code of 
        Federal Regulations, relating to--
                    ``(A) brake hoses (FMVSS 106);
                    ``(B) lamps, reflective devices, and associated 
                equipment (FMVSS 108);
                    ``(C) rearview mirrors (FMVSS 111);
                    ``(D) motor vehicle brake fluids (FMVSS 116);
                    ``(E) new pneumatic tires (FMVSS 119);
                    ``(F) tire selection and rims (FMVSS 120);
                    ``(G) motorcycle brake systems (FMVSS 122);
                    ``(H) motorcycle controls and displays (FMVSS 123); 
                and
                    ``(I) glazing materials (FMVSS 205).
    ``(b) Applicability.--In determining which motor vehicle safety 
standards are applicable to autocycles, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall--
            ``(1) apply motorcycle safety standards to those aspects of 
        an autocycle's performance regulated through the motor vehicle 
        safety standards applicable to motorcycles; and
            ``(2) apply passenger car safety standards to those aspects 
        of an autocycle's performance regulated through motor vehicle 
        safety standards that are not otherwise regulated through a 
        motorcycle standard.
    ``(c) Rulemaking.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        the enactment of the Autocycle Safety Act, the Secretary shall 
        issue such final rules, interpretations, and test procedures 
        that may be necessary to adapt passenger car safety standards 
        to autocycles in accordance with subsection (b)(2).
            ``(2) Rulemaking.--In issuing rules to preserve autocycle 
        safety pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) provide autocycle manufacturers with 
                appropriate lead time to comply with the safety 
                standards set forth in such rules; and
                    ``(B) comply with the requirements and 
                considerations set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of 
                section 30111.''.

SEC. 3. AUTOCYCLE FUEL ECONOMY.

    Section 32901(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (19) as 
        paragraphs (4) through (20), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) `autocycle' means a passenger automobile with 3 
        wheels and an enclosed occupant compartment, which meets 
        applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards, as 
        determined necessary by the Secretary of Transportation through 
        regulation.'';
            (3) in paragraph (4), as redesignated, by inserting ``or an 
        autocycle'' after ``a 4-wheeled vehicle''; and
            (4) in paragraph (19), as redesignated, by inserting 
        ``(including an autocycle)'' after the ``means an automobile''.
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