[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9408 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9408

  To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish certain safety 
standards and disclose certain information relating to pedestrians and 
                motor vehicles, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 23, 2024

Ms. Scanlon (for herself and Mr. Raskin) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish certain safety 
standards and disclose certain information relating to pedestrians and 
                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 ``Pedestrian Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY STANDARDS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 301 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 30130. Pedestrian safety standards.
    ``(a) General Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.--
            ``(1) Rulemaking proceeding.--Not later than 3 years after 
        the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
        initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish or modify, as 
        applicable, safety standards for motor vehicles to reduce the 
        likelihood of, and the number of deaths and injuries associated 
        with, collisions by considering certain features of motor 
        vehicles designed to protect covered road users, including--
                    ``(A) hood design;
                    ``(B) bumper design;
                    ``(C) windshield design;
                    ``(D) vehicle height; and
                    ``(E) vehicle weight.
            ``(2) Final rule.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the 
                date of initiating such rulemaking proceeding, the 
                Secretary shall issue a final rule pursuant to 
                paragraph (1).
                    ``(B) Effective date.--The final rule described in 
                subparagraph (A) shall require full compliance with 
                each safety standard for motor vehicles established or 
                modified, as applicable, pursuant to the final rule not 
                later than 2 years after the date on which the final 
                rule is issued.
    ``(b) Motor Vehicle Minimum Visibility Safety Standards.--
            ``(1) Rulemaking proceeding.--Not later than 4 years after 
        the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
        initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish minimum 
        visibility standards for motor vehicles to reduce the 
        likelihood of collisions.
            ``(2) Final rule.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the 
                date of initiating such rulemaking proceeding, the 
                Secretary shall issue a final rule pursuant to 
                paragraph (1).
                    ``(B) Effective date.--The final rule described in 
                subparagraph (A) shall require full compliance with 
                each minimum visibility standard for motor vehicles 
                established pursuant to the final rule not later than 2 
                years after the date on which the final rule is issued.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Collision.--The term `collision' means a crash 
        between a motor vehicle and a covered road user, including such 
        a crash--
                    ``(A) that occurs at a low speed; and
                    ``(B) that occurs in a driveway, parking lot, or 
                private road.
            ``(2) Covered road user.--The term `covered road user' 
        means a pedestrian, bicyclist, or other vulnerable road 
        user.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subchapter II of 
chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following:

``Sec. 30130. Pedestrian safety standards.''.

SEC. 3. PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION.

    Section 32302 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
                (4); and
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (4), as so 
                redesignated, the following:
            ``(3) Comparative ratings.--The Secretary shall publish 
        comparative ratings of the vulnerable road user safety 
        technology ratings described in paragraph (2)(A)(iv).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Driver Visibility.--
            ``(1) Notice.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall publish a 
        notice, for purposes of public review and comment, to establish 
        a means for providing to consumers information relating to 
        driver visibility of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other 
        vulnerable road users, in accordance with subsection (a).
            ``(2) Inclusions.--The notice under paragraph (1) shall 
        include--
                    ``(A) an appropriate methodology for--
                            ``(i) determining which technologies and 
                        design features shall be included in the 
                        information;
                            ``(ii) developing performance test criteria 
                        for use by manufacturers in evaluating 
                        technologies and design features;
                            ``(iii) determining a distinct rating of 
                        driver visibility; and
                            ``(iv) updating overall vehicle ratings to 
                        incorporate driver visibility ratings; and
                    ``(B) such other information and analyses as the 
                Secretary determines to be necessary to implement the 
                rating of driver visibility.
            ``(3) Comparative ratings.--The Secretary shall publish 
        comparative ratings of the driver visibility ratings described 
        in paragraph (2)(A)(iv).
            ``(4) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives a report that describes a plan for implementing 
        an information and rating system for driver visibility, in 
        accordance with subsection (a).''.
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