[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4936 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4936
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate a Federal motor
vehicle safety standard to reduce the incidence of injury and death
occurring to children and others, including vulnerable road users and
pets, during low-speed incidents involving motor vehicles, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 24, 2026
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Mr. Markey) 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 promulgate a Federal motor
vehicle safety standard to reduce the incidence of injury and death
occurring to children and others, including vulnerable road users and
pets, during low-speed incidents involving 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 ``Standards To Prevent Frontovers Act
of 2026'' or the ``STOP Frontovers Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Backover.--The term ``backover'' means a low-speed
incident where a non-occupant of a motor vehicle is struck by
the motor vehicle moving in reverse.
(2) Frontover.--The term ``frontover'' means a low-speed
incident where a non-occupant of a motor vehicle is struck by
the motor vehicle moving forward in an area that the driver of
the motor vehicle cannot see.
(3) Motor vehicle.--The term ``motor vehicle'' has the
meaning given the term in section 30102(a) of title 49, United
States Code.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Transportation.
SEC. 3. RULEMAKING TO MINIMIZE SAFETY RISKS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking to promulgate a
Federal motor vehicle safety standard under section 30111 of title 49,
United States Code, establishing performance requirements that reduce
death and injury resulting from frontovers and other low-speed
incidents.
(b) Requirements and Considerations.--The performance requirements
of the motor vehicle safety standard described in subsection (a)
shall--
(1) minimize safety risks of frontovers and other low-speed
incidents;
(2) establish a direct visibility standard; and
(3) require--
(A) at a minimum, the detection of, in the field of
direct vision of the driver and blind zones of the
motor vehicle and any crash avoidance system--
(i) a motor vehicle;
(ii) a pedestrian, including toddlers and
small children;
(iii) a bicyclist;
(iv) a vulnerable road user (as defined in
section 148(a) of title 23, United States
Code);
(v) a wheelchair or assistive device user;
(vi) a micromobility or motorcycle rider;
and
(vii) any other individual, equipment,
vehicle, or animal, as determined by the
Secretary;
(B) a driver notification system that enables the
driver of the motor vehicle to effectively respond to
objects described in clauses (i) through (vii) of
subparagraph (A) to prevent and reduce the severity of
frontovers and other low-speed incidents;
(C) an active intervention system that enables the
motor vehicle to effectively respond to objects
described in clauses (i) through (vii) of subparagraph
(A) to prevent and reduce the severity of frontovers
and other low-speed incidents; and
(D) a distinct auditory and visual alert, which may
be combined with a haptic alert, any time the driver
notification system described in subparagraph (B) or
the active intervention system described in
subparagraph (C) engages in a way that warrants a
driver or motor vehicle response.
(c) Timeline.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the rulemaking is initiated under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall promulgate the final motor vehicle safety
standard described in that subsection.
(2) Full compliance.--Not later than 2 years after the date
on which the final motor vehicle safety standard is promulgated
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall require full
compliance with that final motor vehicle safety standard.
(3) Phase-in period.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may establish a
phase-in period for compliance with the motor vehicle
safety standard promulgated under paragraph (1).
(B) Requirement.--A phase-in period established
under subparagraph (A) shall only be for a period of
time that allows for full compliance with the motor
vehicle safety standard in accordance with paragraph
(2).
(C) Phase-in priorities.--
(i) In general.--In establishing a phase-in
period under subparagraph (A), the Secretary
shall consider whether to require the phase-in
according to different types of motor vehicles
based on data demonstrating the frequency by
which various types of motor vehicles have been
involved in frontovers and other low-speed
incidents resulting in injury or death.
(ii) Regulations required.--If the
Secretary determines under clause (i) that any
type of motor vehicle should be given priority
for the phase-in period established under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall
promulgate regulations that specify--
(I) the 1 or more types of motor
vehicles that shall be phased-in first;
and
(II) the percentages by which those
motor vehicles shall be phased-in.
(d) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, if the final motor
vehicle safety standard described in subsection (a) has not been
promulgated in accordance with the requirements of this section, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report, which shall include--
(1) a timeline on promulgating that motor vehicle safety
standard;
(2) the reasons for the delay in promulgating that motor
vehicle safety standard; and
(3) the steps being taken by the Secretary--
(A) to address those reasons; and
(B) to meet the timeline described in paragraph
(1).
(e) Amendment.--Section 30129 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Final Rule.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of Transportation shall
issue a final rule--
``(1) establishing a compliance date under subsection (b)
that is not later than the date that is 2 years after that date
of enactment; and
``(2) requiring all passenger motor vehicles manufactured
for sale in the United States on or after that compliance date
to be equipped with the crash avoidance technologies described
in subsection (a).''.
SEC. 4. UPDATES TO THE NON-TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall include an element for a frontover and
an element for a backover in the data maintained, and the summary
reports published from that data, under the Non-Traffic Surveillance
(NTS) System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(b) Other Reporting Considerations.--In addition to the requirement
under subsection (a), the Secretary may consider other mechanisms to
help inform reporting relating to frontovers and backovers, including
changes to State crash report data requirements or other reporting
systems.
(c) Notification to Congress.--The Secretary shall notify Congress
on completion of the requirement under subsection (a).
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