[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
           THE AUTOMOBILE AND MINIVAN BUMPER IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mr. DANFORTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill that I introduced on February 10, S. 1848, the Automobile and 
Minivan Bumper Improvement Act, be printed in the Record. I also ask 
unanimous consent that the permanent Record include the text of the 
bill along with introductory statements made by Senators Danforth and 
Bryan.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record as follows:

                                S. 1848

       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 ``Automobile and Minivan 
     Bumper Improvement Act of 1994''.

     SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF BUMPER IMPACT CAPABILITY.

       The Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act (15 
     U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) is amended by inserting immediately 
     after section 102 the following new subsection:


                ``disclosure of bumper impact capability

       ``Sec. 102A.(a) The Secretary shall promulgate, in 
     accordance with the provisions of this section, a regulation 
     establishing bumper system labeling requirements for 
     passenger motor vehicles--
       ``(1) manufactured for model years beginning more than 180 
     days after the date such regulation is promulgated, as 
     provided in subsection (c)(2); and
       ``(2) constructed without special features for occasional 
     off-road operation.
       ``(b)(1) the regulation promulgated under this section 
     shall provide that, before any such passenger motor vehicle 
     is offered for sale, the manufacturer shall affix a label to 
     such vehicle, in a format prescribed in such regulation, 
     disclosing an impact speed at which the manufacturer 
     represents that the vehicle meets the applicable damage 
     criteria.
       ``(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term `applicable 
     damage criteria' means the damage criteria applicable under 
     the bumper standard set forth in part 581 of title 49, Code 
     of Federal Regulations, or under a successor bumper standard.
       ``(c)(1) Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
     of this section, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal 
     Register a proposed initial regulation under this section.
       ``(2) Not later than 180 days after such date of enactment, 
     the Secretary shall promulgate a final initial regulation 
     under this section.
       ``(d) The Secretary may allow a manufacturer to comply with 
     the labeling requirements described in subsection (b) by 
     permitting such manufacturer to make the required bumper 
     system impact speed disclosure on the label required by 
     section 506 of this Act or on the label required by section 3 
     of the Automobile Information Disclosure Act (15 U.S.C. 
     1232).
       ``(e) The regulation promulgated under this section shall 
     provide that the information disclosed under this section be 
     provided to the Secretary at the beginning of the model year 
     for the model involved. As soon as practicable after 
     receiving such information, the Secretary shall furnish and 
     distribute to the public such information in a simple and 
     readily understandable form in order to facilitate comparison 
     among the various types of passenger motor vehicles. The 
     Secretary may by rule require automobile dealers to 
     distribute to prospective purchasers any information compiled 
     pursuant to this subseciton.''.

     SEC. 3. BUMPER STANDARD FOR CERTAIN PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLES.

       (a) Amendment of Bumper Standard.--(1) Not later than 1 
     year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
     of Transportation shall amend the bumper standard published 
     as part 581 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to 
     ensure that such standard is identical to the bumper standard 
     under such part 581 that was in effect on January 1, 1982. 
     The amendment standard shall apply to all passenger motor 
     vehicles--
       (A) manufactured after September 1, 1994; and
       (B) constructed without special features for occasional 
     off-road operation.
       (b) More Stringent Bumper Standards Not Affected.--Nothing 
     in this section shall be construed to prohibit the Secretary 
     of Transportation from requiring under such part 581 that 
     passenger motor vehicle bumpers be capable of resisting 
     impact speeds higher than those specified in the bumper 
     standard in effect under such part 581 on January 1, 1982.
       (c) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     ``passenger motor vehicle'' has the meaning given that term 
     in section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost 
     Savings Act (15 U.S.C. 1901).

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