[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CHILD PASSENGER PROTECTION EDUCATION GRANTS

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                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 14, 2001

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Child Passenger 
Safety Week. This national observance reminds parents and caregivers of 
the importance of buckling up children correctly on every ride. 
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 
1999, motor vehicle crashes killed more than 1,400 children (infants to 
age 14) and injured another 300,000. Six out of 10 children killed in 
these crashes were completely unrestrained. This is simply 
unacceptable.
  Today, I introduce a bill to continue for fiscal years 2002 and 2003 
the Child Passenger Protection Education Grant program authorized by 
Section 2003(b) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century 
(TEA 21). The bill authorizes $7.5 million for each of fiscal years 
2002 and 2003 for the Secretary of Transportation to make incentive 
grants to states to encourage the implementation of child passenger 
protection programs in those states. Current authorizations for the 
Child Passenger Protection Education Grant program expire at the end of 
fiscal year 2001, whereas authorizations for virtually all other TEA 21 
programs expire at the end of fiscal year 2003.
  To increase seat belt use nationwide, the previous Administration 
established goals to reduce the number of child occupant fatalities 15 
percent by 2000 and 25 percent by 2005. The Child Passenger Protection 
Education Grant program has played an important role in helping the 
Department meet the first of these goals. Since 1997, the number of 
child fatalities resulting from traffic crashes has declined 17 
percent, exceeding the goal of 15 percent by 2000. Restraint use for 
infants has risen to 97 percent from 85 percent in 1996, and has 
climbed to 91 percent for children aged one to four, up from 60 percent 
in 1996.
  Under my bill, a state may use its grant funds to implement programs 
that are designed to:
  Prevent deaths and injuries to children;
  Educate the public concerning all aspects of the proper installation 
of child restraints, appropriate child restraint design, selection, and 
placement, and harness threading and harness adjustment on child 
restraints; and
  Train and retrain child passenger safety professionals, police 
officers, fire and emergency medical personnel, and other educators 
concerning all aspects of child restraint use.
  A state may carry out its child passenger protection education 
activities through a state program or through grants to political 
subdivisions of the state or to an appropriate private entity. Each 
state that receives a grant must submit a report that describes the 
program activities carried out with the funds made available under the 
grant. Not later than June 1, 2002, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall report to Congress on the implementation of the program, 
including a description of the programs carried out and materials 
developed and distributed by the states that receive grants under the 
program.
  In each of fiscal years 2000 and 2001, the Transportation 
Appropriations Act provided $7.5 million to finance the Child Passenger 
Protection Education Grant program. It is essential that we continue to 
provide funding for the Child Passenger Protection Education Grant 
program to ensure that we make progress in preventing deaths and 
injuries to children on the nation's highways, and achieve our goal of 
a 25 percent reduction in child occupant fatalities by 2005.

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