[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 27, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H3686-H3688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CHILD PASSENGER PROTECTION EDUCATION GRANTS EXTENSION

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 691) to extend the authorization of funding for child 
passenger protection education grants through fiscal year 2003.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 691

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CHILD PASSENGER PROTECTION EDUCATION GRANTS.

       Section 2003(b)(7) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 
     21st Century (23 U.S.C. 405 note; 112 Stat. 328) is amended 
     by striking ``and 2001'' and inserting ``through 2003''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Idaho (Mr. Simpson) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include therein extraneous material on H.R. 691.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Idaho?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for the bill of the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), H.R. 691. This 
noncontroversial legislation will extend the life of the Child 
Passenger Protection Education Grant Program for an additional 2 years. 
TEA-21 authorized $7.5 million for fiscal year 2000 and 2001 to fund 
this program.
  This legislation simply extends that authorization for an additional 
2 years, to fiscal year 2003, making the program consistent with the 
reauthorization timeline of TEA-21.
  Forty-eight States, the District of Columbia, and the Territories 
have all received grants through this Child Passenger Protection 
Education Grant Program. These grants are designed to prevent deaths 
and injuries to children, educate the public concerning the proper 
installation of child restraints, and train child passenger safety 
personnel concerning child restraint use.
  Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
reported H.R. 691 by a voice vote on May 16, 2001; and today I ask that 
the House suspend the rules and pass H.R. 691.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today we bring to the floor H.R. 691, a bill to extend 
the child passenger protection education program and preserve our 
Nation's most precious resource, our children.
  H.R. 691 authorizes $7.5 million from the general fund for each of 
the fiscal years 2002 and 2003, to make incentive grants to States to 
implement child passenger protection programs. Unlike other TEA-21 
programs, the child passenger protection education grant program 
expires at the end of 2001.
  H.R. 691 extends the program to 2003, consistent with the 
authorization period for other TEA-21 programs.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 691 does not affect direct spending, therefore, 
offsetting spending reductions are not required. The objective of the 
bill and the program it authorizes is to prevent deaths and injuries to 
children, educate the public concerning the proper installation of 
proper restraints, and train child passenger safety personnel 
concerning child restraint use.
  Every day children sustain injuries or die in motor vehicle crashes. 
In 1999, more than 1,100 children under the age of 10 were killed in 
motor vehicle crashes and another 182,000 were injured.
  Many of these injuries and deaths could have been avoided with the 
correct use of safety seats and seat belts; however, many adults are 
unaware they are using safety restraints incorrectly or not at all, 
thereby placing their child at risk.
  In the fiscal year 2000, in my own State of Washington, child 
passenger protection education grant funds were used to train 196 law 
enforcement and child passenger safety certified technicians and 11 
certified instructors, establish 25 law enforcement community child 
passenger safety teams covering 27 of the 39 counties in the State 
focusing on Native American and Hispanic populations, and conduct 75 
child passenger safety awareness events.
  In fiscal year 2001, my State of Washington is using its funds to 
train an additional 100 child passenger safety technicians, conduct 
additional events and clinics, establish additional community child 
passenger safety teams, and implement a public education program to 
promote the Nation's first booster seat law.
  Mr. Speaker, these types of activities are being reflected in State 
programs across the Nation, the emphasis being placed on cultural and 
ethnic minorities, rural and low-income and special needs populations, 
and documented low-usage areas based upon available surveys and 
crashing data.
  The child passenger protection education program is reducing the 
number of children being killed in traffic crashes across the country 
and is deserving of our strong support. I strongly support the bill and 
urge its approval.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski).
  (Mr. BORSKI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, let me first commend the manager of the 
bill, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen), who has become a very 
productive member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
in his short time here.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to pay my compliments to the 
distinguished gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), ranking member 
of the full committee, who is a great Member of Congress and a great 
leader of transportation.
  I do not know of anyone in the Congress who has been a better 
protector

[[Page H3687]]

of the traveling public, and I want to commend him for his wisdom in 
sponsoring this bill and bringing it before the Congress today.
  Mr. Speaker, in the last 25 years, the Nation has made significant 
gains in child passenger safety. Since 1975, child restraint systems 
have saved the lives of more than 4,000 children involved in automobile 
crashes.
  During that time, the fatality rate for children has decreased 
steadily; however, the number of deaths has not dropped rapidly due to 
population increases and a doubling of highway travel. In 1999, 1,135 
children, 10 years of age and under were killed; and 182,000 were 
injured in highway crashes.
  Child restraint systems are effective. In 1998, only 8 percent of all 
children under age 5 rode unrestrained, but they accounted for more 
than half of all child-occupant fatalities.
  Without doubt, the single most effective way to protect our children 
in the event of a crash is to ensure that all children are buckled up 
in their appropriate restraint system on every trip.
  H.R. 691 will help us do that. The bill will support State programs 
to educate the public on child restraints and help us continue to 
reduce the tragic toll of deaths and injuries of our children on the 
Nation's highways.
  In fiscal year 2000, Mr. Speaker, the State of Pennsylvania received 
$323,000 in Child Passenger Protection Education Grant funds to 
establish child passenger safety fitting stations in all State police 
barracks and increase the awareness of rural and minority populations 
in the State.
  In fiscal year 2001, the State is using its funds to purchase 17 
mobile fitting stations, fund child safety passenger safety courses, 
and develop new materials to promote child passenger safety among 
health and medical personnel.
  Mr. Speaker, I, again, want to commend the gentleman from Minnesota 
(Mr. Oberstar) for his leadership in bringing this measure before us, 
and I strongly support the bill and I urge its approval.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

                              {time}  1830

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington for 
yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I join the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), 
ranking member of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit in 
complimenting the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) on his 
leadership and his hard work in being a very studious, energetic member 
of our Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and on this 
particular subcommittee as well. I thank the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania for his very kind comments. I am grateful for those good 
words.
  I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the chairman of the 
full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), for agreeing to 
move this legislation quickly and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Petri), chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit for moving 
this bill, recognizing that there is a deadline upon us that we must 
close and we must get this legislation enacted so that the programs can 
be funded.
  I introduced this bill on Valentine's Day earlier this year to 
protect our most cherished loved ones, our children. I was an advocate 
in ISTEA and again in TEA-21 for this legislation for its funding, 
which has provided $7.5 million in each of the previous fiscal years 
for the child protection education grant program.
  But unlike the other programs of TEA-21, this particular program 
expired this year. So we need to provide authorization for funding in 
the coming fiscal years 2002 and 2003 so that the excellent work can 
get under way again and continue programs that the States have so 
vigorously and effectively initiated.
  In 1999, there were 1,400 children under the age of 15 killed in 
vehicle crashes and another 300,000 who were injured. But the startling 
statistic is six out of the 10 killed in those crashes were 
unrestrained. That is not acceptable.
  The previous administration established a goal to increase seatbelt 
use nationwide and reduce child occupant fatalities, a goal of 15 
percent by 2000 and 25 percent by 2005. The grant program has been very 
effective in achieving those goals.
  Congress did provide the funds. Forty-eight States and the District 
of Columbia and the territories have received grants under the program. 
Since 1997, the number of child fatalities from traffic crashes has 
declined 17 percent. That exceeded the goal, 15 percent, by the end of 
last year.
  Restraint for children, infants has risen to 97 percent from where it 
was in 1996, 85 percent. For children age one to four, it is up from 60 
percent in 1996 to 91 percent for last year.
  Now, I have a personal witness of how effective this program can be. 
My late wife and I insisted with our children that they all use their 
child restraint, seatbelt, car seat. Those children, the oldest two 
right now are old enough to have their own family and their own 
children.
  When I am in Kenosha, Wisconsin, visiting the Tower family, Emma, age 
4, and Lilly, age 2, will not allow the ignition in the car to be 
turned on until they are buckled into their seats and safely strapped 
in. That is the first thing they do when they get in the car.
  When I am in Sacramento with son Ted Oberstar and granddaughter 
Katherine, age 4, and granddaughter Claire, age 2, the same story. 
Grandpa, we cannot move until we are buckled up. And buckled up 
comfortably, too, by the way. They want to be just right in that seat. 
Then they want to make sure that I am buckled in because, once in a 
while, I am so busy dealing with them and other things and talking that 
I do not strap myself in before the key is turned on; and they say, 
make sure that grandpa is buckled in.
  Education works, and it is passed on from one generation to the next. 
That is the message. The program that we have instituted has proven 
itself. It has prevented death. It has prevented injuries. It helps 
educate the public on all aspects of proper installation of child 
restraints.
  Children today of the age when we began teaching them child restraint 
seats is an important safety issue now are insisting on buying vehicles 
that are properly equipped with the right kind of seat restraint 
facilities in the car to accept any kind of child restraint seat or 
infant carriage device.
  My oldest daughter will not nurse her now 10-week-old child while the 
car is moving. Believe me, that is not very pleasant when you have a 
poor little baby who is very hungry, who wants to nurse. But not until 
the car is stopped and we are not moving will that child come out of 
its child restraint seat.
  So the point is that the message has worked. Education is effective. 
But not everybody has got the message. That is why we need this 
legislation, why we need this $7.5 million funding. It is a modest 
amount. It is peanuts compared to the $218 billion in TEA-21 over the 6 
years.
  It is available to train safety professionals, police officers, fire 
and emergency medical personnel, high school educators, grade school, 
elementary school educators in safety and in all aspects of child 
restraint use.
  Every State that gets a grant submits a report to the Department of 
Transportation describing the activities they have carried out with the 
funds made available under the grant, and the Secretary of 
Transportation will report to Congress within the coming year on the 
success of this program with a complete description of all the programs 
carried out, materials developed, and the success stories from the 
States.
  I urge the passage of this legislation by this body, promptly by the 
other body, signature into law by the President, and implementation 
with the adequate funding that we need to carry it out.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Oberstar) in his dedication on this subject in making sure this gets 
done. It is a very important subject.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield for just a 
moment.
  Mr. SIMPSON. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I apologize for not thanking the gentleman 
from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) for

[[Page H3688]]

 pinch-hitting on the floor and substituting and helping us move this 
bill. We are grateful for the gentleman's care and concern, and I thank 
him for his kind words.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to do so. I want to thank 
the gentleman for his support on this subject and his interest in it 
and his dedication to it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kennedy of Minnesota). The question is 
on the motion offered by the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) that 
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 691.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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