[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 169 (Thursday, October 24, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6158-S6159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth):
S. 2700. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for
efforts relating to Move Over laws, to amend title 49, United States
Code, to require crash avoidance technology on motor vehicles, and for
other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2700
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 ``Protecting Roadside First
Responders Act''.
SEC. 2. MOVE OVER LAWS.
(a) Highway Safety Programs.--Section 402 of title 23,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(o) Move Over Laws.--
``(1) Definition of move over law.--In this subsection, the
term `Move Over law' means a State law intended to ensure
first responder and motorist safety by requiring motorists to
change lanes or slow down when approaching an authorized
emergency vehicle that is parked or otherwise stopped on a
roadway.
[[Page S6159]]
``(2) Compliance with move over laws.--For each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2025, subject to the requirements of the
highway safety plan of a State under subsection (k), as
approved by the Secretary, a State may use a portion of the
amounts received under this section to implement statewide
efforts to improve compliance with Move Over laws in the
State.
``(3) Use of funds.--Statewide efforts under paragraph (2)
may include--
``(A) purchasing and deploying digital alert technology
that is capable of sending alerts to civilian drivers to
protect first responders on the scene and en route; and
``(B) educating the public about Move Over laws in the
State through public information campaigns.''.
(b) Study on Move Over Law Public Awareness Campaigns.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation shall seek
to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of
Sciences under which the National Academy of Sciences shall
carry out a study on the efficacy of Move Over laws (as
defined in section 402(o) of title 23, United States Code)
and related public awareness campaigns.
(2) Report.--On the completion of the report under
paragraph (1), the National Academy of Sciences shall submit
to the Secretary of Transportation and to Congress a report
on--
(A) the findings of the study; and
(B) any recommendations to improve public awareness
campaigns related to the laws described in that paragraph.
(c) National Priority Safety Programs.--
(1) In general.--Section 405 of title 23, United States
Code, is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in paragraph (6), by striking ``5'' and inserting
``4'';
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (10) as
paragraphs (9) through (11), respectively; and
(iii) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
``(8) Preventing roadside deaths.--In each fiscal year, 1
percent of the funds provided under this section shall be
allocated among States that meet requirements with respect to
preventing roadside deaths (as described in subsection
(i)).''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Preventing Roadside Deaths.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to
States to prevent death and injury from crashes involving
vehicles striking vehicles and individuals stopped at the
roadside.
``(2) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of
carrying out an activity funded through a grant under this
subsection may not exceed 80 percent.
``(3) Eligibility.--A State shall receive a grant under
this subsection in a fiscal year if the State submits to the
Secretary a plan that describes how the State will use funds
provided under the grant, in accordance with paragraph (4).
``(4) Use of funds.--Amounts received by a State under this
subsection shall be used by the State--
``(A) to purchase and deploy digital alert technology (as
described in section 4(b) of the Protecting Roadside First
Responders Act);
``(B) to educate the public about the safety of vehicles
and individuals stopped at the roadside in the State through
public information campaigns for the purpose of reducing
roadside deaths and injury;
``(C) for law enforcement costs related to enforcing State
laws to protect the safety of vehicles and individuals
stopped at the roadside; and
``(D) for programs to identify, collect, and report data to
State and local government agencies relating to crashes
involving vehicles and individuals stopped at the roadside.
``(5) Grant amount.--The allocation of grant funds to a
State under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be in
proportion to the apportionment of that State under section
402 for fiscal year 2009.''.
(2) Sense of congress relating to funding.--It is the sense
of Congress that the national priority program for preventing
roadside deaths under subsections (a)(8) and (i) of section
405 of title 23, United States Code, should receive new and
additional funding in comparison to the funding level for all
national priority programs under section 405 of title 23,
United States Code, for fiscal year 2020.
SEC. 3. CRASH AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGY.
(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 301 of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``Sec. 30129. Crash avoidance technology
``(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue a final
rule to establish minimum performance standards with respect
to crash avoidance technology and to require that all motor
vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States on or
after the compliance date under subsection (b) are equipped
with--
``(1) a forward collision warning and automatic emergency
braking system that--
``(A) alerts the driver if the distance to a vehicle ahead
or object in the path of travel ahead is closing too quickly
and a collision is imminent; and
``(B) automatically applies the brakes if the driver fails
to do so;
``(2) a lane departure warning and lane keeping assist
system that--
``(A) warns the driver to maintain the lane of travel; and
``(B) corrects the course of travel if the driver fails to
do so; and
``(3) a blind zone detection system that--
``(A) warns the driver if another vehicle or road user is
in the blind zone of the vehicle; and
``(B) provides an additional alert if the driver attempts
to change the course of travel while another vehicle or road
user is in the blind zone of the vehicle.
``(b) Compliance Date.--Compliance with the final rule
under subsection (a) shall be required beginning for the
model year that begins not later than 2 years after the date
on which the final rule is published in the Federal
Register.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for subchapter II of
chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 30128 the
following:
``30129. Crash avoidance technology.''.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL VEHICLE FLEETS.
(a) Crash Avoidance Technology.--Not later than 5 years
after the date of enactment of this Act, in accordance with
section 30129 of title 49, United States Code, the head of
each Federal agency shall ensure that each new vehicle
purchased or leased as part of a Federal fleet of the agency
is equipped with--
(1) a forward collision warning and automatic emergency
braking system that--
(A) alerts the driver if the distance to a vehicle ahead or
object in the path of travel ahead is closing too quickly and
a collision is imminent; and
(B) automatically applies the brakes if the driver fails to
do so;
(2) a lane departure warning and lane keeping assist system
that--
(A) warns the driver to maintain the lane of travel; and
(B) corrects the course of travel if the driver fails to do
so; and
(3) a blind zone detection system that--
(A) warns the driver if another vehicle or road user is in
the blind zone of the vehicle; and
(B) provides an additional alert if the driver attempts to
change the course of travel while another vehicle or road
user is in the blind zone of the vehicle.
(b) Digital Alert Technology.--Not later than 5 years after
the date of enactment of this Act, the head of each Federal
agency shall ensure that each vehicle in a Federal fleet of
the agency--
(1) if the vehicle is used for emergency response
activities, is equipped with digital alert technology that is
capable of sending alerts to civilian drivers to protect
first responders on the scene and en route; and
(2) is equipped with digital alert technology (which may be
provided by an aftermarket device) that is capable of
receiving alerts regarding nearby first responders.
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