[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]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      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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