[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1226 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1226
To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to conduct activities to
improve worldwide traffic safety, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 12, 2003
Mr. Bereuter (for himself and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to conduct activities to
improve worldwide traffic safety, and for other purposes.
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 ``Safer Roads Everywhere Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In 2000, according to the World Health Organization,
road traffic injuries were among the top 3 causes of death and
disability burden worldwide for people between 5 and 44 years
old.
(2) In 2000, road traffic injuries were the leading injury-
related cause of death among youths worldwide and among the top
10 causes of death and disability for all ages combined.
(3) In 2000, road traffic injuries caused 1,259,838 deaths
worldwide and resulted in a loss of 41,234,097 life-years to
disability.
(4) Traffic safety will be a focus of a major international
health campaign in 2004.
(5) The Department of State reports that road traffic
accidents are a leading cause of death and injury of United
States citizens when traveling or living abroad.
(6) Through international cooperative activities the United
States can gain knowledge regarding better traffic safety
practices and programs worldwide and use that knowledge to
improve traffic safety in the United States.
(7) It is estimated that annual costs attributable to road
crashes are $500,000,000,000 globally and $65,000,000,000 in
developing and transitional countries.
SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE WORLDWIDE TRAFFIC SAFETY.
Section 401 of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The
Secretary''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Worldwide Traffic Safety.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may conduct activities to
improve worldwide traffic safety and reduce the burden of
deaths and injuries from traffic accidents.
``(2) Activities.--Activities conducted under this
subsection may include the following:
``(A) Activities to promote and support
international cooperative programs for conducting
research, development, demonstration projects,
training, governmental twinning arrangements, and other
forms of technology transfer and exchange, including
development of international plans of action, safety
conferences, seminars, and expositions, and
partnerships between non-governmental organizations in
the United States and civil society in other countries
to enhance international traffic safety and to reduce
traffic-related injuries and deaths.
``(B) Technical assistance to international
organizations and other countries relating to training
and development of strategies, plans of action,
standards, regulations, or practices to improve traffic
safety, raise awareness of the socioeconomic and public
health benefits of traffic safety measures, and reduce
traffic injuries and deaths.
``(3) Consultation.--As appropriate, the Secretary shall
carry out activities under this subsection in consultation with
the Secretaries of State and Commerce.
``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Administrator of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration to carry out this subsection
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2009. Such
sums shall remain available until expended.''.
<all>