[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2867 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2867
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 28, 2021
Mrs. Bustos introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committees on Oversight and Reform, and Energy and Commerce, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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.
``(2) Compliance with move over laws.--For each of fiscal
years 2022 through 2026, 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 Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 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 Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine shall submit to the Secretary of Transportation
and to Congress and make publicly available 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 the first fiscal year beginning after
the date of enactment of this Act.
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 passenger motor vehicles (as defined in
section 32101) and commercial motor vehicles (as defined in section
31101) 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 an object or person, including a
pedestrian, a bicyclist, and any other road user, 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, an
object, or a person, including a pedestrian, a
bicyclist, and any other 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, an object, or a person, including a
pedestrian, a bicyclist, and any other 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 passenger motor vehicle (as defined in section
32101 of that title) and commercial motor vehicle (as defined in
section 31101 of that title) 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 an object or person, including a pedestrian, a
bicyclist, or any other road user, 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, an object,
or a person, including a pedestrian, a bicyclist, and
any other 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, an object, or a person, including a
pedestrian, a bicyclist, and any other 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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