[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1331 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1331
To require the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to
prescribe a Federal motor vehicle safety standard for advanced drunk
and impaired driving prevention technology, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 22, 2021
Mr. Lujan (for himself and Mr. Scott of Florida) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to
prescribe a Federal motor vehicle safety standard for advanced drunk
and impaired driving prevention technology, 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 ``Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone
Act of 2021'' or the ``RIDE Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) alcohol-impaired driving fatalities represent
approximately \1/3\ of all highway fatalities in the United
States each year;
(2) in 2019, there were 10,142 alcohol-impaired driving
fatalities in the United States involving drivers with a blood
alcohol concentration level of .08 or higher, and 68 percent of
the crashes that resulted in those fatalities involved a driver
with a blood alcohol concentration level of .15 or higher;
(3) the estimated economic cost for alcohol-impaired
driving in 2010 was $44,000,000,000;
(4) according to the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety, advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention
technology can prevent more than 9,400 alcohol-impaired driving
fatalities annually; and
(5) to ensure the prevention of alcohol-impaired driving
fatalities, advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention
technology must be standard equipment in all new passenger
motor vehicles.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention
technology.--The term ``advanced drunk and impaired driving
prevention technology'' means a system that can--
(A)(i) passively monitor the performance of a
driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify
whether that driver may be impaired; and
(ii) prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if an
impairment is detected; or
(B)(i) passively and accurately detect whether the
blood alcohol concentration of a driver of a motor
vehicle is above the legal limit for blood alcohol
concentration of the jurisdiction in which the vehicle
is located; and
(ii) prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if a
blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit is
detected.
(2) New.--The term ``new'', with respect to a passenger
motor vehicle, means that the passenger motor vehicle--
(A) is a new vehicle (as defined in section 37.3 of
title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor
regulation)); and
(B) has not been purchased for purposes other than
resale.
(3) Passenger motor vehicle.--The term ``passenger motor
vehicle'' has the meaning given the term in section 32101 of
title 49, United States Code.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
SEC. 4. ADVANCED DRUNK AND IMPAIRED DRIVING PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY
SAFETY STANDARD.
(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (c) and not later than 2
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
issue a final rule prescribing a Federal motor vehicle safety standard
under section 30111 of title 49, United States Code, that requires
passenger motor vehicles manufactured after the effective date of that
standard to be equipped with advanced drunk and impaired driving
prevention technology.
(b) Requirements.--
(1) Lead time.--The compliance date of the rule issued
under subsection (a) shall be not more than 2 model years after
the effective date of that rule.
(2) Technical capability.--Any advanced drunk and impaired
driving prevention technology required for new passenger motor
vehicles under subsection (a) that measures blood alcohol
concentration shall use the adult legal limit for blood alcohol
concentration of the jurisdiction in which the passenger motor
vehicle is located.
(c) Timing.--If the Secretary determines that the Federal motor
vehicle safety standard required under subsection (a) cannot meet the
requirements and considerations described in subsections (a) and (b) of
section 30111 of title 49, United States Code, by the applicable date,
the Secretary--
(1) may extend the time period to such date as the
Secretary determines to be necessary, but not later than the
date that is 3 years after the date described in subsection
(a); and
(2) shall, not later than the date described in subsection
(a) and not less frequently than annually thereafter until the
date on which the rule under that subsection is issued, submit
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives a report describing, as of the date of
submission of the report--
(A) the reasons for not prescribing a Federal motor
vehicle safety standard under section 30111 of title
49, United States Code, that requires advanced drunk
and impaired driving prevention technology in all new
passenger motor vehicles;
(B) the deployment of advanced drunk and impaired
driving prevention technology in vehicles;
(C) any information relating to the ability of
vehicle manufacturers to include advanced drunk and
impaired driving prevention technology in new passenger
motor vehicles; and
(D) an anticipated timeline for prescribing the
Federal motor vehicle safety standard described in
subsection (a).
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