49 U.S.C. § 32310 — New Car Assessment Program roadmap
submitted 5 years ago by Pub. L. 117-58 to r/title-49-TRANSPORTATION · 601 words · no verdicts yet
This law makes the Secretary of Transportation publish a 10-year roadmap for the New Car Assessment Program. The roadmap must be updated at least every 4 years and cover both near-term and long-term safety plans. Before finalizing it, the Secretary must take public comments and regularly consult outside safety experts.
(a) Establishment. Within 1 year after this section became law, and at least once every 4 years after that, the Secretary of Transportation must set up a roadmap for how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will run its New Car Assessment Program.
(b) Requirements. (1) Each roadmap covers 10 years, split into (A) a mid-term plan for the first 5 years, and (B) a long-term plan for the last 5 years. (2) Each roadmap must follow the planning rules in section 306 of title 5, section 1115 of title 31, section 24401 of the FAST Act, and any other relevant NHTSA plans.
(c) Contents. Each roadmap must include: (1) a plan for changing the New Car Assessment Program, including (A) steps to update the vehicle safety information developed under section 32302(a) — like new test procedures, test devices, test fixtures, and safety metrics — using objective criteria to judge safety technologies and giving manufacturers reasonable time to comply with new or updated tests; (B) key milestones showing when each action starts, finishes, and takes effect; and (C) an explanation of how each update will improve that safety information. (2) A list of safety opportunities and technologies, ranked by priority — for the mid-term plan, ones that are practical now and have objective tests, evaluation criteria, and consumer data ready; for the long-term plan, ones that exist or are being developed. (3) A list of any safety opportunity or technology that came up through the Secretary's ongoing activities under subsections (d) or (e) but isn't included in the roadmap, the reasons it was left out, and what would need to happen for it to make it into a future roadmap. (4) Consideration of how helpful it would be to keep this roadmap consistent with other U.S. and international vehicle-rating systems.
(d) Considerations. Before finalizing a roadmap, the Secretary must (1) release it for public comment, (2) review the comments received, and (3) fold in whichever comments the Secretary thinks are appropriate.
(e) Stakeholder engagement. At least once a year, the Secretary must talk with a range of technical experts and viewpoints to (1) find new safety opportunities or technologies in development for future roadmaps, and chances to work with or match up with outside safety-rating programs; (2) help with long-term planning; (3) get an interim update on how the next roadmap is coming together; and (4) gather any other feedback the Secretary thinks would help improve the New Car Assessment Program.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and not less frequently than once every 4 years thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish a roadmap for the implementation of the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A roadmap under subsection (a) shall—
cover a term of 10 years, consisting of—
a mid-term component covering the initial 5 years of the term; and
a long-term component covering the final 5 years of the term; and
be in accordance with—
section 24401 of the FAST Act (49 U.S.C. 105 note; Public Law 114–94); and
any other relevant plans of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A roadmap under subsection (a) shall include—
a plan for any changes to the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including—
descriptions of actions to be carried out to update the passenger motor vehicle information developed under section 32302(a), including the development of test procedures, test devices, test fixtures, and safety performance metrics, which shall, as applicable, incorporate—
objective criteria for evaluating safety technologies; and
reasonable time periods for compliance with new or updated tests;
key milestones, including the anticipated start of an action, completion of an action, and effective date of an update; and
descriptions of the means by which an update will improve the passenger motor vehicle information developed under section 32302(a);
an identification and prioritization of safety opportunities and technologies—
with respect to the mid-term component of the roadmap under subsection (b)(1)(A)—
that are practicable; and
for which objective rating tests, evaluation criteria, and other consumer data exist for a market-based, consumer information approach; and
with respect to the long-term component of the roadmap under subsection (b)(1)(B), exist or are in development;
an identification of—
any safety opportunity or technology that—
is identified through the activities carried out pursuant to subsection (d) or (e); and
is not included in the roadmap under paragraph (2);
the reasons why such a safety opportunity or technology is not included in the roadmap; and
any developments or information that would be necessary for the Secretary to consider including such a safety opportunity or technology in a future roadmap; and
consideration of the benefits of consistency with other rating systems used—
within the United States; and
internationally.
Before finalizing a roadmap under this section, the Secretary shall—
make the roadmap available for public comment;
review any public comments received under paragraph (1); and
incorporate in the roadmap under this section those comments, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall engage stakeholders that represent a diversity of technical backgrounds and viewpoints—
to identify—
safety opportunities or technologies in development that could be included in future roadmaps; and
opportunities to benefit from collaboration or harmonization with third-party safety rating programs;
to assist with long-term planning;
to provide an interim update of the status and development of the following roadmap to be established under subsection (a); and
to collect feedback or other information that the Secretary determines to be relevant to enhancing the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 117–58, div. B, title IV, § 24213(c)(1), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 827.)
- 2021Enacted · Pub. L. 117-58 · 135 Stat. 827
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 117-58 on 2021-11-15.
all 0 arguments · sorted by: best
no arguments yet — make the first case