To improve consumer awareness of motor vehicle safety.

January 26, 2004

Mr. DEWINE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

To improve consumer awareness of motor vehicle safety.

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 `Consumer Vehicle Safety Awareness Act of 2004'.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF AUTOMOBILE INFORMATION DISCLOSURE ACT.

(a) SAFETY LABELING REQUIREMENT- Section 3 of the Automobile Information Disclosure Act (15 U.S.C. 1232) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(g) if a safety rating for such automobile has been assigned and formally published by the National Highway Safety Administration under the New Car Assessment Program for at least 60 days prior to the delivery or introduction date of the automobile, the safety rating assigned to such automobile, displayed in text or graphics that--

`(1) include, as applicable--

`(A) a graphic depiction of the number of stars that corresponds to such safety rating displayed in a bright color clearly differentiated from stars indicating the unattained safety rating;

`(B) a statement that the automobile has been assigned a safety rating of zero stars in text of similar size and in the same location as the stars would otherwise have been depicted; or

`(C) a statement explaining that multiple safety ratings have been assigned and listing such ratings;

`(2) cover at least 8 percent of the total area of the label; and

`(3) contain a heading titled `Government Safety Information' and a disclaimer including the following text: `Star ratings can be compared between vehicles of similar size and weight. For more information on safety and testing, please visit http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov'; and

`(h) if no safety rating has been assigned to such automobile by the National Highway Safety Administration under the New Car Assessment Program, a statement to that effect.'.

(b) REGULATIONS- Not later than January 1, 2006, the Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe regulations to implement the labeling requirements added pursuant to subsection (a).

(c) CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS- Section 3 of such Act is further amended--

(1) in subsection (e), by striking `and' after the semicolon; and

(2) in subsection (f)--

(A) by adding `and' at the end of paragraph (3); and

(B) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon.

(d) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by subsection (a) and subsection (c) shall take effect on January 1, 2006.

END