USC Subchapter I

in effect

49 U.S.C. § 30101 Purpose and policy

The purpose of this chapter is to reduce traffic accidents and deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accidents. Therefore it is necessary— (1) to prescribe motor vehicle safety standards for motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment in interstate commerce; and (2) to carry out needed safety research and development.

49 U.S.C. § 30102 Definitions

(a) General Definitions.—In this chapter—(1) “covered rental vehicle” means a motor vehicle that—(A) has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less; (B) is rented without a driver for an initial term of less than 4 months; and (C) is part of a motor vehicle fleet of 35 or more motor vehicles that are used for rental purposes by a rental company. (2) “dealer” means a person selling and distributing new motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment primarily to purchasers that in good faith purchase the vehicles or equipment other than for resale. (3) “defect” includes any defect in performance, construction, a component, or material of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment. (4) “distributor” means a person primarily selling and distributing motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment for resale. (5) “interstate commerce” means commerce between a place in a State and a place in another State or between places in the same State through another State. (6) “manufacturer” means a person—(A) manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment; or (B) importing motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment for resale. (7) “motor vehicle” means a vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power and manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways, but does not include a vehicle operated only on a rail line. (8) “motor vehicle equipment” means—(A) any system, part, or component of a motor vehicle as originally manufactured; (B) any similar part or component manufactured or sold for replacement or improvement of a system, part, or component, or as an accessory or addition to a motor vehicle; or (C) any device or an article or apparel, including a motorcycle helmet and excluding medicine or eyeglasses prescribed by a licensed practitioner, that—(i) is not a system, part, or component of a motor vehicle; and (ii) is manufactured, sold, delivered, or offered to be sold for use on public streets, roads, and highways with the apparent purpose of safeguarding users of motor vehicles against risk of accident, injury, or death. (9) “motor vehicle safety” means the performance of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in a way that protects the public against unreasonable risk of accidents occurring because of the design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle, and against unreasonable risk of death or injury in an accident, and includes nonoperational safety of a motor vehicle. (10) “motor vehicle safety standard” means a minimum standard for motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment performance. (11) “rental company” means a person who—(A) is engaged in the business of renting covered rental vehicles; and (B) uses for rental purposes a motor vehicle fleet of 35 or more covered rental vehicles, on average, during the calendar year. (12) “State” means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. (13) “United States district court” means a district court of the United States, a United States court for Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and the district court for the Northern Mariana Islands. (b) Limited Definitions.—(1) In sections 30117(b), 30118–30121, and 30166(f) of this title—(A) “adequate repair” does not include repair resulting in substantially impaired operation of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment; (B) “first purchaser” means the first purchaser of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment other than for resale; (C) “original equipment” means motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) installed in or on a motor vehicle at the time of delivery to the first purchaser; (D) “replacement equipment” means motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) that is not original equipment; (E) a brand name owner of a tire marketed under a brand name not owned by the manufacturer of the tire is deemed to be the manufacturer of the tire; (F) a defect in original equipment, or noncompliance of original equipment with a motor vehicle safety standard prescribed under this chapter, is deemed to be a defect or noncompliance of the motor vehicle in or on which the equipment was installed at the time of delivery to the first purchaser; (G) a manufacturer of a motor vehicle in or on which original equipment was installed when delivered to the first purchaser is deemed to be the manufacturer of the equipment; and (H) a retreader of a tire is deemed to be the manufacturer of the tire. (2) The Secretary of Transportation may prescribe regulations changing paragraph (1)(C), (D), (F), or (G) of this subsection.

49 U.S.C. § 30103 Relationship to other laws

(a) Uniformity of Regulations.—The Secretary of Transportation may not prescribe a safety regulation related to a motor vehicle subject to subchapter I of chapter 135 of this title that differs from a motor vehicle safety standard prescribed under this chapter. However, the Secretary may prescribe, for a motor vehicle operated by a carrier subject to subchapter I of chapter 135, a safety regulation that imposes a higher standard of performance after manufacture than that required by an applicable standard in effect at the time of manufacture. (b) Preemption.—(1) When a motor vehicle safety standard is in effect under this chapter, a State or a political subdivision of a State may prescribe or continue in effect a standard applicable to the same aspect of performance of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment only if the standard is identical to the standard prescribed under this chapter. However, the United States Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a State may prescribe a standard for a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment obtained for its own use that imposes a higher performance requirement than that required by the otherwise applicable standard under this chapter. (2) A State may enforce a standard that is identical to a standard prescribed under this chapter. (c) Antitrust Laws.—This chapter does not—(1) exempt from the antitrust laws conduct that is unlawful under those laws; or (2) prohibit under the antitrust laws conduct that is lawful under those laws. (d) Warranty Obligations and Additional Legal Rights and Remedies.—Sections 30117(b), 30118–30121, 30166(f), and 30167(a) and (b) of this title do not establish or affect a warranty obligation under a law of the United States or a State. A remedy under those sections and sections 30161 and 30162 of this title is in addition to other rights and remedies under other laws of the United States or a State. (e) Common Law Liability.—Compliance with a motor vehicle safety standard prescribed under this chapter does not exempt a person from liability at common law.

49 U.S.C. § 30104 Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $98,313,500 for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to carry out this part in each fiscal year beginning in fiscal year 1999 and ending in fiscal year 2001.

49 U.S.C. § 30105 Restriction on lobbying activities

(a) In General.—No funds appropriated to the Secretary for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall be available for any activity specifically designed to urge a State or local legislator to favor or oppose the adoption of any specific legislative proposal pending before any State or local legislative body. (b) Appearance as Witness Not Barred.—Subsection (a) does not prohibit officers or employees of the United States from testifying before any State or local legislative body in response to the invitation of any member of that legislative body or a State executive office.

49 U.S.C. § 30106 Rented or leased motor vehicle safety and responsibility

(a) In General.—An owner of a motor vehicle that rents or leases the vehicle to a person (or an affiliate of the owner) shall not be liable under the law of any State or political subdivision thereof, by reason of being the owner of the vehicle (or an affiliate of the owner), for harm to persons or property that results or arises out of the use, operation, or possession of the vehicle during the period of the rental or lease, if—(1) the owner (or an affiliate of the owner) is engaged in the trade or business of renting or leasing motor vehicles; and (2) there is no negligence or criminal wrongdoing on the part of the owner (or an affiliate of the owner). (b) Financial Responsibility Laws.—Nothing in this section supersedes the law of any State or political subdivision thereof—(1) imposing financial responsibility or insurance standards on the owner of a motor vehicle for the privilege of registering and operating a motor vehicle; or (2) imposing liability on business entities engaged in the trade or business of renting or leasing motor vehicles for failure to meet the financial responsibility or liability insurance requirements under State law. (c) Applicability and Effective Date.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this section shall apply with respect to any action commenced on or after the date of enactment of this section without regard to whether the harm that is the subject of the action, or the conduct that caused the harm, occurred before such date of enactment. (d) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:(1) Affiliate.—The term “affiliate” means a person other than the owner that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the owner. In the preceding sentence, the term “control” means the power to direct the management and policies of a person whether through ownership of voting securities or otherwise. (2) Owner.—The term “owner” means a person who is—(A) a record or beneficial owner, holder of title, lessor, or lessee of a motor vehicle; (B) entitled to the use and possession of a motor vehicle subject to a security interest in another person; or (C) a lessor, lessee, or a bailee of a motor vehicle, in the trade or business of renting or leasing motor vehicles, having the use or possession thereof, under a lease, bailment, or otherwise. (3) Person.—The term “person” means any individual, corporation, company, limited liability company, trust, association, firm, partnership, society, joint stock company, or any other entity.