§32310 — Title 49 Transportation | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must create a 10‑year roadmap for carrying out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program. The roadmap must be ready within 1 year after the date of enactment and then updated at least once every 4 years. It must cover a 5‑year mid‑term and a 5‑year long‑term plan, and it must follow section 306 of title 5; section 1115 of title 31; section 24401 of the FAST Act (49 U.S.C. 105 note; Public Law 114–94); and other relevant NHTSA plans. The roadmap must explain planned changes to the program, including updates to test procedures, test devices, test fixtures, and safety performance measures, and must include objective criteria and reasonable time frames for compliance. It must show key milestones (start, finish, and effective dates) and say how updates will improve the consumer safety information. The plan must list and prioritize safety opportunities and technologies for the mid‑term (practical and supported by objective tests and consumer data) and for the long‑term (existing or in development). It must also note any safety ideas found later that were left out, explain why, and state what new information would be needed to add them. Before final approval the Secretary must seek and review public comment and may include those comments. At least once a year the Secretary must meet with diverse technical stakeholders to identify future technologies, find collaboration or harmonization opportunities, help with long‑term planning, give interim updates, and gather feedback to improve the program.

Title 49, §32310

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)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.

(b)A roadmap under subsection (a) shall—

(1)cover a term of 10 years, consisting of—

(A)a mid-term component covering the initial 5 years of the term; and

(B)a long-term component covering the final 5 years of the term; and

(2)be in accordance with—

(A)section 306 of title 5;

(B)section 1115 of title 31;

(C)section 24401 of the FAST Act (49 U.S.C. 105 note; Public Law 114–94); and

(D)any other relevant plans of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

(c)A roadmap under subsection (a) shall include—

(1)a plan for any changes to the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including—

(A)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—

(i)objective criteria for evaluating safety technologies; and

(ii)reasonable time periods for compliance with new or updated tests;

(B)key milestones, including the anticipated start of an action, completion of an action, and effective date of an update; and

(C)descriptions of the means by which an update will improve the passenger motor vehicle information developed under section 32302(a);

(2)an identification and prioritization of safety opportunities and technologies—

(A)with respect to the mid-term component of the roadmap under subsection (b)(1)(A)—

(i)that are practicable; and

(ii)for which objective rating tests, evaluation criteria, and other consumer data exist for a market-based, consumer information approach; and

(B)with respect to the long-term component of the roadmap under subsection (b)(1)(B), exist or are in development;

(3)an identification of—

(A)any safety opportunity or technology that—

(i)is identified through the activities carried out pursuant to subsection (d) or (e); and

(ii)is not included in the roadmap under paragraph (2);

(B)the reasons why such a safety opportunity or technology is not included in the roadmap; and

(C)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

(4)consideration of the benefits of consistency with other rating systems used—

(A)within the United States; and

(B)internationally.

(d)Before finalizing a roadmap under this section, the Secretary shall—

(1)make the roadmap available for public comment;

(2)review any public comments received under paragraph (1); and

(3)incorporate in the roadmap under this section those comments, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(e)Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall engage stakeholders that represent a diversity of technical backgrounds and viewpoints—

(1)to identify—

(A)safety opportunities or technologies in development that could be included in future roadmaps; and

(B)opportunities to benefit from collaboration or harmonization with third-party safety rating programs;

(2)to assist with long-term planning;

(3)to provide an interim update of the status and development of the following roadmap to be established under subsection (a); and

(4)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.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117–58, which was approved Nov. 15, 2021.

§32310 New Car Assessment Program roadmap

Summary

Title 49, §32310

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

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