PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · May 12, 2021
Hot Cars Act of 2021
This bill requires safety measures in passenger cars to reduce injuries or deaths from heatstroke and other harms to occupants of unattended vehicles.
Specifically, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must issue a motor vehicle safety standard that requires certain new passenger motor vehicles to include a system that detects and warns of the presence of an unattended occupant in the passenger compartment. The NHTSA must issue the final rule prescribing the safety standard within two years after the enactment of this bill, with full compliance with the standard required not later than two years after the rule is issued.
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After the standard is issued, the Department of Transportation must periodically contract with an independent third party to study retrofitting passenger motor vehicles with technologies and products that detect and warn when there is an unattended occupant in the passenger compartment. The study must identify relevant technologies and products to retrofit vehicles and provide recommendations about testing such technologies and products. Information about the performance of the technologies and products must be published on the NHTSA's website.
People & committees
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13] · D–OH
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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