PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 27, 2017
Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act of 2017 or the HOT CARS Act of 2017
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a final rule requiring all new passenger motor vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight to be equipped with a system to alert the operator to check rear designated seating positions after the vehicle engine is turned off.
The alert shall: (1) include a distinct auditory and visual alert, which may be combined with a haptic alert (i.e., vibrations); and (2) be activated when the vehicle engine is turned off.
DOT must enter into an agreement with an independent third-party for a study on retrofitting existing passenger motor vehicles with technology to address the problem of children left in rear seats after the vehicle engine is turned off.
People & committees
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · D–CT
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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