Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 2, 2015
Repairing Every Car to Avoid Lost Lives Act or the RECALL Act
This bill declares that a state is in compliance with safety recall requirements if the state agency responsible for motor vehicle registration ensures, by a motor vehicle identification number search of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall database, that each registered owner of a motor vehicle registered in the state is notified of all recalls issued by the vehicle's manufacturer by certain deadlines, depending on when the vehicle is registered.
A state must also require that owners complete all recall remedies as a prerequisite for motor vehicle registration renewal, with the following exceptions:
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the owner had not been notified of the recall before being notified of the need to renew;
the manufacturer, through a local dealership, has not given the owner reasonable opportunity to complete a recall remedy because of a shortage of parts or qualified labor; or
the owner demonstrates to the state that he or she has not had reasonable opportunity to complete the recall remedies, in which case the state may grant a temporary registration for 60 days during which time the owner must complete the recall remedies.
The Secretary of Transportation shall withhold 5% of federal highway funds from a state that is not in compliance with these requirements.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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