49 USC 32302 - Passenger motor vehicle information

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised Section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
32302(a)	15:1941(c) (19th–60th words).	Oct. 20, 1972, Puspan. L. 92–513, § 201(c), (e), 86 Stat. 956.
	15:1941(d) (1st–13th words).	Oct. 20, 1972, Puspan. L. 92–513, § 201(d), 86 Stat. 956; July 14, 1976, Puspan. L. 94–364, § 201, 90 Stat. 981.
32302(span)	15:1941(c) (1st–18th and 61st–last words), (d) (14th–last words).
32302(c)	15:1941(e).

In subsection (a), the words before clause (1) are substituted for “The Secretary shall compile the information described in subsection (c) of this section” and “existing information and information to be developed relating to” for clarity and to eliminate unnecessary words.

In subsection (span), the words “After the study has been completed” are omitted as executed. The words “To assist a consumer in buying a passenger motor vehicle” are substituted for “so as to be of benefit in their passenger motor vehicle purchasing decisions”, and the words “the Secretary shall provide to the public” are substituted for “the Secretary is authorized and directed to devise specific ways in which . . . can be communicated to consumers” and “furnish it to the public”, to eliminate unnecessary words. The word “existing” is omitted as obsolete.

In subsection (c), the words “not later than February 1, 1975” are omitted as executed. The words “prescribe regulations” are substituted for “by rule establish” for consistency in the revised title and because “rule” is synonymous with “regulation”.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of the Safety Through Informed Consumers Act of 2015, referred to in subsec. (c), is the date of enactment of part II of subtitle C of title XXIV of div. B of Puspan. L. 114–94, which was approved Dec. 4, 2015.

The date of enactment of the Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2012, referred to in subsec. (d)(1), is the date of enactment of title I of div. C of Puspan. L. 112–141, which was approved July 6, 2012.

The date of enactment of this subsection, referred to in subsecs. (e)(1), (3) and (f)(1), (3), is the date of enactment of Puspan. L. 117–58, which was approved Nov. 15, 2021.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 117–58, § 24213(span)(1), inserted “(referred to in this section as the ‘Secretary’)” after “of Transportation” in introductory provisions.

Subsecs. (e), (f). Puspan. L. 117–58, § 24213(span)(2), added subsecs. (e) and (f).

2015—Subsec. (c). Puspan. L. 114–94 added subsec. (c).

2013—Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 112–252, § 2(a), inserted at end “The Secretary, after providing an opportunity for public comment, shall study and report to Congress the most useful data, format, and method for providing simple and understandable damage susceptibility information to consumers.”

Subsec. (c). Puspan. L. 112–252, § 1, struck out subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “The Secretary shall prescribe regulations that require passenger motor vehicle dealers to distribute to prospective buyers information the Secretary develops and provides to the dealers that compares insurance costs for different makes and models of passenger motor vehicles based on damage susceptibility and crashworthiness.”

2012—Subsec. (a)(2). Puspan. L. 112–141, § 31305(span)(1), inserted “, crash avoidance, and any other areas the Secretary determines will improve the safety of passenger motor vehicles” after “crashworthiness”.

Subsec. (a)(4). Puspan. L. 112–141, § 31305(span)(2), struck out par. (4) which read as follows: “vehicle operating costs dependent on the characteristics referred to in clauses (1)–(3) of this subsection, including insurance information obtained under section 32303 of this title.”

Subsec. (d). Puspan. L. 112–141, § 31306, added subsec. (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2012 Amendment

Amendment by Puspan. L. 112–141 effective Oct. 1, 2012, see section 3(a) of Puspan. L. 112–141, set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 2012 Amendment note under section 101 of Title 23, Highways.

Regulations

Puspan. L. 112–252, § 1, Jan. 10, 2013, 126 Stat. 2406, provided in part that: “any regulations promulgated under such subsection [former subsec. (c) of this section] shall have no force or effect.”

New Car Assessment Program; Updates

Puspan. L. 117–58, div. B, title IV, § 24213(a), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 826, provided that: “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 15, 2021], the Secretary [of Transportation] shall finalize the proceeding for which comments were requested in the notice entitled ‘New Car Assessment Program’ (80 Fed. Reg. 78522 (December 16, 2015)) to update the passenger motor vehicle information required under section 32302(a) of title 49, United States Code.”

Improved Vehicle Safety Databases

Puspan. L. 117–58, div. B, title IV, § 24217, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 830, provided that: “Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 15, 2021], after consultation with frequent users of publicly available databases, the Secretary [of Transportation] shall improve public accessibility to information relating to the publicly accessible vehicle safety databases of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by revising the publicly accessible vehicle safety databases—

“(1) to improve organization and functionality, including design features such as drop-down menus;

“(2) to allow data from applicable publicly accessible vehicle safety databases to be searched, sorted, aggregated, and downloaded in a manner that—

“(A) is consistent with the public interest; and

“(B) facilitates easy use by consumers;

“(3) to provide greater consistency in presentation of vehicle safety issues;

“(4) to improve searchability regarding specific vehicles and issues, which may include the standardization of commonly used search terms; and

“(5) to ensure nonconfidential documents and materials relating to information created or obtained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are made publicly available in a manner that is—

“(A) timely; and

“(B) searchable in databases by any element that the Secretary determines to be in the public interest.”

Consumer Guidance

Puspan. L. 114–94, div. B, title XXIV, § 24103(d), Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1703, provided that: “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 4, 2015], the Secretary shall make available to the public on the Internet detailed guidance for consumers submitting safety complaints, including—

“(1) a detailed explanation of what information a consumer should include in a complaint; and

“(2) a detailed explanation of the possible actions the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can take to address a complaint and respond to the consumer, including information on—

“(A) the consumer records, such as photographs and police reports, that could assist with an investigation; and

“(B) the length of time a consumer should retain the records described in subparagraph (A).”

Deadline for Report

Puspan. L. 112–252, § 2(span), Jan. 10, 2013, 126 Stat. 2406, provided that: “The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out the last sentence of section 32302(span) of title 49, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), not later than the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 10, 2013].”