H.R. 3274 (112th): Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2011

HR 3274 IH

To direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish a program allowing small volume vehicle manufacturers to produce not more than 1,000 vehicles annually within a regulatory system that addresses the unique safety and financial issues associated with limited production, and to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to allow low volume vehicle manufacturers to rely upon certificates of conformity issued to engines from certified vehicles.

October 27, 2011

Mr. CAMPBELL (for himself, Mr. POSEY, Mr. MANZULLO, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. HUNTER, and Mr. BARROW) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

To direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish a program allowing small volume vehicle manufacturers to produce not more than 1,000 vehicles annually within a regulatory system that addresses the unique safety and financial issues associated with limited production, and to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to allow low volume vehicle manufacturers to rely upon certificates of conformity issued to engines from certified vehicles.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2011’.

SEC. 2. ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR LOW VOLUME MOTOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS.

Section 30114 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking ‘The’ and inserting ‘(a) Vehicles Used for Research, Demonstration, Racing, Etc.’; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

‘(b) Alternative Requirements for Low Volume Manufacturers-

‘(1) EXEMPTION AUTHORITY- The Secretary shall exempt motor vehicles manufactured by a low volume manufacturer from section 30112(a) of this title and treat such motor vehicles as assemblages of motor vehicle equipment for purposes of determining compliance with the motor vehicle safety standards applicable to such equipment. Vehicles that are replicas of previously manufactured vehicles shall only be subject to safety standards for the model year that the body of such vehicle replicates.

‘(2) MANUFACTURER OBLIGATIONS- A low volume manufacturer shall register with the Secretary, at a time and in a form and manner and under such terms that the Secretary determines appropriate.

‘(3) PERMANENT LABEL REQUIREMENTS- The Secretary shall require a permanent label to be fixed to a motor vehicle granted an exemption under paragraph (1). The label shall either identify or describe the motor vehicle safety standards prescribed under this chapter or bumper standard prescribed under chapter 325 of this title from which the vehicle is exempt. The Secretary may require that written notice of an exemption be delivered by appropriate means to the dealer and the first purchaser of the vehicle (other than a purchaser who purchases the vehicle for resale).

‘(4) DEFINITION- As used in this subsection, the term ‘low volume manufacturer’ means that the manufacturer’s total motor vehicle production claimed under the exemption is not more than 1,000 vehicles annually.’.

SEC. 3. LOW VOLUME MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE ENGINE COMPLIANCE.

Paragraph (3) of section 206(a) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7525(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

‘(C) In the case of a motor vehicle that is manufactured in a quantity not exceeding 1,000 vehicles annually, the vehicle manufacturer shall register with the Agency and then be permitted to install a motor vehicle engine for which a certificate of conformity has already been issued. The engine shall be from a fully certified vehicle. The vehicle shall meet the standards for on-board diagnostic systems commonly known as OBD II, except those for evaporative emissions.’.

SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION.

The Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall implement the amendments made by sections 2 and 3 of this Act, respectively, within 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

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