Sec. 4. New Car Assessment Program reform
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The Administrator shall establish an office within the Administration to be known as the Office of the New Car Assessment Program (in this section referred to as the NCAP Office ). The NCAP Office shall be led by an Associate Administrator who is selected by the Administrator and who has expertise in motor vehicle safety. The duties of the Associate Administrator of the NCAP Office shall be the following: Advise the Administrator on each function of the NCAP. Administer the NCAP. Establish roadmaps for the implementation of the NCAP under section 32310 of title 49, United States Code (as amended by paragraph
(4)of this subsection). Establish a process for reporting results of the voluntary performance testing program under paragraph
(5)of this subsection. Conduct consumer education activities under paragraph
(6)of this subsection. Engage with the NCAP Advisory Committee established under subsection (b)(1) of this section, manufacturers, other relevant stakeholders, and the public as the primary representative of the NCAP. Evaluate and make determinations on including passenger motor vehicle safety technologies in the NCAP, including by— evaluating the reported results pursuant to paragraph
(5)of this subsection; and evaluating recommendations made by the NCAP Advisory Committee pursuant to subsection (b)(6)(D) of this section. Carry out any other related duties as determined appropriate by the Administrator. Section 32310 of title 49, United States Code, is amended— in subsection (a)— by striking 4 and inserting 3 ; and by striking the Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the and inserting Secretary ) the Associate Administrator, in consultation with the NCAP Advisory Committee, ; in subsection (c)(3)(C), by striking Secretary and inserting Associate Administrator ; in subsection (d), by striking Secretary each place it appears and inserting Associate Administrator ; in subsection (e), by striking Secretary each place it appears and inserting Associate Administrator ; and by adding at the end the following: In this section: The term Associate Administrator means the Associate Administrator selected under section 4(a)(2) of the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026. The term NCAP Advisory Committee means the NCAP Advisory Committee established under section 4(b)(1) of the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026. . Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Associate Administrator of the NCAP Office shall establish a voluntary process under which a manufacturer may test the performance of passenger motor vehicles of the manufacturer and report the results to the Associate Administrator. The Associate Administrator of the NCAP Office, in coordination with the Associate Administrator for Communications and Consumer Information, shall conduct consumer education activities to promote information developed under the NCAP and increase consumer awareness of passenger motor vehicle safety technologies. Consumer education activities carried out under subparagraph
(A)may include the following: Development and distribution of written educational materials. Creation, production, and dissemination of public awareness campaigns, including through print, broadcast, digital, and social media platforms. Purchase of advertising time and space in any media, including television, radio, digital, and print. Establishment and maintenance of websites, mobile applications, and other online content. Engagement with community-based and national consumer motor vehicle safety organizations. Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Associate Administrator of the NCAP Office shall submit to the relevant congressional committees a report that details the consumer education activities conducted under this paragraph, including, with respect to such activities, information on— expenditures; target audiences reached; and any performance metrics used to evaluate the efficacy of such activities. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish the NCAP Advisory Committee (in this subsection referred to as the Committee ) to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary, the Administrator, and the Associate Administrator of the NCAP Office on matters related to the functions of the NCAP Office. The Committee shall be composed of 18 members, appointed by the Administrator, as follows: 2 representatives of national consumer motor vehicle safety organizations. 2 representatives of institutions of higher education (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1002 )) with expertise in motor vehicle safety. 4 representatives of manufacturers of passenger motor vehicles. 2 representatives of manufacturers of motor vehicle equipment. 1 representative of technology providers. 1 representative of the property and casualty insurance industry. 1 representative of State highway safety offices. 2 members with expertise in public health, data science, or human factors. 1 representative of a disability advocacy organization. 2 representatives of families or organizations that advocate on behalf of victims of accidents involving motor vehicles. Each member appointed to the Committee— shall serve an initial term of 4 years (or until the Committee terminates under paragraph (8), if earlier); and may be reappointed for 1 subsequent term of 4 years (or until the Committee terminates under paragraph (8), if earlier). Notwithstanding subparagraph (A)(i), with respect to the first 18 members appointed to the Committee, 9 shall be chosen by the Administrator to serve an initial term of 2 years. Each member of the Committee shall serve without pay. Each member of the Committee shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. The duties of the Committee shall be the following: Provide recommendations to the Secretary, the Administrator, and the Associate Administrator of the NCAP Office to improve the NCAP. Review, assess, and evaluate passenger motor vehicle safety technologies with the potential to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. Solicit and review information, data, research, and evidence with respect to passenger motor vehicle safety technologies from public and private sources, including industry stakeholders, researchers, national consumer motor vehicle safety organizations, and Federal agencies (as determined appropriate by the Administrator). Recommend passenger motor vehicle safety technologies to be evaluated by the Associate Administrator of the NCAP Office for inclusion in the NCAP. Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and in consultation with the Administration, manufacturers, national consumer motor vehicle safety organizations, experts in academia, and other relevant stakeholders, the Committee shall submit to the relevant congressional committees a report that assesses the feasibility of establishing a public-private partnership, a nonprofit organization, or any other similar entity to develop, update, and operate the functions of the NCAP, including by assessing the following with respect to such a partnership or entity: Governance considerations. Structure. Efficacy in educating consumers on and encouraging manufacturers to include new safety features in passenger motor vehicles. Impact on motor vehicle safety. Passenger motor vehicle safety ratings used internationally that are similar to the NCAP. Expected cost of such a partnership or entity as compared to the cost of maintaining the NCAP under the Administration. Sustainable funding mechanisms. Processes for ensuring the NCAP (or any partnership or entity responsible for developing, updating, and operating the functions of the NCAP) informs the development of motor vehicle safety standards prescribed under chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code. Monroney label considerations. Costs associated with participation by manufacturers in the NCAP, including any alternatives for manufacturers to self-report information related to passenger motor vehicle safety ratings from the manufacturers. Processes for ensuring the independence of the partnership or entity. The Committee shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date on which the Committee is established under paragraph (1). Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Federal Advisory Committee Act ), shall not apply to the Committee. Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the relevant congressional committees a report that— evaluates the implementation of this section, including the amendments made by this section; and provides recommendations for the Administrator and the relevant congressional committees to improve the implementation of this section, including the amendments made by this section. In this section, the term passenger motor vehicle safety rating means a system to evaluate and compare in an objective manner passenger motor vehicle safety technologies using stars, medals, points, or other similar indicators.
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Sec. 4
New Car Assessment Program reform
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