By Uher                                               H.B. No. 2326
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to labeling of passenger vehicles with notice of bumper
    1-3  strength.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  (a)  Every manufacturer or importer of new
    1-6  passenger vehicles for sale or lease in this state, shall affix to
    1-7  a window or the windshield of the vehicle a notice with the
    1-8  following statement:
    1-9        "This vehicle is equipped with a bumper system that, under
   1-10  federal bumper standard test conditions and procedures, can
   1-11  withstand a frontal impact speed of * miles per hour and a rear
   1-12  impact speed of * miles per hour with no more damage than allowed
   1-13  by the federal bumper standard."
   1-14        (b)  The impact speed required to be specified in the notice
   1-15  pursuant to paragraph (a) is the maximum speed of impact upon the
   1-16  bumper of the vehicle at which the vehicle sustains no damage to
   1-17  the body and safety systems and only minimal damage to the bumper
   1-18  when subjected to the fixed barrier and pendulum impact tests, and
   1-19  when subjected to the corner impact test at not less than 60
   1-20  percent of that maximum speed, conducted pursuant to Part 581 of
   1-21  Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
   1-22        (c)  Any manufacturer who willfully fails to affix the notice
   1-23  required by subdivision (a), or willfully misstates any information
    2-1  in the notice, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a
    2-2  fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500).  Each failure or
    2-3  misstatement is a separate offense.
    2-4        (d)  Any person who willfully defaces, alters, or removes the
    2-5  notice required by subdivision (a) prior to delivery of the
    2-6  vehicle, to which the notice is required to be affixed, to the
    2-7  registered owner or lessee is guilty of a  misdemeanor and is
    2-8  punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500).
    2-9  Each willful defacement, alteration, or removal is a separate
   2-10  offense.
   2-11        (e)  For purposes of this section:
   2-12              (1)  "Manufacturer" is any person engaged in the
   2-13  manufacture or assembly of new passenger vehicles for distribution
   2-14  or sale, and includes an importer of new passenger vehicles for
   2-15  distribution or sale and any person who acts for, or is under the
   2-16  control of, a manufacturer in connection with the distribution or
   2-17  sale of new passenger vehicles.
   2-18              (2)  "Passenger vehicle" means a motor vehicle subject
   2-19  to impact testing conducted pursuant to Part 581 or Title 49 of the
   2-20  Code of Federal Regulations.
   2-21              (3)  "No damage" means that, when a passenger vehicle
   2-22  is subjected to impact testing, conducted pursuant to the
   2-23  conditions and test procedures of Sections 581.6 and 581.7 of Part
   2-24  581 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the vehicle
   2-25  sustains no damage to the body and safety systems.
    3-1              (4)  For purposes of paragraph (a) and (b) of this act,
    3-2  "minimal damage to the bumper and attachment hardware" means damage
    3-3  that can be repaired with the use of common repair materials and
    3-4  without replacing any parts.  In addition, not later than 30
    3-5  minutes after completion of each pendulum or barrier impact test,
    3-6  the bumper face bar shall have no permanent deviation greater than
    3-7  three-quarters of one inch from its original contour and position
    3-8  relative to the vehicle frame and no permanent deviation greater
    3-9  than three-eighths of one inch from its original content on areas
   3-10  of contact with the barrier face or impact ridge of the pendulum
   3-11  test device, measured from a straight line connecting the bumper
   3-12  contours adjoining the contact area.
   3-13        (e)  The notice required by this act may be included in any
   3-14  notice or label required by federal law to be affixed to a window
   3-15  or windshield of the  vehicle.
   3-16        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   3-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   3-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.