[House Report 107-78]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                     107-78

======================================================================



 
              CHILD PASSENGER PROTECTION EDUCATION GRANTS

                                _______
                                

  May 24, 2001.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

     Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 691]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 691) to extend the authorization of 
funding for child passenger protection education grants through 
fiscal year 2003, having considered the same, report favorably 
thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

                          Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 691 extends the authorization of funding for child 
passenger protection education grants through fiscal year 2003.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    Section 2003(b) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 
21st Century (Public Law 105-178) authorized the Child 
Passenger Protection Grant program for two years, with the 
program expiring at the end of fiscal year 2001. H.R. 691 will 
extend the authorization for an additional two years--making 
the program consistent with the reauthorization cycle of the 
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.
    H.R. 691 authorizes $7.5 million out of the general fund, 
for each of the fiscal years 2002 and 2003, for the Secretary 
of Transportation to make incentive grants to states to 
encourage the states to implement child passenger protection 
programs. Under the legislation, states may use grant funds to 
implement programs that are designed to: (1) prevent deaths and 
injuries to children; (2) educate the public concerning all 
aspects of the proper installation of child restraints using 
standard seatbelt hardware, supplemental hardware, and 
modification devices (if needed), including special 
installation techniques; appropriate child restraint design, 
selection, and placement; and harness threading and harness 
adjustment on child restraints; and (3) train and retrain child 
passenger safety professionals, police officers, fire and 
emergency medical personnel, and other educators concerning all 
aspects of child restraint use.
    In each of fiscal years 2000 and 2001, Congress provided 
$7.5 million to finance the Child Passenger Protection 
Education Grant program. Forty-eight states, the District of 
Columbia, and the Territories received grants under the 
program. Recipients used their funds for a variety of child 
passenger protection education and training initiatives, with 
emphasis on cultural and ethnic minorities, rural, low income 
and special needs populations in documented low usage areas. 
This emphasis is based upon Department of Transportation 
surveys and crash data.

                    Hearings and Legislative History

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure did not 
hold hearings on this bill.

                        Committee Consideration

    On May 16, 2001, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit 
was discharged from further consideration H.R. 691. On May 16, 
2001, the Full Committee met in open markup session and 
approved H.R. 691, without amendment, by voice vote.

                             Rollcall Votes

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes 
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. 
There were no record votes taken in connection with ordering 
H.R. 691 reported.

                      Committee Oversight Findings

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee has held no oversight 
hearings.

         Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    The objective of this bill and the program it reauthorizes 
is to prevent deaths and injuries to children, educate the 
public concerning the proper installation of child restraints, 
and train child passenger safety personnel concerning child 
restraint use.

                          Cost of Legislation

    Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and 
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the 
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is 
included in this report.

                    Compliance With House Rule XIII

    1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and 
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee 
references the report of the Congressional Budget Office 
included below.
    2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the 
Committee has received the following cost estimate for H.R. 691 
from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, May 22, 2001.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 691, a bill to 
extend the authorization of funding for child passenger 
protection education grants through fiscal year 2003.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Rachel 
Milberg.
            Sincerely,
                                        Steven M. Lieberman
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

               congressional budget office cost estimate

H.R. 691--A bill to extend the authorization of funding for child 
        passenger protection education grants through fiscal year 2003

    Summary: Under current law, the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides grants to states for 
programs designed to improve the safety of children when they 
ride in automobiles. H.R. 691 would authorize the appropriation 
of $7.5 million for each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003 for this 
program. Assuming the appropriation of the authorized amounts, 
CBO estimates that implementing this bill would cost $15 
million over the 2002-2004 period. Enacting H.R. 691 would not 
affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures would not apply.
    H.R. 691 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). 
Any costs to state or local governments as a result of enacting 
this bill would be incurred voluntarily.
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
budgetary impact of H.R. 691 is shown in the following table. 
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 400 
(transportation).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
                                                        2001      2002      2003      2004      2005      2006
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Spending under current law:
    Budget authority \1\............................         8         0         0         0         0         0
    Estimated outlays...............................         7         2         0         0         0         0
Proposed changes:
    Authorization level.............................         0         8         8         0         0         0
    Estimated outlays...............................         0         6         7         2         0         0
Spending under H.R. 691
    Authorization level \1\.........................         8         8         8         0         0         0
    Estimated outlays...............................         7         8         7         2         0         0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ No funds have been appropriated in fiscal year 2000 or 2001 for grants to states to improve the safety of
  children when they ride in automobiles; however, the Department of Transportation used administrative
  authority to transfer $7.5 million to this program in each of those years.

    Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes H.R. 691 
will be enacted in fiscal year 2001 and that the funds 
authorized for 2002 and 2003 will be appropriated. This 
estimate is based on information from NHTSA and historical 
spending patterns of the program.
    Pay-as-you-go considerations: None.
    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 691 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA. States that receive grants under this program 
would be required to match 20 percent of the federal funds 
provided. Any costs to state or local governments as a result 
of enacting this bill would be incurred voluntarily.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Rachel Milberg; impact 
on State, local, and tribal governments: Susan Sieg Tompkins; 
impact on the private sector: Paige Piper/Bach.
    Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                   Constitutional Authority Statement

    Pursuant to clause (3)(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or 
joint resolution of a public character shall include a 
statement citing the specific powers granted to the Congress in 
the Constitution to enact the measure. The Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure finds that Congress has the 
authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted 
under article I, section 8 of the Constitution.

                       Federal Mandates Statement

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act (Public Law 104-4).

                      Advisory Committee Statement

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                Applicability to the Legislative Branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 
104-1).

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

   SECTION 2003 OF THE TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY


SEC. 2003. OCCUPANT PROTECTION.

    (a) * * *
    (b) Child Passenger Protection Education Grants.--
          (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (7) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
        subsection $7,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 
        [and 2001] through 2003.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *