1. Executive Summary
H.R. 6850 bill changes federal law to force large automakers to build and sell a fixed minimum number of cars equipped with technology that prevents drunk driving.
The relationship between Public Law 117-58 (the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and the introduced H.R. 6850 is a structural sequence of statutory authority:
The Mandate Baseline (P.L. 117-58): Section 24220 of the 2021 law established the foundational requirement that the federal government initiate a rulemaking process to integrate advanced impaired driving prevention technology into all new passenger vehicles.
The Interim Deployment Mechanism (H.R. 6850): H.R. 6850 functions as a bridge mechanism. Because full federal rulemaking can take multiple years, H.R. 6850 implements an intermediate quota, forcing large-scale manufacturers to deploy specific baseline fleets (20,000 vehicles per year) utilizing existing DADSS and European standards.
The Sunset Coordination: The text of H.R. 6850 specifically coordinates with P.L. 117-58 by stating that its manufacturing volume requirements expire automatically the exact day that the permanent rule required by P.L. 117-58 becomes effective.
2. What This Bill Would Do
[Section 2(a)] Amends Title 49 by inserting a new section 30130. Currently, federal law lacks an immediate minimum deployment volume requirement for vehicles featuring integrated blood-alcohol content or driver monitoring technologies. Under this provision, large automakers cannot sell or import fewer than 10,000 passenger vehicles per year that meet DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, an automated blood-alcohol monitoring framework) safety rules, and fewer than 10,000 passenger vehicles per year complying with specific European New Car Assessment Programme standards.
[Section 2(a)] Establishes an administrative process for standard replication. Currently, European vehicle testing guidelines exist independently of United States vehicle mandates. This provision would require that revised European New Car Assessment Programme standards replace existing statutory baselines (the minimum requirements currently written into federal law) within 120 days of revision unless the Secretary of Transportation determines the revision does not meet the need for motor vehicle safety.
[Section 2(a)] Defines the applicability threshold for automobile manufacturers. Currently, vehicle manufacturing parameters vary by business model size. This provision would specify that the minimum vehicle volume rules apply only to a "covered manufacturer," defined as an entity that produced, sold, or imported more than 250,000 motor vehicles in the second most recent calendar year.
[Section 2(a)] Establishes a statutory expiration clause tied to prior legislation. Currently, Section 24220 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) mandates a federal rulemaking process for advanced impaired driving technology. This provision would remove the minimum manufacturing volumes of H.R. 6850 — a bill that mandates covered vehicle manufacturers to introduce minimum volumes of passenger motor vehicles equipped with advanced impaired driving prevention technologies upon the effective date of that final agency rule.
[Section 2(c)] Modifies the civil penalties framework under section 30165(a)(1) of Title 49. Currently, civil penalties apply to designated violations of federal motor vehicle safety rules. This provision would authorize the enforcement of civil penalties against any covered manufacturer that fails to deliver the required volumes of compliant passenger motor vehicles.
3. Who is Affected
Covered Manufacturers
If the bill passes, they must alter manufacturing, importation, and distribution schedules to verify that at least 20,000 total passenger vehicles per calendar year comply with DADSS specifications and European safety standards. They face federal civil penalties for non-compliance.
If the bill does not pass, their manufacturing requirements remain governed exclusively by baseline federal motor vehicle safety standards and the pending rulemaking timeline from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Governed by Section 2.
The Secretary of Transportation
If the bill passes, the Secretary of Transportation may review and determine whether revised European standards meet domestic safety needs per Section 2(b)(2).
If the bill does not pass, baseline regulatory activity continues, including executing the standard advanced impaired driving technology rule mandated by P.L. 117-58 without an interim minimum deployment quota.
Governed by Section 2.
4. Existing Law vs. What Would Change
Current Law or Condition | What This Bill Changes |
Section 24220 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58; 49 U.S.C. 30111 note) Mandates a federal vehicle safety standard requiring advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology, but does not impose a fixed interim production quota on manufacturers prior to final implementation. | Section 2(a), lines 6–18 of H.R. 6850 Creates a temporary deployment quota, forcing manufacturers of over 250,000 vehicles to supply at least 10,000 DADSS-compliant and 10,000 Euro NCAP-compliant vehicles annually until the final P.L. 117-58 rule takes effect. |
49 U.S.C. 30102(b)(1) Defines a "motor vehicle safety standard" exclusively as a minimum standard for motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment performance. | Section 2(d), lines 12–24 of H.R. 6850 Expands the statutory definition of "motor vehicle safety standard" to explicitly encompass the interim minimum production and sales requirements established under the new section 30130(a). |
5. Fiscal Impact Summary
No CBO score or official fiscal note is currently available for this legislation. Fiscal impact cells are left blank pending official scoring. There is a CBO pamphlet available for Public Law 117-58 which states the Federal Government will provide $973 Billion over five years which includes $550 Billion in new investments for all modes of transportation, water, power and energy, environmental remediation, public lands, broadband and resilience.
6. Household Impact Matrix
Analysis for a household earning $35,000 to $100,000 (Median range for rural Ohio/Appalachian communities).
Metric | If Bill Passes | If Bill Fails or Status Quo Continues |
Household Overhead | Insufficient primary source data — pending official analysis. | Continuation of current cost trajectory based on existing law and published projections. |
Market Stability | Insufficient primary source data — pending official analysis. | Documented risks or benefits of maintaining current regulatory environment. |
Mobility Check | Insufficient primary source data — pending official analysis. | Does current law contain documented dependency traps or mobility barriers that remain unchanged? |
Local Government Impact | Insufficient primary source data — pending official analysis. | Current funding levels and regulatory authority remain under existing law. |
7. Provisions Requiring Review
Section 2(a) contains a delegation of implementation details to agency rulemaking without specifying rigid evaluation parameters. Reason for review flag: The text permits the Secretary of Transportation to determine whether a revised European New Car Assessment Programme standard "does not meet the need for motor vehicle safety," but does not explicitly define the mechanical metrics or technical thresholds required to make that determination.
8. What This Bill Does Not Do
The bill text does not contain provisions related to immediate, mandatory retrofitting of privately owned used vehicles. Public discussion has referenced vehicle tracking and retrofitting in connection with this legislation. No such provision appears in H.R. 6850 as introduced.
The bill text does not contain provisions related to the allocation of federal state infrastructure grants. Public discussion has referenced the funding mechanisms of Public Law 117-58 (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) alongside these safety initiatives. No infrastructure grant distribution programs appear within H.R. 6850.
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