HR0766

LRB096 15825 AJT 31067 r






1

HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety 
3
Administration (NHTSA), a division of the United States 
4
Department of Transportation,  has a mission to save lives, 
5
prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic 
6
crashes, through education, research, safety standards, and 
7
enforcement; and

 
8
    WHEREAS, The Office of Defects Investigation of the NHTSA 
9
is responsible for conducting defect investigations and 
10
administering safety recalls to support the NHTSA's mission to 
11
improve safety on the nation's highways; and

 
12
    WHEREAS, An investigation by the Chicago Tribune in 
13
November 2009 concluded that as many as 2,000 school buses 
14
across the nation have potentially serious safety problems and 
15
are transporting students even though school bus equipment and 
16
parts manufacturers and the NHTSA have known about recalled 
17
equipment and parts for as many as eight years; and

 
18
    WHEREAS, The federal recall process is lengthy and without 
19
suitable accountability and safety procedures to ensure that 
20
children travel in school buses that are safe and properly 
21
maintained; and

 
 


 






HR0766
- 2 -
LRB096 15825 AJT 31067 r




1
    WHEREAS, Recall procedures for vehicles, such as school 
2
buses with faulty equipment or parts are a matter of public 
3
record as soon as a manufacturer officially files a recall 
4
notice; bus companies, however, are not required to review the 
5
recall list on the NHTSA website; and

 
6
    WHEREAS, The NHTSA has not enforced timely recall efforts 
7
by manufacturers of faulty parts and equipment, nor does it 
8
have the responsibility to ensure the school bus owners are 
9
notified immediately of potential safety issues; and

 
10
    WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Transportation is the 
11
agency required by statute to conduct periodic, non-scheduled 
12
inspections of school buses in this State; therefore, be it

 
13
    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
14
NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
15
urge the United States Department of Transportation to request 
16
NHTSA to evaluate the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation's 
17
procedural and administrative duties in relation to the 
18
promptness and effectiveness of manufacturer recalls; and be it 
19
further


 
20
    RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of 
21
Transportation to review its procedures and duties to ensure 
22
that (1) school buses in Illinois are not being driven with 
 


 






HR0766
- 3 -
LRB096 15825 AJT 31067 r




1
recalled equipment and parts and (2) children being transported 
2
on school buses are safe; and be it further
 
3
    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

4
delivered to the Illinois congressional  delegation, the 
5
Secretary of the United States Department
of Transportation, 
6
and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation.