[nfb-talk] Legislation Concerning Hybrid Cars:

[Kenneth Chrane]

Fellow Federationists:



            It pleases me to write to you announcing that our silent car 
legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives.  Ed Towns, 
Democrat of New York, and Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, has 
introduced H.R. 5734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008. 
Therefore, your help is needed to gain cosponsors of this important 
legislation.



            This legislation assures that blind and other pedestrians will 
receive the information needed to make proper judgments regarding the 
presence of vehicles, in order that we can travel safely.  It does so by:

  a.. Requiring the Department of Transportation to convene a study within 
ninety days of its enactment;
  b.. Requiring the study to determine whether a minimum sound standard or 
some other approach will provide blind and other pedestrians the most 
accurate information regarding speed, location, and direction of travel for 
the vehicles;
  c.. Requiring that, when making this consideration, the study must 
evaluate the cost of each method examined, including the cost of providing 
all pedestrians any technology they must possess under each approach; and
  d.. Requiring that the study consider which approach permits the greatest 
amount of independent spontaneous travel for blind and other pedestrians.


            Once the study reaches its conclusions, the Department of 
Transportation must report its findings to Congress, and within ninety days 
of the study's end, the Department of Transportation must establish a 
vehicle safety standard that implements the results of the study.  Finally, 
two years after the safety standard is implemented, all new cars sold in the 
United States must comply.



            This legislation is under jurisdiction of the House Subcommittee 
on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the House Committee on Energy 
and Commerce.  This subcommittee and its full committee are the most 
important members for this bill, though we want all the members that we can 
get to cosponsor this legislation.  Both of our original sponsors are 
members of the subcommittee, and Stearns was its chair when republicans 
controlled the House of Representatives.



        Now that the bill has been introduced, we need cosponsors.  This is 
so because the attention gained will push Committee and House leadership to 
conduct hearings that will help us get out the message that, if solutions 
are not promptly found and implemented, silent cars will place the 
independence of blind Americans in real peril.  To help with this task, it 
is critical that you get your representatives to sign on to H.R. 5734. 
Recall that you can reach the Capitol switchboard by calling (202) 225-3121. 
I am providing lists of the subcommittee and full committee members, but you 
are urged to get all members of the House to join as cosponsors.  Thank you 
for all you do.  Let us now make a difference in assuring that we can hear 
cars now and in the future.



Most cordially,



James McCarthy

Government Programs Specialist

National Federation of the Blind



FULL COMMITTEE on

Energy and Commerce

John D. Dingell (MI), Chairman

(Ratio:  31-26)

Henry A. Waxman, CA                     Joe Barton, TX, Ranking Member

Edward J. Markey, MA                     Ralph M. Hall, TX

Rick Boucher, VA                             Fred Upton, MI

Edolphus Towns, NY                        Cliff Stearns, FL

Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ                       Nathan Deal, GA

Bart Gordon, TN                                Ed Whitfield, KY

Bobby L. Rush, IL                              Barbara Cubin, WY

Anna G. Eshoo, CA                          John Shimkus, IL

Bart Stupak, MI                                 Heather Wilson, NM

Eliot L. Engel, NY                              John Shadegg, AZ

Gene Green, TX                                Charles W. "Chip" Pickering, 
MS

Diana DeGette, CO, Vice Chair     Vito Fossella, NY

Lois Capps, CA                                Roy Blunt, MO

Mike Doyle, PA                                 Steve Buyer, IN

Jane Harman, CA                             George Radanovich, CA

Tom Allen, ME                                   Joseph R. Pitts, PA

Jan Schakowsky, IL                          Mary Bono Mack, CA

Hilda L. Solis, CA                             Greg Walden, OR

Charles A. Gonzalez, TX                  Lee Terry, NE

Jay Inslee, WA                                  Mike Ferguson, NJ

Tammy Baldwin, WI                          Mike Rogers, MI

Mike Ross, AR                                  Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC

Darlene Hooley, OR                         John Sullivan, OK

Anthony D. Weiner, NY                     Tim Murphy, PA

Jim Matheson, UT                             Michael C. Burgess, TX

G. K. Butterfield, NC                         Marsha Blackburn, TN

Charlie Melancon, LA

John Barrow, GA

Baron P. Hill, IN

Vacancy







SUBCOMMITTEE ON
COMMERCE, TRADE, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
(Ratio:  16-13)
Bobby L. Rush (IL), Chairman

Jan Schakowsky, IL, Vice Chair           Ed Whitfield, KY, Ranking Member

G. K. Butterfield, NC                               Cliff Stearns, FL

John Barrow, GA                                    Charles W. "Chip" 
Pickering, MS

Baron P. Hill, IN                                       Vito Fossella, NY

Edward J. Markey, MA                           George Radanovich, CA

Rick Boucher, VA                                   Joseph R. Pitts, PA

Edolphus Towns, NY                              Mary Bono Mack, CA

Diana DeGette, CO                                Lee Terry, NE

Charles A. Gonzalez, TX                        Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC

Mike Ross, AR                                        John Sullivan, OK

Darlene Hooley, OR                               Michael C. Burgess, TX

Anthony D. Weiner, NY                           Marsha Blackburn, TN

Jim Matheson, UT                                   Joe Barton, TX (Ex 
Officio)

Charlie Melancon, LA

John D. Dingell (Ex Officio)