article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Children's Bicycle Helmet Safety Act of 1993''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds that-- (1) 90 million Americans ride bicycles and 20 million ride a bicycle more than once a week; (2) between 1984 and 1988, 2,985 bicyclists in the United States died from head injuries and 905,752 suffered head injuries that were treated in hospital emergency rooms; (3) 41 percent of bicycle-related head injury deaths and 76 percent of bicycle-related head injuries occurred among American children under age 15; (4) deaths and injuries from bicycle accidents cost society $7.6 billion annually; and a child suffering from a head injury, on average, will cost society $4.5 million over the child's lifetime; (5) universal use of bicycle helmets in the United States would have prevented 2,600 deaths from head injuries and 757,000 injuries; and (6) only 5 percent of children in the Nation who ride bicycles wear helmets. SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. The Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may, in accordance with section 4, make grants to States, State political subdivisions, and nonprofit organizations for programs that require or encourage individuals under the age of 16 to wear approved bicycle helmets. In making those grants, the Administrator shall allow grantees to use wide discretion in designing programs that effectively promote increased bicycle helmet use. SEC. 4. PURPOSES FOR GRANTS. A grant made under section 3 may be used by a grantee to-- (1) enforce a law that requires individuals under the age of 16 to wear approved bicycle helmets on their heads while riding on bicycles; (2) assist individuals under the age of 16 to acquire approved bicycle helmets; (3) develop and administer a program to educate individuals under the age of 16 and their families on the importance of wearing such helmets in order to improve bicycle safety; or (4) carry out any combination of the activities described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3). SEC. 5. STANDARDS. (a) In General.--Bicycle helmets manufactured 9 months or more after the date of the enactment of this Act shall conform to-- (1) any interim standard described under subsection (b), pending the establishment of a final standard pursuant to subsection (c); and (2) the final standard, once it has been established under subsection (c). (b) Interim Standards.--The interim standards are as follows: (1) The American National Standards Institute standard designated as ``Z90.4-1984''. (2) The Snell Memorial Foundation standard designated as ``B-90''. (3) Any other standard that the Consumer Product Safety Commission determines is appropriate. (c) Final Standard.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission shall begin a proceeding under section 553 of title 5, United States Code, to-- (1) review the requirements of the interim standards set forth in subsection (a) and establish a final standard based on such requirements; (2) include in the final standard a provision to protect against the risk of helmets coming off the heads of bicycle riders; (3) include in the final standard provisions that address the risk of injury to children; and (4) include additional provisions as appropriate. Sections 7 and 9 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2056 and 2058) shall not apply to the proceeding under this subsection and section 11 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2060) shall not apply with respect to any standard issued under such proceeding. The final standard shall take effect 1 year from the date it is issued. (d) Failure To Meet Standards.-- (1) Failure to meet interim standard.--Until the final standard takes effect, a bicycle helmet that does not conform to an interim standard as required under subsection (a)(1) shall be considered in violation of a consumer product safety standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act. (2) Status of final standard.--The final standard developed under subsection (c) shall be considered a consumer product safety standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act. SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. For the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to carry out the grant program authorized by this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1994, $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1996. SEC. 7. DEFINITION. In this Act, the term ``approved bicycle helmet'' means a bicycle helmet that meets-- (1) any interim standard described in section 5(b), pending establishment of a final standard under section 5(c); and (2) the final standard, once it is established under section 5(c).
summary: Children's Bicycle Helmet Safety Act of 1993 - Authorizes the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make grants to States, political subdivisions, and nonprofit organizations for programs that require or encourage individuals under age 16 to wear approved bicycle helmets. Specifies that such grants may be used to: (1) enforce a law that requires such individuals to wear approved bicycle helmets; (2) assist such individuals to acquire such helmets; and (3) develop and adminster a program to educate such individuals and their families on the importance of wearing such helmets. Sets interim standards for bicycle helmets and provides that a helmet that does not conform shall be considered in violation of a consumer product safety standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to begin a proceeding to review the requirements of the interim standards and establish a final standard that includes provisions to protect against the risk of helmets coming off the heads of bicycle riders and to address the risk of injury to children. Specifies that the final standard shall be considered a consumer product safety standard under the CPSA. Authorizes appropriations.