House passes stopgap transportation measure

WASHINGTON (Nov. 17, 2015) — By voice vote, the U.S. House of Representative passed yet another stopgap short-term transportation funding measure Nov. 15 that still includes a tire registration requirement.

The legislation extends current funds for highway, bridge and other transportation projects until Dec. 4.

The Senate is expected to vote on the short-term bill later this week, before the current stopgap measure — which Congress approved Oct. 27 — runs out Nov. 20.

The short-term legislation is designed to give House and Senate conferees time to negotiate a long-term reconciliation bill on transportation funding.

The Senate passed its six-year, $325 billion transportation bill last July. The House approved its version by a wide margin Nov. 5.

The House version contains more than a thousand pages of amendments carried over from the Senate bill. Those provisions include one that would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to order independent tire dealers to register tires at the point of sale and transmit all registration information electronically to tire manufacturers.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association, which represents tire manufacturers, supports the provision as the best way to increase tire registration for notifying consumers in case of a safety recall.

However, the Tire Industry Association (TIA), which represents independent tire dealers, is urging its members and allies to sign a petition opposing the provision.

Mandatory tire registration, which has not been in effect or revised since 1982, is both hopelessly outdated and unfairly punitive to independent dealers, TIA said.