02/15/2007 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HB  88-TVS AND MONITORS IN MOTOR VEHICLES                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:49:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that the  last order of business  was HOUSE                                                               
BILL NO. 88, "An Act  relating to televisions, monitors, portable                                                               
computers, and  similar devices in motor  vehicles; and providing                                                               
for an effective date."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:50:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL   X.  CAMMISA,   Director,  Safety,   Technical  Affairs,                                                               
Association  of  International Automobile  Manufacturers  (AIAM),                                                               
said AIAM  is a trade  association representing 14  motor vehicle                                                               
manufacturers that account for over 40 percent of all light duty                                                                
vehicles produced annually in the U.S.  He continued with his                                                                   
testimony as follows:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Our  members  include  Aston  Martin,  Ferrari,  Honda,                                                                    
     Hyundai,  Isuzu,  Kia,  Maserati,  Mitsubishi,  Nissan,                                                                    
     Peugeot,  Renault, Subaru,  Suzuki,  and  Toyota.   I'd                                                                    
     like  to  thank  the  committee   for  inviting  me  to                                                                    
     participate in  this hearing on the  important issue of                                                                    
     driver  distraction   from  video  displays   in  motor                                                                    
     vehicles.    AIAM wishes  to  support  your process  of                                                                    
     developing  legislation intended  to prevent  operators                                                                    
     of motor vehicles from  watching television, video, and                                                                    
     other  entertainment programming  while driving.   AIAM                                                                    
     supports  your  goal of  trying  to  keep drivers  from                                                                    
     being  distracted by  viewing images  unrelated to  the                                                                    
     driving  task.    ...  We  have  developed  some  model                                                                    
     language that we believe  accomplishes this goal, while                                                                    
     addressing two main concerns, which  are:  One, we want                                                                    
     to   ensure  that   new  state   requirements  do   not                                                                    
     inadvertently prohibit  technology that can  assist the                                                                    
     driver  in the  driving  task, ...  such as  navigation                                                                    
     systems,   ...   vehicle  information   displays,   and                                                                    
     technology  for  monitoring  forward,  rear,  and  side                                                                    
     views to help the driver  maneuvering the vehicle.  ...                                                                    
     These devices also  make use of video  or image display                                                                    
     devices.     Likewise,  we'd  like  to   see  that  the                                                                    
     legislation  does  not   inadvertently  prohibit  image                                                                    
     display   devices   that   have  been   designed   with                                                                    
     appropriate  safeguards that  are  intended to  prevent                                                                    
     the driver  from watching the images  while the vehicle                                                                    
     is in motion.  And then  our second concern is it's our                                                                    
     hope that  states passing  legislation to  address this                                                                    
     issue  will adopt  clear  and consistent  requirements:                                                                    
     clear,  so that  the  vehicle  manufacturers will  know                                                                    
     what  the rules  are when  designing the  vehicles; and                                                                    
     consistent, so that  the same vehicles can  be sold and                                                                    
     driven throughout the country.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. CAMMISA offered to answer questions.                                                                                        
9:52:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. CAMMISA,  in response to Representative  Gruenberg, said AIAM                                                               
essentially supports HB  88; however, he noted  that he "provided                                                               
a  few markups  to  the language"  to Representative  Gruenberg's                                                               
staff to clarify the language without changing its intent.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:53:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAY  LANDERS, Senior  Director, Government  Affairs, Recreational                                                               
Vehicle  Industry Association  (RVIA), said  the RVIA  represents                                                               
approximately  98  percent  of   all  recreational  vehicle  (RV)                                                               
manufacturers.   He  said the  RVIA has  worked closely  not only                                                               
with  [the   AIAM]  but  also   with  the   Consumer  Electronics                                                               
Association to  try to  develop language  that would  satisfy the                                                               
concerns  of all  involved.   He said  that similar  to "the  car                                                               
manufacturers,"  the RVIA  is looking  for "uniformity  among the                                                               
states."   He  indicated that  prior bills  passed into  law have                                                               
"succeeded with this concern so far."   He relayed that there are                                                               
RVs that already have televisions  "up front."  He explained that                                                               
an interlock  device has been  installed in those models  so that                                                               
the instant  the RV's ignition  is engaged, the circuit  to those                                                               
televisions is  cut automatically,  which makes it  impossible to                                                               
view  the television  screens  while driving.    He stated,  "...                                                               
We're  not  supportive  of  any kind  of  handheld  movie  device                                                               
sitting on  the ... passenger's side  ...."  He said  he believes                                                               
HB 88 addresses RVIA's concern.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
[HB 88 was heard and held.]