[Senate Report 109-333]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress Report
SENATE
2nd Session 109-333
_______________________________________________________________________
Calendar No. 601
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT STATES SHOULD REQUIRE CANDIDATES
FOR DRIVER'S LICENSES TO DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO EXERCISE GREATLY
INCREASED CAUTION WHEN DRIVING IN THE PROXIMITY OF A POTENTIALLY
VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUAL
__________
R E P O R T
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. Con. Res. 71
DATE deg.September 11, 2006.--Ordered to be printed
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred ninth congress
second session
TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Co-Chairman
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West
CONRAD BURNS, Montana Virginia
TRENT LOTT, Mississippi JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine BARBARA BOXER, California
GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon BILL NELSON, Florida
JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska
JIM DeMINT, South Carolina MARK PRYOR, Arkansas
DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
Lisa Sutherland, Staff Director
Christine Kurth, Deputy Staff Director
Kenneth Nahigian, Chief Counsel
Margaret Cummisky, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Samuel Whitehorn, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel
Calendar No. 601
109th Congress Report
SENATE
2nd Session 109-333
======================================================================
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT STATES SHOULD REQUIRE CANDIDATES
FOR DRIVER'S LICENSES TO DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO EXERCISE GREATLY
INCREASED CAUTION WHEN DRIVING IN THE PROXIMITY OF A POTENTIALLY
VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUAL
_______
September 11, 2006.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Stevens, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. Con. Res. 71]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 71)
TITLE deg. expressing the sense of Congress that
States should require candidates for driver's licenses to
demonstrate an ability to exercise greatly increased caution
when driving in the proximity of a potentially visually
impaired individual, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the
concurrent resolution be agreed to.
PURPOSE OF THE RESOLUTION
The purpose of S. Con. Res. 71 is to express the sense of the
Congress that States should require candidates for driver's
licenses to demonstrate an ability to exercise greatly
increased caution when driving in the proximity of a
potentially visually impaired individual.
BACKGROUND AND NEEDS
S. Con. Res. 71 was introduced by Senator Akaka on December
15, 2005. The cosponsors are Senators DeWine, Inouye, Johnson,
Landrieu, Salazar, Schumer, Stevens, and Thune. Each year,
careless drivers cause personal injury and death to visually
impaired individuals and their guide dogs. To reduce these
accidents, the resolution urges states to adopt the requirement
that candidates for driver's licenses demonstrate an ability to
drive with increased caution when driving in the proximity of a
potentially visually impaired individual.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS
S. Con. Res. 71 finds that many visually impaired people
travel about their communities without personal assistance and
that many visually impaired people and guide dogs suffer injury
and death each year as a result of being struck by a motor
vehicle. Therefore, the resolution expresses the sense of
Congress that States should require candidates for driver's
licenses to demonstrate an ability to exercise greatly
increased caution when driving in the proximity of a
potentially visually impaired individual. The resolution
encourages states to teach candidates for driver's licenses to
associate guide dogs and white canes with visually impaired
pedestrians.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On July 19, 2006, the resolution was ordered to be reported
favorably without amendment from the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation by voice vote.
ESTIMATED COSTS
With respect to the requirements of paragraph 11(a) of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, S. Con. Res. 71 is a sense of
the Congress resolution and therefore does not have the force
of law. As such, there is no cost associated with this
legislation for fiscal year 2007, nor for any fiscal year
thereafter.
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT
Because S. Con. Res. 71 does not create any new programs, the
legislation will have no additional regulatory impact, and will
result in no additional reporting requirements. The legislation
will have no further effect on the number or types of
individuals and businesses regulated, the economic impact of
such regulation, the personal privacy of affected individuals,
or the paperwork required from such individuals and businesses.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the resolution
as reported would make no change to existing law.