S. 161 Reported by committee Transportation and Public Works

She DRIVES Act

A bill to require the Secretary of Transportation to issue rules relating to the testing procedures used under the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and for other purposes.

  1. Introduced
  2. Committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To President
  6. Became law
Sponsor Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] Introduced January 21, 2025 Cosponsors 13 (6 R, 7 D) Latest action July 31, 2025

Summary

She Develops Regulations In Vehicle Equality and Safety Act or the She DRIVES Act
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to revise motor vehicle safety standards to require the use of certain anthropomorphic test devices (i.e., crash test dummies) and testing on female crash test dummies.
Specifically, DOT must issue final rules to revise the current testing regulations to include specific adult male and adult female frontal impact and side impact crash test dummies.
The final rules must establish or update the testing injury criteria based on real-world injuries and the greatest potential to increase safety. The injury criteria must include head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, upper leg, and lower leg criteria for the crash test dummies.
The final rules must also establish crashworthiness frontal and side impact tests for adult female occupants in all front seating positions that are currently tested for adult male occupants (as of the date of the bill's enactment).
Further, DOT must promulgate a final decision notice to update the testing procedures for the  New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require the use of these crash test dummies for frontal and side impact crashworthiness testing.
Finally, DOT must submit reports to Congress that, among other things, identify timelines for DOT to incorporate additional types of crash test dummies into the regulations and identify testing devices used in other countries for similar crashworthiness standards.

Summary by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Congress.gov

Actions

  1. Jul 31, 2025 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 141.
  2. Jul 31, 2025 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-56.
  3. Feb 5, 2025 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  4. Jan 21, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  5. Jan 21, 2025 Introduced in Senate

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