The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that will allow class action lawsuits to move into federal courts. The bill, S. 274, is headed for the Senate floor. Supporters of the legislation say it is necessary to prevent a plaintiff's attorneys from bringing lawsuits to state courts seen as sympathetic to a plaintiff's arguments. Opponents believe easing rules for moving class action lawsuits to federal courts would impair a plaintiff's ability for redress. The legislation will establish new requirements on legal notices in such cases and set conditions on judges' approval of settlements. Two amendments to the bill were adopted before the Senate Judiciary Committee vote. One amendment narrows the criteria for sending class action lawsuits to federal courts; a second strikes language that would have made the law apply to private attorney general lawsuits. A similar bill (H.R. 1115) is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established a final rule on fuel economy increases for light trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). NHTSA has set the new standards at 21 miles per gallon (mpg) for model year 2005, 21.6 for model year 2006 and 22.2 mpg for model year 2007. The new standards went into effect May 5. The current fuel economy standard for light trucks and SUVs is 20.7 mpg.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a plan to replace older diesel school bus engines with new emissions technology making school buses produce cleaner emissions. EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman has requested $5 million in the EPA's budget for this program and believes an additional $20 million in supplemental environmental projects will be available. Because most school buses are in operation for 20 to 30 years, this program will help equip the nation's school bus fleet with low emissions technologies and practices, such as less idling, than would otherwise occur in bus fleet turnover. Older buses can now be re-equipped with safe, affordable technology that will be close to performance levels required for new bus engines in 2007.
U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., have introduced S. 717 and H.R. 1641, respectively. Titled "The Passenger Van Safety Act 2003," it would require increased safety testing of 15-seat passenger vans and ensure the compliance of large passenger vans to be used as school buses with motor vehicle safety standards applicable to school buses and other vehicles. More than 500 people have been killed in van accidents in recent years. The legislation aims to curtail accidents with these vans. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new rules for off-road vehicles. The proposed rules will reduce diesel emissions in off-road vehicles by 95 percent. Off-road vehicles include farm equipment, construction equipment and other diesel-powered machines. Environmentalists are pleased, stating air quality debates have often focused on automobiles, but now there is increasing concern over emissions from off-road vehicles.
|
Rate This Article:
|
AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol. LI, June 2003
E-mail: info@autoinc.org, Web Site: http://www.autoinc.org
Copyright © 2003 Automotive Service Association (ASA). All rights reserved.