Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens tire safety and harmonizes high‑speed testing standards to reduce failures, but imposes compliance costs and tight implementation deadlines that may raise prices and strain regulators and supply chains.
Drivers, vehicle owners, and transportation workers will face fewer dangerous tire failures (endurance, low‑pressure, sidewall), improving on‑road safety.
Tire testing standardized to the UN GTR No.16 high‑speed protocols will create consistent performance metrics across domestic and imported tires, aiding comparability and potentially improving fleet and repair decisions.
A GAO review and recommendations within 3–5 years could give consumers clearer information and help ensure the rule changes achieve intended safety and market outcomes.
Tire manufacturers will incur compliance costs to change testing, labeling, or designs, which is likely to raise tire prices for consumers and small businesses.
Tight rulemaking deadlines (180 days to 1 year) could strain NHTSA and industry readiness, increasing the risk of rushed or flawed rules and implementation challenges.
Changes in technical definitions (e.g., reclassifying 'chunking' as 'sidewall' damage) could render some imported tires or existing inventories noncompliant, temporarily disrupting supply and replacement options.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOT to revise FMVSS Nos. 119 and 139 to modernize tire test methods, redefine chunking/sidewall failures, adopt uniform high-speed tests, and require a GAO report on impacts.
Official title: Require the Secretary of Transportation to revise certain Federal motor vehicle safety standards to advance tire technologies, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 23, 2026 by Roger F. Wicker · Last progress July 23, 2026
Requires the Secretary of Transportation to update federal tire safety rules by revising outdated test methods and definitions, adopting uniform high-speed testing, and clarifying that visible tire sidewall/"chunking" damage counts as a failure for key durability tests. It sets short deadlines for issuing those rulemakings and directs the Government Accountability Office to report on implementation and market impacts 3–5 years (or up to 8 years) after final rules or enactment. The changes target Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for tires (FMVSS Nos. 119 and 139), aiming to modernize test protocols and harmonize high-speed testing with international technical provisions. The law prescribes specific rulemaking timeframes (180 days and 1 year) and a GAO follow-up study to assess effects on safety and the tire market.