Fischer bill puts time limits on keyless ignition vehicles

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) on May 11 introduced bipartisan legislation that would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to finalize a rule protecting consumers from the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning from keyless ignition motor vehicles.

“Americans with keyless ignition vehicles can accidentally leave their car running, resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Sen. Fischer, adding that the measure “will ensure these vehicles automatically shut off after a period of time” to prevent unnecessary deaths from occurring. 

Sen. Fischer introduced the Stop CO Poisoning Exposures (SCOPE) Act, S. 1551, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Both are members of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which is considering the bill.

If enacted, S. 1551 would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to complete a rulemaking to require vehicles with keyless ignitions to automatically shut off after a certain period of time, preventing the car from continuing to emit toxic CO, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Fischer’s office.

And because different vehicles emit CO at different rates, S. 1551 would authorize NHTSA to establish different periods after which a vehicle would have to shut off, the summary says.  

Sens. Fischer and Blumenthal originally introduced the SCOPE Act, S. 2947, in November 2019 but the bill stalled in committee.