Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act Amendments of 1976
Public Law 94-364 · S. 1518 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Jul 14, 1976 · Commerce
Sponsor: Sen. Frank Moss (D-UT)
Cosponsors (3): Sen. Warren Magnuson, Sen. Philip Hart,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment)
Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act Amendments - =Title I: Amendment to Title I= - Authorizes appropriations to carry out the provisions of title I (relating to bumper standards) of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, through fiscal year 1978.
=Title II: Amendments to Title II= - Empowers the Secretary of Transportation to require automobile dealers to distribute to prospective purchasers specified information compiled according to such Act. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the provisions of title II (relating to the consumer information study) of such Act through fiscal year 1978.
=Title III: Amendments to Title III= - Directs the Secretary of Transportation, in cooperation with the Administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Energy Administration (FEA), to establish a special motor vehicle diagnostic inspection demonstration project to assist in the research, rapid development, and evaluation of advanced inspection, analysis, and diagnostic equipment suitable for use by any State in any high volume inspection facility designed to assess the safety, noise, emissions, and fuel efficiency of motor vehicles.
Authorizes appropriations for such purpose through fiscal year 1978.
=Title IV: Amendments to Title IV= - Stipulates that for purposes of such Act the term "dealer" shall mean any person who has sold five or more vehicles in the past 12 months to purchasers who in good faith purchase such vehicles for purposes other than resale.
Provides that for purposes the term "distributor" shall mean any person who has sold five or more vehicles in the past 12 months for resale.
Prohibits any person from causing to be disconnected, reset, or altered, the odometer of any motor vehicle with intent to change the number of indicated miles.
States that no person shall with intent to defraud operate a motor vehicle on any street or highway knowing that the odometer of such vehicle is disconnected or nonfunctional.
Prohibits the removal or alteration of specified notices relating to odometer changes which are affixed to motor vehicles under the provisions of such Act.
Permits the chief law enforcement officers of the States to bring actions, in the event of violations of title IV of such Act, to restrain such violations or to recover amounts for which such person is liable under such title to each person on whose behalf such action is brought.
Stipulates that any person who commits violations of specified provisions of such Act shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 for each such violation. States that a violation of any such provision shall constitute a separate violation with respect to each motor vehicle or device involved, except that the maximum civil penalty shall not exceed $100,000 for any related series of violations.
Provides for criminal penalties of up to $50,000 for violations of such Act by any person who knowingly and willfully commits such violations.
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to conduct inspections or investigations necessary for enforcement.
States that information obtained indicating noncompliance with such Act, or any rules, regulations, or orders, may be referred to the Attorney General for investigative consideration.
Provides for administrative warrants under such Act to facilitate inspections pertaining thereto.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out title IV through fiscal year 1977.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Jul 14, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-364.
- Jul 6, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jul 1, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Jun 29, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments with amendments.
- Jan 22, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 10807.
- Jun 6, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Jun 5, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 22, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Apr 24, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.