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49 U.S.C. § 32101

Title 49 Chapter 321 Current through PL 119-73 Last updated: March 29, 2026 View on OLRC →
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§ 32101. Definitions

In this part (except chapter 329 and except as provided in section 33101)—

  • (1) “bumper standard” means a minimum performance standard that substantially reduces—
    • (A) the damage to the front or rear end of a passenger motor vehicle from a low-speed collision (including a collision with a fixed barrier) or from towing the vehicle; or
    • (B) the cost of repairing the damage.
  • (2) “insurer” means a person in the business of issuing, or reinsuring any part of, a passenger motor vehicle insurance policy.
  • (3) “interstate commerce” means commerce between a place in a State and—
    • (A) a place in another State; or
    • (B) another place in the same State through another State.
  • (4) “make”, when describing a passenger motor vehicle, means the trade name of the manufacturer of the vehicle.
  • (5) “manufacturer” means a person—
    • (A) manufacturing or assembling passenger motor vehicles or passenger motor vehicle equipment; or
    • (B) importing motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment for resale.
  • (6) “model”, when describing a passenger motor vehicle, means a category of passenger motor vehicles based on the size, style, and type of a make of vehicle.
  • (7) “motor vehicle” means a vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power and manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways, but does not include a vehicle operated only on a rail line.
  • (8) “motor vehicle accident” means an accident resulting from the maintenance or operation of a passenger motor vehicle or passenger motor vehicle equipment.
  • (9) “multipurpose passenger vehicle” means a passenger motor vehicle constructed on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation.
  • (10) “passenger motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle with motive power designed to carry not more than 12 individuals, but does not include—
    • (A) a motorcycle; or
    • (B) a truck not designed primarily to carry its operator or passengers.
  • (11) “passenger motor vehicle equipment” means—
    • (A) a system, part, or component of a passenger motor vehicle as originally made;
    • (B) a similar part or component made or sold for replacement or improvement of a system, part, or component, or as an accessory or addition to a passenger motor vehicle; or
    • (C) a device made or sold for use in towing a passenger motor vehicle.
  • (12) “State” means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.
  • (13) “United States district court” means a district court of the United States, a United States court for Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and the district court for the Northern Mariana Islands.

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