Automobile Full Warranty Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Automobile Full Warranty Act of 1979 - Amends the Magnuson-Moss-Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act to apply to warranties for passenger motor vehicles the Federal minimum standards for warranties established by such Act. Defines the term "passenger motor vehicle" as a motor vehicle with motive power, designed for carrying 12 persons or less. Requires manufacturers and importers of new passenger motor vehicles to offer, by 1982, all purchasers a comprehensive warranty dispute resolution system comprising an informal dispute resolution procedure to remain in operation for three years. Requires that such systems operate under Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines and meet specified standards set forth in this Act. Directs the Commission to report, with recommendations, on such systems by 1984. Declares that a court shall award a consumer who prevails in any action brought against a supplier, warrantor, or service contractor, a sum equal to the aggregate amount of the cost to and expenses incurred by such consumer in the commencement of such action. Grants State and Federal courts jurisdiction over class actions in which the defendant stipulates that the proposed class is 100 persons or more. Prohibits courts from dismissing such actions on the grounds of failure to name 100 persons as plaintiffs unless a reasonable opportunity to conduct discovery on this issue has been provided. Entitles the consumer to retain possession and use of the passenger motor vehicle during the pendency of the action.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on August 3, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on August 3, 1979: Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HOWARD METZENBAUM (D-OH) introduced it on August 3, 1979. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on August 3, 1979, 17205 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17205 days ago, on August 3, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers