Nonfunctional and counterfeit airbags and providing a penalty

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, a person is prohibited from selling, installing, reinstalling, or distributing a previously deployed airbag or concealing a missing or previously deployed airbag. Violations of these prohibitions are punishable by a $5,000 fine or imprisonment of up to one year, or both.

This bill expands these prohibitions to importing, manufacturing, or offering for sale a previously deployed airbag and creates similar prohibitions relating to nonfunctional and counterfeit airbags. Under the bill, “nonfunctional airbag” means a replacement airbag that 1) was previously deployed or damaged; 2) has an electric fault that is detected by the motor vehicle’s diagnostic system; 3) includes a part or object intended to mislead the owner or operator of the motor vehicle into believing that a functional airbag has been installed; or 4) is prohibited from being sold under federal law. Under the bill, “counterfeit airbag” means a replacement airbag, or an airbag component, that displays an unauthorized mark substantially similar to the mark of an original equipment manufacturer or a genuine supplier of parts to the manufacturer of a motor vehicle.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its authors⁠. All 3 are Republicans.

12 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.