Record Retention Requirement, 66629-66633 [2024-18112]

Agencies

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 66629-66633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18112]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 576

[Docket No. NHTSA-2019-0035]
RIN 2127-AL81


Record Retention Requirement

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule is being issued pursuant to the Fixing America's 
Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which requires the Secretary of 
Transportation (Secretary) to extend the period of time manufacturers 
of motor vehicles, child restraint systems, and tires must retain 
records concerning malfunctions that may be related to motor vehicle 
safety under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety 
Act). Section 24403 of the FAST Act directs the Secretary to issue a 
rule increasing the record retention period to not less than 10 years, 
instead of 5 years, as presently required under the regulatory 
provisions. Pursuant to its delegated authority, NHTSA is updating its 
regulations in accordance with this mandate to extend the time that 
manufacturers are required to retain certain records that may be 
related to motor vehicle safety to 10 years.

DATES: 
    Effective date: This rule is effective October 15, 2024.
    Petitions for reconsideration: Petitions for reconsideration of 
this final rule must be received not later than September 30, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Any petitions for reconsideration should refer to the docket 
number of this document and be submitted to: Administrator, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building, Fourth Floor, Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Kuppersmith, Trial Attorney, 
Office of the Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 
(telephone: (202) 366-2992).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary
II. Record Retention Requirements Under the Safety Act Prior to the 
FAST Act
III. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
IV. The Final Rule
V. Regulatory Analyses and Notices

I. Executive Summary

    The FAST Act was signed into law on December 4, 2015. Public Law 
114-94. Section 24403 of the FAST Act directs the Secretary of 
Transportation to increase the amount of time manufacturers of motor 
vehicles, child restraint systems, and tires are required to maintain 
records that contain information concerning malfunctions that may be 
related to motor vehicle safety. In the final rule, the Secretary must 
lengthen the time that manufacturers must maintain these records to not 
less than 10 years from the date the records were generated or 
acquired. Public Law 114-94, sec. 24403(a).
    In May 2019, NHTSA proposed amending its regulation to increase the 
retention period to 10 years and is now finalizing that proposal. Based 
on NHTSA's experience investigating potential defects, overseeing 
recalls, and our consideration of the comments, we have determined that 
finalizing the proposed 10-year records retention requirement would 
help address the agency's investigative needs while minimizing the 
burden to manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment. Thus, this 
final rule extends the record retention requirement for records 
required to be maintained under 49 CFR 576.6 to 10 years. NHTSA may 
consider further extending the retention period in the future.
    This final rule does not require manufacturers to retain any new 
information; it merely requires manufacturers to retain information 
they are already required to retain under 49 CFR part 576 for a longer 
period of time. This final rule also does not extend the time period 
that manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor equipment are required 
to retain records underlying information reported under 49 CFR part 
579.
    In accordance with the FAST Act, the extended time period applies 
to records in manufacturers' possession on the effective date of this 
rule and records generated or acquired in the future. Public Law 114-
94, sec. 24403(b).

II. Record Retention Requirements Under the Safety Act Prior to the 
FAST Act

    Part 576 requires manufacturers of motor vehicles, child restraint 
systems, and tires to retain ``all documentary materials, films, tapes, 
and other information-storing media that contain information concerning 
malfunctions that may be related to motor vehicle

[[Page 66630]]

safety.'' 49 CFR 576.6; see 49 CFR 576.5(a). These records must be 
maintained for use in the investigation and disposition of possible 
defects related to motor vehicle safety or noncompliance with safety 
standards and associated regulations. 49 CFR 576.2. Manufacturers of 
motor vehicles, child restraint systems, and tires must currently keep 
the records required to be maintained by 49 CFR 576.6 for 5 years after 
they are generated or acquired. 49 CFR 576.5(a). Manufacturers of motor 
vehicles and all manufacturers of motor vehicle equipment must also 
keep documents underlying reporting required by 49 CFR part 579 for 5 
years after they are generated or acquired. 49 CFR 576.5(b). However, 
according to 49 CFR 576.5(c), manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor 
vehicle equipment are not required to keep copies of documents reported 
to NHTSA as required by 49 CFR parts 573, 577, and 579. No manufacturer 
is required to keep duplicates according to 49 CFR 576.7.

III. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    In the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), published May 15, 
2019,\1\ NHTSA proposed that manufacturers of motor vehicles, child 
restraint systems, and tires be required to retain records concerning 
malfunctions that may be related to motor vehicle safety for 10 years. 
The NPRM stated that the proposal was based on NHTSA's experience with 
the increasing age of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment and 
the importance of records from manufacturers, balanced against the 
agency's desire to avoid unnecessarily burdening manufacturers of motor 
vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. The NPRM stated that it was 
NHTSA's belief that a records retention period of 10 years would ensure 
that manufacturers would preserve records that NHTSA needs to conduct 
defect investigations without imposing an undue record retention burden 
on manufacturers.
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    \1\ 84 FR 21741.
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    The NPRM requested comment on manufacturers' current records 
retention practices; the burden of increasing the records retention 
period for records required to be maintained by 49 CFR 576.6 to 15, 20, 
or 25 years; costs that might be associated with storage of electronic 
records; and the total volume of records retained pursuant to part 576 
by a manufacturer.
    The NPRM noted that while the average age of the vehicle fleet was 
11.6 years in 2016,\2\ a 10-year long records retention period is of 
significant length when compared to records retention periods of 
similar scope of other operating administrations within the United 
States Department of Transportation and other federal agencies that 
regulate motor vehicles and child products.\3\ The NPRM recognized 
that, as the length of time that vehicles remain on the road has 
increased in recent years, the amount of information generated and 
retained by vehicle manufacturers has also increased. Thus, extending 
the records retention requirement increases the total volume of 
information that must be stored.
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    \2\ 84 FR 21742.
    \3\ Id. (citing Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 
and Environmental Protection Agency requirements).
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    The NPRM also noted that manufacturers of child restraint systems 
and tires would also be bound by a lengthened retention period in part 
576 even though the free remedy period for tires is 5 years and the 
useful life of tires and child restraint systems is often less than 10 
years.
    The NPRM also discussed the several instances in which NHTSA has 
declined to extend the records retention period in part 576 to 
correspond to the free remedy period for recalls in 49 U.S.C. 30120. 
The NPRM stated that, based on NHTSA's experience investigating 
potential defects and overseeing recalls, many manufacturers of motor 
vehicles and equipment already retain some of the records subject to 
this rule for periods of time longer than the current 5-year minimum.
    In response to the NPRM, NHTSA received comments from the U.S. Tire 
Manufacturers Association (USTMA), the Center for Auto Safety, and the 
Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).
    USTMA stated that it opposed any recordkeeping requirement 
applicable to tire manufacturers of a period longer than 10 years. 
USTMA stated that use cases for tires and the typical life span of tire 
models demonstrates that there is not sufficient justification to 
extend the records retention requirement longer than 10 years. USTMA 
further stated that an estimated 80 percent of tires are removed from 
service on a vehicle within 6 years of manufacture and more than 60 
percent of tires are removed from service in fewer than 4 years after 
their manufacture. USTMA states that while the age of the U.S. vehicle 
fleet has increased, tire replacement rates have remained static 
despite improved tire technology because of increases in the total 
number of vehicle miles traveled per year in the U.S. USTMA pointed to 
prior instances in which NHTSA had found it was not cost beneficial to 
extend the records retention requirements in part 576 as evidence that 
it may not be cost beneficial in the current instance to extend the 
records retention requirements beyond 10 years.
    The Center for Auto Safety stated that a 10-year period was 
insufficient to ensure that information relevant to safety defects is 
preserved for review by NHTSA investigators. The Center for Auto Safety 
further stated that by limiting the records retention requirements in 
part 576 to 10 years, NHTSA would be limiting the purview of NHTSA's 
Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) for vehicles older than 5 years to 
the post-design stage. The Center for Auto Safety maintained that this 
requirement would limit ODI's ability to investigate design defects. 
The Center for Auto Safety maintained that often NHTSA's ability to 
make a defect determination hinges on evidence of a design or 
manufacturing defect of which relevant documents may have been produced 
years before vehicles or equipment is manufactured and sold to the 
public. Thus, a shorter retention period could limit access to these 
types of records. The Center for Auto Safety noted that at the time of 
the NPRM, 44 percent of the 43 active Defect Petitions and Preliminary 
Evaluations and Engineering Analysis investigations involved vehicles 
or equipment that began production more than 10 years earlier. The 
Center for Auto Safety asserted that without knowing motor vehicle and 
equipment manufacturers' current records retention practices, NHTSA has 
no basis for asserting that extending the records retention period 
beyond 10 years will burden manufacturers because manufacturers are 
likely already retaining the records. The Center for Auto Safety 
specifically called on NHTSA to extend the record retention period to a 
minimum of 20 years to ensure the agency can effectively evaluate 
safety defects in both new and older vehicles and to support the 
agency's recall and enforcement authorities.
    MEMA's comments applauded NHTSA for recognizing the differences in 
record retention burdens between manufacturers of vehicles and those of 
manufacturers of tires and child restraints. MEMA supported NHTSA's 
decision to propose only extending the records retention period in 49 
CFR 576.6 as well as the decision not to propose extending retention 
requirements for manufacturers of motor vehicle equipment other than 
child

[[Page 66631]]

restraints and tires. MEMA also supported the comments of USTMA.
    The commenters did not provide information on vehicle or equipment 
manufacturers' current retention practices or the costs of electronic 
records storage.

IV. The Final Rule

    After considering all available information, including the 
comments, NHTSA has decided to adopt the changes to the regulation 
proposed in the NPRM without modification. In the NPRM the agency 
stated, that based on its experience investigating potential defects 
and overseeing recalls, many manufacturers of motor vehicles and 
equipment currently retain records subject to this rule for periods of 
time longer than currently required. NHTSA also stated a belief that 
the cost of electronic storage is low and nothing contained in the 
comments has led NHTSA to change that view. Thus, this final rule will 
require manufacturers to maintain records for the minimum 10-year 
period specified in the FAST Act and NHTSA will consider further 
extending this requirement in the future.
    NHTSA acknowledges, as mentioned by the Center for Auto Safety, 
that in many cases manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment are 
currently retaining records for their own business purposes for a 
period of time longer than 10 years. In its investigations, ODI has 
been able to receive relevant records from the motor vehicle or 
equipment manufacturer, even in many instances in which the records are 
far older than those required to be retained. In response to the Center 
for Auto Safety's assertion that the age of the vehicles and equipment 
that are the subject of open investigations and Defect Petitions 
demonstrate that a 10-year records retention period is insufficient, 
NHTSA notes that the manufacturers' general practices of retaining 
records longer than the required period has enabled the agency to 
obtain relevant records when necessary.
    While the burden of extending the records retention requirement in 
part 576 longer than 10 years may be minimal, the agency has decided 
that finalizing a 10-year requirement now is appropriate. That action 
will ensure that records are retained for that longer retention period 
immediately upon the effective date of this rule and will not foreclose 
the agency from further consideration of a longer retention period, 
which could serve as a backstop to ensure that manufacturers continue 
to retain older records that the agency often considers in its work. 
NHTSA must also consider the burden of extending the records retention 
requirements in 49 CFR 576.6 to manufacturers of tires and child 
restraints, which may not retain records for as long as motor vehicle 
manufacturers. Furthermore, ODI needs records older than 10 years old 
from child restraint system and tire manufacturers less often than from 
vehicle manufacturers. Thus, in the future, NHTSA may consider 
different retention periods tailored to its needs.
    The Center for Auto Safety further asserted that a records 
retention period of 10 years will limit ODI's oversight of 
manufacturing and design defects. As noted above, it is ODI's 
experience that in most cases records are available past the period for 
which manufacturers are required to keep them. Furthermore, while 
design and manufacturing records can be helpful to demonstrating the 
existence of a defect, NHTSA can prove a defect based on performance 
alone. See 49 U.S.C. 30120(a)(3) (defining ``defect'' as including a 
defect in performance); U.S. v. Gen. Motors, 518 F.2d 420, 438 (D.C. 
Cir. 1975).
    While we are declining at this time to extend the records retention 
requirement for records covered by 49 CFR 576.6 for a period longer 
than 10 years, we do note that the average age of the U.S. on-road 
vehicle fleet has increased since the NPRM.\4\ Finalizing the proposed 
retention period now ensures that manufacturers retain records for the 
minimum 10-year period, in accordance with the FAST Act mandate. The 
agency will consider a further extension of the requirement in the 
future.
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    \4\ The average age of the U.S. light vehicle fleet was 12.6 
years in 2024. See Average Age of Vehicles in the US Continues to 
Rise: 12.6 Years in 2024, According to S&P Mobility (May 22. 2024), 
available https://www.spglobal.com/mobility/en/research-analysis/average-age-vehicles-united-states-2024.html (last visited June 13, 
2024).
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V. Regulatory Analyses and Notices

A. Executive Order (E.O.) 12866, E.O. 13563, E.O. 14094, and DOT 
Regulatory Policies and Procedures

    NHTSA has considered the impact of this rulemaking action under 
E.O. 12866, E.O. 13563, E.O. 14094, and DOT's regulatory policies and 
procedures. This final rule is nonsignificant under E.O. 12866 and E.O. 
14094 and was not reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). It is also not considered ``of special note to the Department'' 
under DOT Order 2100.6A, Rulemaking and Guidance Procedures.
    This rule amends 49 CFR part 576 to require motor vehicle, child 
restraint system, and tire manufacturers to maintain records for a 
longer period than the currently required 5-year time period. This rule 
does not require manufacturers to maintain any records they are not 
already required to maintain, but instead is designed to lengthen the 
time manufacturers retain certain records. Extending the period of time 
to 10 years is expected to lead to various unquantifiable benefits such 
as formalizing manufacturers' records retention practices and ensuring 
that, in all instances, records that must be retained under section 
576.6 are available in the case of a NHTSA investigation for a minimum 
of 10 years.
    Based on NHTSA's experience conducting investigations and 
overseeing recalls, NHTSA believes that most manufacturers of motor 
vehicles subject to this rule already retain records for a longer 
period than currently specified in part 576. It is NHTSA's position 
that those manufacturers of motor vehicles or equipment who do 
currently retain records for longer than 10 years would be able to 
adjust their record retention systems in response to this rulemaking 
with minimal cost. Because we expect any costs, benefits, or savings 
associated with this rulemaking to be minimal, we have not prepared a 
separate economic analysis for this rulemaking.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    In compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et 
seq., NHTSA has evaluated the effects of this action on small entities. 
I hereby certify that this final rule would not have a significant 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The rule affects 
manufacturers of motor vehicles, child restraint systems, and tires, a 
few of which may qualify as small entities. Such manufacturers are 
expected to have fewer records, because they produce fewer motor 
vehicles, child restraint systems, and tires than larger manufacturers. 
Accordingly, the burden imposed on smaller manufacturers to retain 
these records should be small. Additionally, this rule will merely 
extend how long manufacturers keep records that they are already 
required to maintain under current regulations, amounting to a minimal 
impact on small businesses. Thus, NHTSA believes that the regulation 
does not impose a significant burden on small manufacturers.

C. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)

    NHTSA has examined today's rule pursuant to E.O. 13132 (64 FR 
43255, Aug. 10, 1999) and concluded that no additional consultation 
with states,

[[Page 66632]]

local governments, or their representatives is mandated beyond the 
rulemaking process. The agency has determined that the rulemaking would 
not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant consultation 
with state and local officials or the preparation of a federalism 
summary impact statement. The rule would apply to manufacturers of 
motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment and would not have a 
substantial direct effect on the states, on the relationship between 
the national government and the states, or on the distribution of power 
and responsibilities among the various levels of government. Thus, E.O. 
13132 is not implicated and consultation with state and local officials 
is not required.

D. National Environmental Policy Act

    NHTSA has analyzed this rule for the purposes of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The agency has determined that the 
implementation of this action will not have any significant impact on 
the quality of the human environment.

E. Congressional Review Act

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States. NHTSA will submit a report containing this rule and 
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior 
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. This rule does not 
meet the criteria in 5 U.S.C. 804(2) to be considered a major rule.

F. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Under the procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), federal agencies must obtain 
approval from the OMB for each collection of information they conduct, 
sponsor, or require through regulations. A person is not required to 
respond to a collection of information by a federal agency unless the 
collection displays a valid OMB clearance number. In compliance with 
these requirements, NHTSA is submitting an information collection 
requestion (ICR) to OMB for modifications to a currently approved 
information collection titled ``Record Retention--49 CFR part 576'' 
(OMB Control No. 2127-0042, Current Expiration Date: 4/30/2026).
    The final rule amends 49 CFR part 576 to extend the time 
manufacturers must retain certain information, which is considered to 
be an information collection requirement, as that term is defined by 
the OMB in 5 CFR part 1320. NHTSA sought comment on this change in the 
NPRM published on May 15, 2019.\5\ NHTSA's responses to the comments 
are discussed in section III above. As discussed, NHTSA is adopting the 
proposal without modification.
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    \5\ 84 FR 21741.
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    In accordance with the requirements of the PRA, NHTSA is 
resubmitting the ICR for this final rule. While NHTSA has not made any 
substantial modifications to the ICR since publishing the NPRM, NHTSA 
has revised the estimates for the total burden of this collection due 
to changes in the number of respondents since the NPRM was issued. 
NHTSA estimates the total burden of this information collection to be 
40,225 hours and $0, which is the same burden estimate provided for the 
currently approved information collection. NHTSA does not believe the 
modification will increase burden to manufacturers. However, this 
estimate is higher than what we estimated in the May 15, 2019 NPRM, in 
which we as estimated that the burden would be 40,020 hours and $0. The 
adjustment is a result of an increase in the estimated number of the 
manufacturers required to maintain the records (an increase of five 
manufacturers each incurring an estimated 40 burden hours each year and 
an additional five manufacturers incurring an estimated 1 burden hour 
each year). NHTSA continues to estimate that there are no additional 
costs associated with this information collection.
    In compliance with the requirement at 5 CFR 1320.9(g), NHTSA is 
providing the following information to potential respondents to the 
information collections for part 576--Record Retention:

    Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: A federal agency may not 
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor 
shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a 
collection of information subject to the requirements of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information 
displays a current valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Number 
for this information collection is 2127-0042. The information 
collected is necessary to increase the effectiveness of NHTSA's 
investigations into potential safety related defects. The records 
that are required to be retained per 49 CFR part 576 are used to 
promptly identify potential safety-related defects in motor vehicles 
and motor vehicle equipment in the United States. When a trend in 
incidents arising from a potentially safety-related defect is 
discovered, NHTSA relies on this information, along with other 
agency data, to determine whether or not to open a formal defect 
investigation (as authorized by Title 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301--Motor 
Vehicle Safety). The record retention requirements are mandatory and 
NHTSA estimates that the annual burden associated with these record 
retention requirements is approximately 40 hours per manufacturer 
for vehicle and equipment manufacturers and 1 hour per manufacturer 
for record retention for death reports. Send comments regarding this 
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of 
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Room W45-205, 
Washington, DC 20590.

G. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

    Under the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 
(Pub. L. 104-113), ``all Federal agencies and departments shall use 
technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary 
consensus standards bodies, using such technical standards as a means 
to carry out policy objectives or activities determined by the agencies 
and departments.'' The amendment in today's final rule extends the time 
manufacturers retain records, and does not involve any voluntary 
consensus standards as it relates to NHTSA or this rulemaking.

H. Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform)

    With respect to the review of the promulgation of a new regulation, 
section 3(b) of E.O. 12988, ``Civil Justice Reform'' (61 FR 4729, Feb. 
7, 1996), requires that Executive agencies make every reasonable effort 
to ensure that the regulation: (1) clearly specifies the preemptive 
effect; (2) clearly specifies the effect on existing federal law or 
regulation including all provisions repealed, circumscribed, displaced, 
impaired, or modified; (3) provides a clear legal standard for affected 
conduct rather than a general standard, while promoting simplification 
and burden reduction; (4) clearly specifies the retroactive effect, if 
any; (5) specifies whether administrative proceedings are to be 
required before parties may file suit in court; (6) adequately defines 
key terms; and (7) addresses other important issues affecting clarity 
and general draftsmanship under any guidelines issued by the Attorney 
General. This document is consistent with that requirement.
    Pursuant to this Order, NHTSA has considered these issues and 
determined

[[Page 66633]]

that this rule does not have any retroactive or preemptive effect. The 
rule only applies to documents in manufacturers' possession at the time 
the rule goes into effect and documents generated or acquired by 
manufacturers in the future. NHTSA notes further that there is no 
requirement associated with this rule that individuals submit a 
petition for reconsideration or pursue other administrative proceeding 
before they may file suit in court.

I. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4) requires 
agencies to prepare a written assessment of the costs, benefits, and 
other effects of proposed or final rules that include a federal mandate 
likely to result in the expenditure by state, local, or tribal 
governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of more than 
$100 million annually (adjusted for inflation with base year of 1995). 
This rule would not result in expenditures by state, local, or tribal 
governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector in excess of 
$100 million annually (adjusted for inflation with base year of 1995).

J. Executive Order 13211

    E.O. 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 18, 2001) applies to any rulemaking 
that: (1) is determined to be economically significant as defined under 
E.O. 12866, and is likely to have a significantly adverse effect on the 
supply of, distribution of, or use of energy; or (2) that is designated 
by the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs as a significant energy action. This rulemaking is not subject 
to E.O. 13211.

K. Regulation Identifier Number

    The DOT assigns a regulation identifier number (RIN) to each 
regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulations. 
The Regulatory Information Service Center publishes the Unified Agenda 
in April and October of each year. You may use the RIN contained in the 
heading at the beginning of this document to find this action in the 
Unified Agenda.

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 576

    Motor vehicle safety, Tires, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, NHTSA amends 49 CFR part 
576 as follows:

PART 576--RECORD RETENTION

0
1. The authority citation for part 576 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322(a), 30117, 30120(g), 30141-30147; 
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.95.


0
2. Amend Sec.  576.5 to revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec.  576.5  Basic requirements.

    (a) Each manufacturer of motor vehicles, child restraint systems, 
and tires shall retain, as specified in Sec.  576.7 of this part, all 
records described in Sec.  576.6 of this part for a period of 10 
calendar years from the date on which they were generated or acquired 
by the manufacturer.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 
1.95 and 501.5.
Sophie Shulman,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2024-18112 Filed 8-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P