U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (both D-CA) introduced Aug. 2 the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2012.

The Senate bill is the companion legislation to a rental car recall bill, H.R. 6094, introduced last month by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA), Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). The new House and Senate bills are an updated version of legislation introduced last year by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). 

Earlier this year, Sen. Boxer sent a letter asking the nation’s four leading rental car companies — Enterprise, Hertz, Avis/Budget and Dollar/Thrifty — to make the following pledge: “Effective immediately, our company is making a permanent commitment to not rent out or sell any vehicles under safety recall until the defect has been remedied.”

Of the four companies, only Hertz agreed to the pledge in its entirety, according to Boxer. 

The new House and Senate legislation is supported by Hertz, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the Trauma Foundation.

For all past coverage regarding recalls in the rental industry, click here.