The Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act, 42 U.S.C. § 14171,
which
was enacted as Title XXII of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement
Act
of 1994, requires the Attorney General to develop, in cooperation with the
States, a national voluntary motor vehicle theft prevention program wherein
a
motor vehicle owner may sign a consent form authorizing law enforcement
officers
to stop his motor vehicle if it is being operated under specified
conditions.
The proposed rule governing this program (1995 F.R. 54460, October
24,
1995) has two sets of conditions. Under the first condition, the owner may
consent to have the car stopped if it is operated between the hours 1 a.m.
and
5 a.m. Under the second condition, the owner may consent to have the car
stopped
if it crosses or is about to cross a United States land border, or if it
enters
a port. Participating motorists must agree to display a program decal on
their
vehicles. An unauthorized application of a program decal on a vehicle is
punishable by a fine not to exceed $1000 (18 U.S.C. § 511A). In
addition,
any person in the business of renting or leasing motor vehicles and who
rents a
motor vehicle on which a program is affixed and fails to provide notice to
the
renter or lessee, shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000.
This program will be administered by the Office of Justice Programs
when the final rule is promulgated.