This bill amends the Clean Air Act to prevent states from imposing standards that limit the sale or use of new internal combustion engine vehicles. It adds a new requirement that state standards must not directly or indirectly restrict such vehicles, and it prohibits the EPA from considering pre-2025 state standards as valid under existing waivers. The bill also requires the EPA to revoke certain existing waivers granted between January 2022 and the bill's enactment date if those waivers don't comply with the new standard. This directly affects states with their own vehicle emission rules (like California's ZEV program), limiting their ability to regulate internal combustion engine vehicles through EPA-approved standards.
This bill modifies Clean Air Act regulations to expand vehicle fuel options. It allows aftermarket conversions of older vehicles to run on alternative fuels (like natural gas or biodiesel) without being classified as "tampering," provided they meet engineering standards and include required labels. It also creates a new "fuel choice enabling manufacturer" category for companies with 50%+ of their fleet as vehicles designed for non-petroleum fuels (e.g., plug-in electric, flexible fuel, or hydrogen), granting them an 8 MPG bonus in fuel economy calculations. Additionally, the bill prohibits EPA from regulating biomass fuels under the Clean Air Act and adjusts ethanol blending requirements. These changes apply to vehicles manufactured for model year 2026 and later.
The Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act of 2025 requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise Clean Air Act regulations to address diesel vehicle challenges in extreme cold. It allows diesel vehicle manufacturers to temporarily disable engine power reductions or shutdowns caused by emissions system faults when temperatures are at or below freezing, but only until temperatures rise above freezing. The bill also grants a year-round exemption from diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) system requirements for vehicles primarily operating north of 59°N latitude or in regions with prolonged freezing conditions that make DEF use impractical. This exemption prevents engine derates or shutdowns due to DEF system issues, ensuring critical transportation and emergency services remain functional. The bill does not change overall emissions standards but provides targeted relief for safety and operational needs in cold weather regions.
HR 4117, the Fuel Emissions Freedom Act, would repeal all federal and state fuel emissions standards for motor vehicles. It specifically targets Clean Air Act sections 202 and 209, as well as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards under 49 U.S.C. 32902-32918, and nullifies all existing regulations under these provisions. The bill prohibits both the federal government and states from establishing or enforcing any future fuel emission standards for vehicles. This would directly affect automobile manufacturers, who would no longer need to comply with emissions regulations, and states, which would lose authority to set their own standards. The bill’s key mechanism is the complete removal of regulatory requirements related to vehicle emissions.
This bill repeals Section 304 of the Clean Air Act, which established civil penalty provisions for violations. It removes the specific penalty framework for air pollution enforcement but does not create new regulations or directly affect any entities. The bill includes minor conforming amendments throughout the Clean Air Act to update references to the repealed section. This is a procedural change with no new policy implementation or direct impact on regulated parties.
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to clarify how air quality data affected by wildfires and planned fire management is handled. It adds "prescribed fire" (a planned fire set for forest management) to the definition of "exceptional events" that states can use to explain temporary air quality spikes. States must now determine if wildfire or prescribed fire emissions qualify as exceptional events, and the EPA must review these state decisions within 180 days. This directly affects state air quality agencies, federal land managers, and wildfire management programs by changing how they report and handle air quality data during fire events.
This bill prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency from reallocating renewable fuel requirements from small refineries that have extended exemptions under the Clean Air Act. It directly affects small refineries with extended exemptions and the companies that would otherwise cover their renewable fuel obligations. The key provision requires the EPA to include gasoline or diesel refined by these exempt small refineries in the total fuel volume calculation for the year, preventing other entities from bearing their share of the renewable fuel mandate. This changes how renewable fuel obligations are calculated to protect consumers from potential cost increases tied to reallocated requirements.
HR 2165, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2025, amends the Clean Air Act to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from writing future tailpipe emissions regulations that mandate specific vehicle technologies (like electric or hydrogen systems) or limit the availability of new vehicles based on engine type (e.g., gasoline vs. electric). The bill requires the EPA to update its regulations within 24 months to ensure new rules comply with these restrictions. This directly affects the EPA’s regulatory authority and automakers, as it limits how emissions standards can be structured. The law aims to preserve consumer choice in vehicle types by preventing regulations from favoring one engine technology over others.
This bill prohibits all federal enforcement of emissions control requirements for diesel trucks. It directly affects diesel truck manufacturers, importers, distributors, and owners by eliminating all federal mandates (including under the Clean Air Act) for emissions control devices or onboard diagnostic systems on diesel vehicles. Key provisions repeal existing EPA regulations, prevent future rulemaking on emissions devices, and expunge past legal records related to non-compliance with emissions standards. The law would remove all federal legal barriers to modifying or removing emissions equipment from diesel engines.
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to clarify when certain plastic conversion facilities are excluded from the definition of "solid waste incineration units." It directly affects companies operating facilities that transform plastic or post-use polymers (via methods like pyrolysis) into usable materials, provided at least 50% of the output by mass is a "product" (e.g., usable substances for sale or manufacturing), not energy or ash. Key mechanisms include adding a specific exclusion for qualifying conversion units (Section 2(A)(iv)) and creating a 180-day petition process for other similar units to seek exclusion (Section 2(B)). The bill defines "product" to exclude electricity, heat, or ash but include materials with commercial applications.
