Fuel Emissions Freedom Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4117
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-24: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2025-10-25T08:05:22Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation, titled the Fuel Emissions Freedom Act, seeks to eliminate federal and state regulations on motor vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards to reduce costs for consumers and manufacturers, remove regulatory uncertainty, and promote manufacturing flexibility.
Key Provisions
- Repeals Section 202 of the Clean Air Act, which established motor vehicle emission and fuel standards.
- Amends Section 209 of the Clean Air Act to remove the provision allowing California (and other states) to seek waivers for stricter standards, and broadens federal preemption over state rules.
- Repeals Sections 32902 through 32918 of Title 49, United States Code, eliminating Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.
- Amends Section 32919 of Title 49 to expand preemption of state fuel economy laws.
- Nullifies all existing federal regulations and state laws or orders based on the repealed provisions.
- Prohibits the federal government and states from establishing, enforcing, or maintaining any fuel emission standards for motor vehicles in the future.
- Voids references to the repealed standards in other federal documents or authorities.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Removes the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to set emission standards for new motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act.
- Eliminates the special waiver process that allowed California to adopt its own vehicle emission rules.
- Ends the Department of Transportation's CAFE program, which previously set fuel economy requirements for passenger cars and light trucks.
- Creates a comprehensive federal preemption that overrides both current and future state-level emission or fuel standards.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Environmental Protection Agency would lose its primary role in regulating vehicle emissions, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would no longer administer fuel economy rules.
- Citizens: Vehicle purchase and operating costs could decrease due to reduced compliance burdens, though air quality protections tied to these standards would no longer apply at the federal or state level.
- International relations: The bill does not address treaty obligations, but removal of domestic standards could affect U.S. alignment with international emissions reduction efforts.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Automobile manufacturers and suppliers (especially small and medium-sized firms).
- Consumers and families purchasing vehicles.
- State governments, particularly California and other states with prior waiver authority.
- Federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation.
- Environmental organizations and public health advocates.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Strengthens federal preemption over state environmental regulations in the vehicle sector, potentially raising federalism questions about the balance of power between national and state authority.
- Completely shifts policy from regulation to deregulation without new standards or alternative mechanisms.
- Applies retroactively by nullifying all prior rules and waivers, creating a clean break from existing frameworks.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27], Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26], Rep. Spartz, Victoria [R-IN-5], Rep. Clyde, Andrew S. [R-GA-9]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-24: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-06-24: Introduced in House
- 2025-06-24: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Fuel Emissions Freedom Act — issued 2025-06-24 — PDF (5 pages)