Gas Money Saved Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4908
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T04:53:29Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation, titled the Gas Money Saved Act, directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to reassess corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards when gasoline prices increase significantly faster than general inflation. It also restores civil penalties for noncompliance with those standards.
Key Provisions
- Reevaluation trigger: The NHTSA Administrator must begin a review of whether current CAFE standards achieve "maximum feasible average fuel economy" if national average gasoline prices rise at least five times faster than overall inflation, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
- Applicable period: The review is triggered by any 180-day period (or longer) of such price increases, measured either from the bill's enactment or from the date of any prior adjustment under this law.
- Penalty restoration: The bill amends 49 U.S.C. § 32912 to set civil penalties at $25 per violation in one subsection and $50 in another, replacing prior amounts of $0.00.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces an automatic, price-based mechanism for reviewing CAFE standards, which previously lacked such a direct inflation-linked trigger.
- Reverses recent reductions in CAFE civil penalties by restoring specific dollar amounts for violations.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Requires NHTSA to initiate new rulemaking or review processes when fuel price conditions are met, potentially increasing administrative workload.
- On citizens and industry: Could lead to stricter fuel economy requirements for vehicle manufacturers, affecting vehicle design, pricing, and consumer choices.
- On international relations: No direct effects specified in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- NHTSA (responsible for standards and reviews).
- Automobile manufacturers (subject to CAFE compliance and penalties).
- Consumers (impacted by potential changes in vehicle fuel efficiency and costs).
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (data source for price comparisons).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Ties regulatory action to economic data, creating a conditional duty for an executive agency that may raise questions about administrative discretion.
- Modifies existing penalty provisions in the U.S. Code without altering the underlying CAFE statutory framework.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2026-06-24: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Gas Money Saved Act — issued 2026-06-24 — PDF (3 pages)