Bill strips states of power to set vehicle emission rules
H.R. 346 — Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act · Filed by John Joyce (R-PA) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 13, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to block states from setting vehicle emission standards that would effectively eliminate internal combustion engines. It adds a new criterion to Section 209(b) that denies California and other states a federal waiver if their standards directly or indirectly limit ICE vehicle sales, and requires the EPA to revoke any waivers granted since January 2022 that fail this test.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism strips states of Clean Air Act waiver authority to set vehicle emission standards stricter than federal baseline. Although framed as 'preserving choice,' it eliminates state-level regulatory choice and reduces environmental standards.
What the text implies
- Retroactively invalidates California's Advanced Clean Cars II rule and similar state EV mandates adopted under existing waivers, potentially triggering litigation over vested rights.
- Centralizes vehicle emission policy at federal level, removing a traditional laboratory-of-democracy mechanism where states test stricter standards before federal adoption.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
internal combustion engine manufacturers; automotive suppliers dependent on ICE technology; fossil fuel producers and refiners