Bill strips states of power to set vehicle emission rules

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.
• May conflict with state authority under the Tenth Amendment and existing Clean Air Act Section 209(b) structure, which explicitly permits state waivers for California and other states.
• Freezes state emission standards at January 1, 2023 baseline, preventing future state-level climate adaptation or air-quality improvements in response to new science.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Citizens lose the ability to live in states with stricter vehicle emission standards and climate-aligned vehicle policies. The bill transfers regulatory authority away from states and citizens toward federal baseline, reducing environmental protection options and air quality improvements that state standards would otherwise deliver.

Who stands to gain

• internal combustion engine manufacturers
• automotive suppliers dependent on ICE technology
• fossil fuel producers and refiners

Named in the bill

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), California, Section 209(b) Clean Air Act, 40 CFR 63.9375, internal combustion engine (ICE)

Where it stands

7 cosponsors: 7 Republicans.

• Jan 13, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 13, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

6 lobbying clients named this bill on 6 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $23,222,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 24 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 82% of bills with at least one filing.

John Joyce, the sponsor, reported $1,473,437 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $17,960,000 on 1 filing
• Koch Government Affairs, LLC — $2,760,000 on 1 filing
• Aicpa Association of International Certified Professional Accountants — $1,550,000 on 1 filing
• American Trucking Associations — $720,000 on 1 filing
• Agricultural Retailers Association — $210,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.