Congress moves to strip states of clean-air authority over vehicle emissions

What it does

This bill amends the Clean Air Act to block states from setting vehicle emission standards that would effectively eliminate internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. It adds a new criterion under 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 1, 2022 that fail this test.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism strips states of Clean Air Act authority to set vehicle emission standards that would phase out internal combustion engines. It is functionally a deregulation measure that benefits automakers by preventing state-level electrification mandates, framed as 'preserving choice' but actually preserving the status quo for ICE vehicle sales.

What the text implies

• Retroactively invalidates EPA waivers granted to California and other states during 2022–2025, potentially triggering legal challenges and regulatory uncertainty.
• Preempts state authority under Section 209(b) of the Clean Air Act, which has historically allowed California to set stricter emission standards; this narrows a 50-year-old federalism carve-out.
• Locks in the definition of 'internal combustion engine' to a 2023 regulatory snapshot, preventing future EPA updates to account for hybrid or advanced ICE technologies.
• May reduce consumer access to zero-emission vehicle mandates in states like California, New York, and Massachusetts, slowing EV adoption and air-quality improvements in high-population regions.

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

Who it affects

Citizens lose the ability of states to mandate cleaner vehicles through emission standards, reducing air quality protections and public health safeguards. The bill transfers regulatory power away from states and citizens toward automakers, who retain the option to sell higher-emission vehicles without state-level consequence.

Who stands to gain

• Internal combustion engine automakers
• Fossil fuel industry
• Automotive suppliers dependent on ICE technology

Named in the bill

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California (implied as primary waiver holder), Section 209(b) of the Clean Air Act, 40 CFR 63.9375, Internal combustion engine manufacturers

Where it stands

20 cosponsors: 20 Republicans.

• Mar 12, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Mar 12, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works”

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

Money around this bill

4 lobbying clients named this bill on 4 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $3,804,237 in lobbying spend. A filing names 22 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 72% of bills with at least one filing.

Markwayne Mullin, the sponsor, reported $979,756 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Koch Government Affairs, LLC — $2,760,000 on 1 filing
• American Trucking Associations — $720,000 on 1 filing
• Owner-operator Independent Drivers Association — $302,237 on 1 filing
• National Association of Small Trucking Companies — $22,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 22, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.