Congress moves to strip California of clean-air authority
S.J.Res. 207 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Standards; Notice of Decision Granting a Waiver of Clean Air Act Preemption for California's Advanced Clean Car Program and a Within the Scope Conformation for California's Zero Emission Vehicle Amendments for 2017 and Earlier Model Years". · Filed by Pete Ricketts (R-NE) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Aug 5, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This resolution disapproves an EPA decision that allowed California to set its own vehicle emission standards stricter than federal rules under the Clean Air Act. If passed, it would nullify the EPA's 2013 waiver that permitted California's Advanced Clean Car Program and zero-emission vehicle requirements, blocking California from enforcing those standards and reverting to federal baseline rules.
Why we flagged it
This is a Congressional Review Act (CRA) disapproval resolution targeting an EPA environmental waiver. Its operative effect is to strip California of Clean Air Act authority and revert to federal baseline emission standards, functionally deregulating vehicle pollution control.
What the text implies
- Disapproving the waiver does not merely revert to 2012 law; it may trigger a procedural bar under CRA rules preventing the EPA from issuing a substantially similar rule without new congressional authorization, effectively locking in federal preemption.
- Other states (Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington) have adopted California's emission standards under Clean Air Act Section 209(b); disapproving the waiver may create legal uncertainty for those state programs.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
automotive manufacturers (reduced compliance costs); oil and gas industry (higher fuel consumption from less efficient vehicles)