[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5359 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5359

  To amend the automobile fuel economy provisions of title 49, United 
 States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to set fuel 
   economy standards for passenger automobiles based on one or more 
                          vehicle attributes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2006

 Mr. Barton of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the automobile fuel economy provisions of title 49, United 
 States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to set fuel 
   economy standards for passenger automobiles based on one or more 
                          vehicle attributes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CAFE STANDARDS FOR PASSENGER AUTOMOBILES.

    (a) Average Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Automobiles.--
Section 32902 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
    ``(c) Amending Passenger Automobile Standards.--
            ``(1) Regulations.--The Secretary of Transportation may 
        prescribe regulations amending the standard under subsection 
        (b) of this section for a model year. If the Secretary does not 
        prescribe regulations under this subsection for a given model 
        year, the standard in effect for the preceding model year shall 
        apply to such model year and each model year thereafter.
            ``(2) Maximum feasible average fuel economy.--The standard 
        prescribed under this subsection shall be the maximum feasible 
        average fuel economy level that the Secretary decides the 
        manufacturers can achieve in that model year. In amending such 
        standard for a model year, the Secretary, consistent with the 
        Secretary's authority under this section for prescribing 
        standards, may establish a standard based on one or more 
        vehicle attributes related to fuel economy.''; and
            (2) in subsection (g)(2), by striking ``(and submit the 
        amendment to Congress when required under subsection (c)(2) of 
        this section)''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall be 
effective on the date of enactment of this Act. The Secretary of 
Transportation shall prescribe regulations under section 32902(c) of 
title 49, United States Code, not later than December 30, 2008. Such 
regulations shall take into consideration standard automobile industry 
design and production processes.
    (c) Study of Requirement of Separate Calculations for Domestic and 
Foreign Fleets.--
            (1) Study.--The Administrator of the National Highway 
        Traffic Safety Administration shall conduct a study on the 
        requirement of separate fuel economy calculations for 
        automobiles manufactured domestically and not domestically 
        contained in section 32904(b) of title 49, United States Code. 
        Such study shall--
                    (A) assess the effects of such requirement on 
                employment within the automobile industry in the United 
                States;
                    (B) assess the effects of such requirement on 
                overall passenger automobile fuel economy;
                    (C) determine the degree to which such requirement 
                encourages manufacturers to alter their automobiles in 
                order to meet automobile fuel efficiency standards for 
                both domestic and foreign manufactured automobiles;
                    (D) examine the effect of requirements of the North 
                American Free Trade Agreement on the operation of such 
                requirement;
                    (E) determine whether such requirement has resulted 
                in additional costs to automobile consumers; and
                    (F) determine whether such requirement has promoted 
                increased manufacturing of smaller, more fuel-efficient 
                cars in the United States.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National 
        Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall transmit a report 
        to Congress and to the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency on the conclusions of the study.
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