[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 587 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 587

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that automobiles and 
light trucks manufactured after model year 2006 be able to operate on a 
    fuel mixture that is at least 85 percent ethanol, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 10, 2005

  Mr. Dayton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that automobiles and 
light trucks manufactured after model year 2006 be able to operate on a 
    fuel mixture that is at least 85 percent ethanol, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom From Foreign Oil Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO PERMIT AUTOMOBILES TO USE CERTAIN ALTERNATIVE 
              FUELS.

    (a) Requirement.--Chapter 329 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 32902 the following new section:
``Sec. 32902A. Requirement to equip automobiles to use alternative 
              biofuels
    ``(a) Requirement.--A passenger automobile, an automobile capable 
of off-highway operation, or a light truck manufactured that is by a 
manufacturer for a model year after model year 2006 and is capable of 
operating on gasoline shall also be capable of operating on a flexible 
fuel mixture.
    ``(b) Consumer Information.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
prescribe regulations that require the manufacturer of passenger 
automobiles, automobiles capable of off-highway operation, or light 
trucks--
            ``(1) to prominently display a permanent badge or emblem on 
        the quarter panel or tailgate of each such automobile or light 
        truck manufactured by the manufacturer that indicates such 
        automobile or light truck is capable of operating on a flexible 
        fuel mixture; and
            ``(2) to include in the owner's manual of each such 
        automobile or light truck information describing--
                    ``(A) the capability of the automobile or light 
                truck to operate using a flexible fuel mixture; and
                    ``(B) the benefits of using a flexible fuel 
                mixture, including the renewable nature, the increased 
                fuel efficiency, and the environmental benefits of 
                using flexible fuels.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Automobile capable of off-highway operation.--The 
        term `automobile capable of off-highway operation' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 523.5 of title 49, Code of 
        Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).
            ``(2) Flexible fuel mixture.--The term `flexible fuel 
        mixture' means a mixture of gasoline and ethanol at least 85 
        percent of which is ethanol, as measured by volume.
            ``(3) Light truck.--The term `light truck' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 523.5 of title 49, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (or any successor regulation).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
32902 the following new item:

``32902A. Requirement to equip automobiles to use alternative 
                            biofuels.''.

SEC. 3. VIOLATIONS BEFORE 2008.

    A person may not be treated as being in violation of section 
32911(a) of title 49, United States Code, for a failure to comply with 
section 32902A of such title (as added by section 2) on a date that is 
prior to January 1, 2008.

SEC. 4. ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE THE USE OF CERTAIN ALTERNATIVE FUELS.

    The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out activities to 
promote the use of a mixture containing at least 85 percent of ethanol 
by volume with gasoline to power motor vehicles in the United States.
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