110 HR 277 IH: To prohibit the use of amounts in a Members’ U.S. House of Representatives 2007-01-05 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 277 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 5, 2007 Mr. Cleaver introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL To prohibit the use of amounts in a Members’ Representational Allowance to provide any vehicle which does not use alternative fuels.

1.

Short Title

This Act may be cited as the Congress Leads by Example through Alt-fuel Resources Act or the CLEAR Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The national average price of a gallon of gasoline has doubled in the past 3 years. (2)The need to end the Nation’s dependency on foreign oil is a vital component of homeland security. (3)The world’s supply of oil is limited and unstable, and therefore the need to develop new energy technologies is pressing. (4)Alternative sources of energy such as ethanol, hydrogen, and electricity have been proven effective and efficient in powering passenger vehicles. (5)There have been several pieces of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives to address the growing problem of high gas prices and the need to utilize alternative sources of energy. (6)Members of Congress should follow their own example of setting forth legislation that encourages the use of alternatively fueled vehicles. (7)In 2005 the total cost of automobile leases for Members of Congress surpassed $1 million, and a collective switch to alternative fuel vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or vehicles powered by bio-fuels could potentially save American taxpayers thousands of dollars annually. (8)The General Services Administration has already purchased over 68,000 alternative fueled vehicles for the use of Federal customers, more than any other organization in the United States.

3.

Prohibiting Use of Members’ Representational Allowance For Vehicles Not Using Alternative Fuels

(a)

Prohibition

No portion of a Members’ Representational Allowance may be used to provide any individual with a vehicle, including providing an individual with a vehicle under a long-term lease, which is not an alternative fuel vehicle. (b)

Alternative Fuel Vehicles Described

(1)

In general

In this section, an alternative fuel vehicle means any of the following: (A)A vehicle treated as an alternative fuels vehicle by the Administrator of General Services under standards established by the Administrator. (B)Any other vehicle powered by alternative fuel or synthetic fuel. (C)Any other vehicle powered in whole or in part by— (i)flexible-fuel operating systems; (ii)bio-fuel operating systems; (iii)electrical operating systems; or (iv)hybrid-electrical operating systems. (2)

Other definitions

In paragraph (1)— (A)the term alternative fuel has the meaning given such term in section 301(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13211(2)); (B)the term bio-fuel means any fuel containing any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood wastes and residues, plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, residues, fibers, animal wastes, municipal wastes, and other waste materials; and (C)the term synthetic fuel means any fuel obtained from coal or from natural gas, or derived from resources such as oil shale, tar sand, or waste plastics. (c)

Effective Date

(1)

In general

Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to amounts expended on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2)

Treatment of existing contracts

In the case of amounts expended under a contract entered into prior to the date of the enactment of this Act, subsection (a) shall first apply with respect to amounts expended during the One Hundred Eleventh Congress.