[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4512 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4512

   To require the Secretary of Energy to implement country-of-origin 
 disclosure requirements with respect to motor vehicle fuels, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 2010

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Energy to implement country-of-origin 
 disclosure requirements with respect to motor vehicle fuels, 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 ``Country-of-Origin Labeling for Fuels 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Country-of-origin information.--The term ``country-of-
        origin information'' means information regarding each country 
        in which motor vehicle fuel or the components of such fuel were 
        extracted, refined, or otherwise processed.
            (2) Motor vehicle fuel.--The term ``motor vehicle fuel''--
                    (A) means any fuel used to power an automobile, as 
                defined in section 32901(3) of title 49, United States 
                Code; and
                    (B) includes alternative fuels, as defined in 
                section 32901(1) of such title, other than electricity 
                (including electricity from solar energy).
            (3) Motor vehicle fuel retailer.--The term ``motor vehicle 
        fuel retailer'' means a person in the motor vehicle fuel supply 
        chain who sells motor vehicle fuel to the general public for 
        ultimate consumption.
            (4) Motor vehicle fuel supplier.--The term ``motor vehicle 
        fuel supplier'' means a person in the motor vehicle fuel supply 
        chain other than a motor vehicle fuel retailer.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON IMPLEMENTING COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING FOR MOTOR 
              VEHICLE FUEL.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall--
            (1) conduct a study to determine appropriate methods and 
        standards for requiring that--
                    (A) motor vehicle fuel suppliers disclose country-
                of-origin information with respect to motor vehicle 
                fuel to the next person in the motor vehicle fuel 
                supply chain; and
                    (B) motor vehicle retailers disclose such 
                information to consumers; and
            (2) make recommendations with respect to the most feasible 
        and cost-effective country-of-origin information disclosure 
        requirements that can be imposed on motor vehicle fuel 
        suppliers and motor vehicle fuel retailers.
    (b) Elements of Study.--The study required by subsection (a) shall 
address the following:
            (1) The extent to which persons at each step in the motor 
        vehicle fuel supply chain have access to country-of-origin 
        information regarding the fuel they sell, and the nature of any 
        such information.
            (2) An assessment of whether such information is adequate--
                    (A) to enable a motor vehicle fuel supplier to 
                provide country-of-origin information to the next 
                person in the supply chain; and
                    (B) to enable a motor vehicle fuel retailer to 
                provide country-of-origin information to consumers, by 
                displaying that information at fuel pumps or on a 
                website.
            (3) If the Secretary determines under paragraph (2) that 
        such information is inadequate to enable motor vehicle fuel 
        suppliers or motor vehicle fuel retailers to provide country-
        of-origin information, measures that can be taken to collect 
        adequate information--
                    (A) by the Secretary; and
                    (B) by motor vehicle fuel suppliers and motor 
                vehicle fuel retailers.
            (4) The feasibility of various country-of-origin 
        information disclosure requirements, including--
                    (A) displaying at each fuel pump the precise 
                country or countries in which the fuel being dispensed 
                to each consumer originated; and
                    (B) displaying at each motor vehicle fuel retailer 
                or on the website of each motor vehicle fuel supplier 
                or motor vehicle fuel retailer the country or countries 
                from which the fuel the supplier or retailer (as the 
                case may be) sells generally originates.
            (5) Such other issues relating to motor vehicle fuel 
        country-of-origin information disclosure requirements as the 
        Secretary considers appropriate.
    (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after completing 
the study required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report that--
            (1) summarizes the results of the study; and
            (2) contains the recommendations required by subsection 
        (a)(2).

SEC. 4. REGULATIONS REQUIRING COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN INFORMATION DISCLOSURE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after submitting the 
report required by section 3(c), the Secretary of Energy, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, shall prescribe regulations requiring disclosure of country-of-
origin information by motor vehicle fuel suppliers and motor vehicle 
fuel retailers in accordance with the Secretary's recommendations in 
the report.
    (b) 70 Percent Threshold.--The regulations required by subsection 
(a) shall not require the listing of more than one country-of-origin 
for a fuel blend containing fuel 70 percent or more of which originated 
in a single country.

SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of Energy 
may impose a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 on a person that 
the Secretary determines, in accordance with section 554 of title 5, 
United States Code, knowingly violates the regulations prescribed under 
section 4.
    (b) Requirements With Respect to Imposition of Penalty.--
            (1) Notice.--The Secretary of Energy may not impose a 
        penalty upon a person for violating the regulations prescribed 
        under section 4 unless--
                    (A) the Secretary provides the person with notice 
                of the violation; and
                    (B) the violation continues for more than 30 days 
                after the date on which the person received notice 
                under subparagraph (A).
            (2) Determination of amount of penalty.--In determining the 
        amount of the penalty to be imposed on a person for violating 
        the regulations prescribed under section 4, the Secretary shall 
        consider the severity of the violation, the size of the 
        person's business, and the effect of the penalty on the 
        person's ability to continue in business.
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