[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3818 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3818
To prohibit the Secretary of Energy from finalizing a proposed rule
related to consumer conventional cooking products, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 5, 2023
Mr. Newhouse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prohibit the Secretary of Energy from finalizing a proposed rule
related to consumer conventional cooking products, 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. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) There has been increasing momentum at the local, State,
and Federal level across the United States to disincentivize
and forbid the use of natural gas stoves thereby curbing
consumer choice, crippling manufacturers, and increasing energy
prices.
(2) On February 1, 2023, the Department of Energy initiated
a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and published a
Technical Support Document, which would establish maximum
energy consumption standards annually for gas stove tops
thereby barring manufacturers from selling gas stoves which
consume over 1,204 British thermal units annually.
(3) In the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and
the Technical Support Document, the Department of Energy
estimated only four percent of gas stove tops on the market met
the proposed maximum rate of 1,204 British thermal units
annually which would exclude 96 percent of gas stoves.
(4) Shortly thereafter, on March 7, 2023, the Consumer
Product Safety Commission published a notice to request
information on chronic health hazards associated with gas stove
ranges.
(5) On March 20, 2023, in response to these ongoing efforts
to ban the purchase and usage of natural gas stoves, 75 Members
of Congress joined together and sent a letter to Secretary
Granholm at the Department of Energy expressing significant
concerns with the Department of Energy's proposed rule and
expressing opposition to the finalization of the proposed rule.
(6) In early May 2023, New York approved a fiscal year 2024
State budget prohibiting the use of propane heating, furnaces,
and natural gas stoves in residential buildings and requiring
the use of all electric heating and cooking appliances in
buildings smaller than seven stories by 2026 and for larger
buildings by 2029.
(7) On May 8, 2023, 11 city attorneys general from States
such as Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York,
Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and
Washington submitted a letter to the Consumer Product Safety
Commission in support of the commission's March 7, 2023,
request for information on gas stoves and requesting compulsory
regulations on gas stove ventilation standards.
(8) On May 24, 2023, the House Committee on Oversight and
Accountability held a Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy
Policy, and Regulatory Affairs hearing entitled ``Consumer
Choice on the Backburner: Examining the Biden Administration's
Regulatory Assault on Americans' Gas Stoves'' with industry
experts to discuss the Department of Energy's proposed
rulemaking and the negative impact the proposed rules would
have if finalized.
(9) Natural gas is a safe, clean, and reliable energy
source which is an vital component of an all-of-the-above
strategic approach to energy development helping to ensure
American energy security and independence.
SEC. 2. PROPOSED RULE ON ENERGY CONSERVATION STANDARDS FOR CONSUMER
CONVENTIONAL COOKING PRODUCTS.
The Secretary of Energy may not finalize, implement, administer, or
enforce the proposed rule titled ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy
Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products;
Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and announcement of public
meeting'' (88 Fed. Reg. 6818; published February 1, 2023) with respect
to energy conservation standards for gas kitchen ranges and ovens, or
any substantially similar rule, including any rule that would directly
or indirectly limit consumer access to gas kitchen ranges or ovens.
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