[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 189. Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Warren) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title I, add the following:

     SEC. 144. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON USE OF TOTAL COST OF 
                   OWNERSHIP MODEL FOR PROCUREMENT OF NONTACTICAL 
                   VEHICLES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) It is financially prudent for the Department of Defense 
     to procure cost-effective zero-emission vehicles by 
     considering the total cost of ownership (referred to in this 
     section as ``TCO'') of such vehicles.
       (2) A TCO procurement model would account for operating 
     costs of vehicles, including fuel, maintenance, and public 
     health savings.
       (3) Use of a TCO procurement model by the Department of 
     Defense in the procurement of nontactical vehicles would 
     maximize cost savings and bolster energy and national 
     security.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that--
       (1) the Department of Defense should calculate and consider 
     the TCO when procuring a nontactical vehicle; and
       (2) the Department of Defense, when conducting any action 
     with the Government Services Administration relating to the 
     procurement or requisition of a nontactical vehicle, should--
       (A) work with the Department of Energy to develop a TCO 
     procurement model that uses State-wide, regional, and 
     inventory variables to estimate the cost of converting the 
     nontactical vehicle fleet of the Department of Defense to 
     zero-emission vehicles;
       (B) submit to Congress a report summarizing such 
     procurement or requisition that, at a minimum, identifies--
       (i) types of vehicles by--

       (I) size; and
       (II) fuel source; and

       (ii) the total estimated cost savings and avoided emissions 
     that result or would have resulted from the purchase or lease 
     of a zero-emission vehicle instead of an internal combustion 
     engine vehicle;
       (C) incorporate the TCO procurement model developed under 
     subparagraph (A) into any such procurement or requisition 
     action; and
       (D) authorize any exemptions from use of the TCO 
     procurement model developed under subparagraph (A) as the 
     Secretary of Defense considers appropriate, including by--
       (i) authorizing exemptions for certain categories of 
     vehicles, including emergency vehicles or other nontactical 
     vehicles as determined by the Secretary, when a vehicle type 
     is not available for the needed application;
       (ii) authorizing exemptions upon finding that a zero-
     emission vehicle is not a practicable alternative to an 
     internal combustion engine vehicle for a particular use, or 
     for some other compelling reason; and
       (iii) developing guidance regarding procedures for 
     requesting such exemptions, including the criteria for 
     evaluating such exemption requests, which should be published 
     on the website of the Department of Defense and given a 30-
     day period for public review and comment before the 
     Department adopts or revises such guidance.
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