I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1605

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require phased increases in the 

fuel efficiency standards applicable to light trucks; to require fuel economy standards for automobiles up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight; 

to increase the fuel economy of the Federal fleet of vehicles, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2003

Mr. GILCHREST (for himself, Mr. OLVER, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. MARKEY, Mrs. 

JOHNSON of Connecticut, and Ms. SOLIS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 

addition to the Committee on Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require phased 

increases in the fuel efficiency standards applicable to 

light trucks; to require fuel economy standards for automobiles up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight; to 

increase the fuel economy of the Federal fleet of vehicles, 

and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Automobile Fuel Econ3 omy Act of 2003’’. 

4 SEC. 2. INCREASED AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY STANDARD 

5 FOR LIGHT TRUCKS. 

6 (a) DEFINITION OF LIGHT TRUCK.—Section 

7 32901(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 

8 adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

9 ‘‘(17) ‘light truck’ has the meaning given that 

10 term in regulations prescribed by the Secretary of 

11 Transportation in the administration of this chap12 ter.’’. 

13 (b) REQUIREMENT FOR INCREASED STANDARD.—

14 Section 32902(a) of title 49, United States Code, is 

15 amended—

16 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘AUTOMOBILES.—

17 ’’; 

18 (2) by inserting before the period at the end of 

19 the third sentence the following: ‘‘, subject to para20 graph (2)’’; and 

21 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

22 paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(2) The average fuel economy standard for light 

24 trucks manufactured by a manufacturer may not be less 

25 than 27.5 miles per gallon, except that the average fuel 

26 economy standard for light trucks manufactured by a 
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1 manufacturer in a model year before model year 2011 

2 and—

3 ‘‘(A) after model year 2007 may not be less 

4 than 23.5 miles per gallon; 

5 ‘‘(B) after model year 2008 may not be less 

6 than 24.8 miles per gallon; and 

7 ‘‘(C) after model year 2009 may not be less 

8 than 26.1 miles per gallon.’’. 

9 (c) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (2) of section 

10 32902(a) of such title, as added by subsection (b)(3), does 

11 not apply with respect to light trucks manufactured before 

12 model year 2008. 

13 SEC. 3. FUEL ECONOMY STANDARDS FOR AUTOMOBILES UP 

14 TO 10,000 POUNDS GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT. 

15 (a) VEHICLES DEFINED AS AUTOMOBILES.—Section 

16 32901(a)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 

17 by striking ‘‘rated at—’’ and all that follows through the 

18 end and inserting ‘‘is rated at not more than 10,000 

19 pounds gross vehicle weight.’’. 

20 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

21 subsection (a) shall take effect on January 1, 2011. 

22 SEC. 4. FUEL ECONOMY OF THE FEDERAL FLEET OF VEHI23 CLES. 

24 (a) BASELINE AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY.—The head 

25 of each executive agency shall determine, for each class 
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1 of vehicles that are in the agency’s fleet of vehicles in fiscal 

2 year 2005, the average fuel economy for all of the vehicles 

3 in that class that are in the agency’s fleet of vehicles for 

4 that fiscal year. For the purposes of this section, the aver5 age fuel economy so determined for the agency’s vehicles 

6 in a class of vehicles shall be the baseline average fuel 

7 economy for the agency’s fleet of vehicles in that class. 

8 (b) INCREASE OF AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY.—The 

9 head of an executive agency shall manage the procurement 

10 of vehicles in each class of vehicles for that agency in such 

11 a manner that—

12 (1) not later than September 30, 2007, the av13 erage fuel economy of the new vehicles in the agen14 cy’s fleet of vehicles in each class of vehicles is not 

15 less than 3 miles per gallon higher than the baseline 

16 average fuel economy determined for that class; and 

17 (2) not later than September 30, 2010, the av18 erage fuel economy of the new vehicles in the agen19 cy’s fleet of vehicles in each class of vehicles is not 

20 less than 6 miles per gallon higher than the baseline 

21 average fuel economy determined for that class. 

22 (c) CALCULATION OF AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY.—

23 Average fuel economy shall be calculated for the purposes 

24 of this section in accordance with guidance which the Sec-
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1 retary of Transportation shall prescribe for the implemen2 tation of this section. 

3 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) The term ‘‘class of vehicles’’ means a class 

5 of vehicles for which an average fuel economy stand6 ard is in effect under chapter 329 of title 49, United 

7 States Code. 

8 (2) The term ‘‘executive agency’’ has the mean9 ing given the term in section 4(1) of the Office of 

10 Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403(1)). 

11 (3) The term ‘‘new vehicle’’, with respect to the 

12 fleet of vehicles of an executive agency, means a ve13 hicle procured by or for the agency after September 

14 30, 2006.

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