I 

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 countryof-origin disclosure requirements with respect to motor 

vehicle fuels, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Country-of-Origin La5 beling for Fuels Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN INFORMATION.—The 

9 term ‘‘country-of-origin information’’ means infor10 mation regarding each country in which motor vehiVerDate Nov 24 2008 20:42 Jan 27, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4512.IH H4512

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1 cle fuel or the components of such fuel were ex2 tracted, refined, or otherwise processed. 

3 (2) MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL.—The term ‘‘motor 

4 vehicle fuel’’— 

5 (A) means any fuel used to power an auto6 mobile, as defined in section 32901(3) of title 

7 49, United States Code; and 

8 (B) includes alternative fuels, as defined in 

9 section 32901(1) of such title, other than elec10 tricity (including electricity from solar energy). 

11 (3) MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL RETAILER.—The 

12 term ‘‘motor vehicle fuel retailer’’ means a person in 

13 the motor vehicle fuel supply chain who sells motor 

14 vehicle fuel to the general public for ultimate con15 sumption. 

16 (4) MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL SUPPLIER.—The 

17 term ‘‘motor vehicle fuel supplier’’ means a person 

18 in the motor vehicle fuel supply chain other than a 

19 motor vehicle fuel retailer. 

20 SEC. 3. STUDY ON IMPLEMENTING COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LA21 BELING FOR MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

23 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, 

24 in consultation with the Administrator of the Environ25 mental Protection Agency, shall— 


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1 (1) conduct a study to determine appropriate 

2 methods and standards for requiring that— 

3 (A) motor vehicle fuel suppliers disclose 

4 country-of-origin information with respect to 

5 motor vehicle fuel to the next person in the 

6 motor vehicle fuel supply chain; and 

7 (B) motor vehicle retailers disclose such in8 formation to consumers; and 

9 (2) make recommendations with respect to the 

10 most feasible and cost-effective country-of-origin in11 formation disclosure requirements that can be im12 posed on motor vehicle fuel suppliers and motor ve13 hicle fuel retailers. 

14 (b) ELEMENTS OF STUDY.—The study required by 

15 subsection (a) shall address the following: 

16 (1) The extent to which persons at each step in 

17 the motor vehicle fuel supply chain have access to 

18 country-of-origin information regarding the fuel they 

19 sell, and the nature of any such information. 

20 (2) An assessment of whether such information 

21 is adequate— 

22 (A) to enable a motor vehicle fuel supplier 

23 to provide country-of-origin information to the 

24 next person in the supply chain; and 


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1 (B) to enable a motor vehicle fuel retailer 

2 to provide country-of-origin information to con3 sumers, by displaying that information at fuel 

4 pumps or on a website. 

5 (3) If the Secretary determines under para6 graph (2) that such information is inadequate to en7 able motor vehicle fuel suppliers or motor vehicle 

8 fuel retailers to provide country-of-origin informa9 tion, measures that can be taken to collect adequate 

10 information— 

11 (A) by the Secretary; and 

12 (B) by motor vehicle fuel suppliers and 

13 motor vehicle fuel retailers. 

14 (4) The feasibility of various country-of-origin 

15 information disclosure requirements, including— 

16 (A) displaying at each fuel pump the pre17 cise country or countries in which the fuel being 

18 dispensed to each consumer originated; and 

19 (B) displaying at each motor vehicle fuel 

20 retailer or on the website of each motor vehicle 

21 fuel supplier or motor vehicle fuel retailer the 

22 country or countries from which the fuel the 

23 supplier or retailer (as the case may be) sells 

24 generally originates. 


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1 (5) Such other issues relating to motor vehicle 

2 fuel country-of-origin information disclosure require3 ments as the Secretary considers appropriate. 

4 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days 

5 after completing the study required by subsection (a), the 

6 Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that— 

7 (1) summarizes the results of the study; and 

8 (2) contains the recommendations required by 

9 subsection (a)(2). 

10 SEC. 4. REGULATIONS REQUIRING COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN IN11 FORMATION DISCLOSURE. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 

13 submitting the report required by section 3(c), the Sec14 retary of Energy, in consultation with the Administrator 

15 of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall prescribe 

16 regulations requiring disclosure of country-of-origin infor17 mation by motor vehicle fuel suppliers and motor vehicle 

18 fuel retailers in accordance with the Secretary’s rec19 ommendations in the report. 

20 (b) 70 PERCENT THRESHOLD.—The regulations re21 quired by subsection (a) shall not require the listing of 

22 more than one country-of-origin for a fuel blend con23 taining fuel 70 percent or more of which originated in a 

24 single country. 


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1 SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the Sec3 retary of Energy may impose a civil penalty of not more 

4 than $10,000 on a person that the Secretary determines, 

5 in accordance with section 554 of title 5, United States 

6 Code, knowingly violates the regulations prescribed under 

7 section 4. 

8 (b) REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO IMPOSITION

9 OF PENALTY.— 

10 (1) NOTICE.—The Secretary of Energy may not 

11 impose a penalty upon a person for violating the reg12 ulations prescribed under section 4 unless— 

13 (A) the Secretary provides the person with 

14 notice of the violation; and 

15 (B) the violation continues for more than 

16 30 days after the date on which the person re17 ceived notice under subparagraph (A). 

18 (2) DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT OF PEN19 ALTY.—In determining the amount of the penalty to 

20 be imposed on a person for violating the regulations 

21 prescribed under section 4, the Secretary shall con22 sider the severity of the violation, the size of the per23 son’s business, and the effect of the penalty on the 

24 person’s ability to continue in business. 

Æ 


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