II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4392 

To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program on the 

use of sustainable aviation fuel by the Department of Defense. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 14, 2022 

Ms. DUCKWORTH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot 

program on the use of sustainable aviation fuel by the 

Department of Defense. 

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 ‘‘Reduce Our Military’s 

5 Reliance on Foreign Fuel Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON USE OF SUSTAINABLE AVIA7 TION FUEL. 

8 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 

2 shall conduct a pilot program on the use of sustain3 able aviation fuel by the Department of Defense. 

4 (2) DESIGN OF PROGRAM.—The pilot program 

5 shall be designed to— 

6 (A) identify any logistical challenges with 

7 respect to the use of sustainable aviation fuel 

8 by the Department; 

9 (B) promote understanding of the technical 

10 and performance characteristics of sustainable 

11 aviation fuel when used in a military setting; 

12 and 

13 (C) engage nearby commercial airports to 

14 explore opportunities and challenges to partner 

15 on increased use of sustainable aviation fuel. 

16 (b) SELECTION OF FACILITIES.— 

17 (1) SELECTION.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

20 Secretary of Defense shall select not fewer than 

21 two geographically diverse facilities of the De22 partment at which to carry out the pilot pro23 gram. 

24 (B) ONSITE REFINERY.—Not fewer than 

25 one facility selected under subparagraph (A) 


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1 shall be a facility with an onsite refinery that 

2 is located in proximity to not fewer than one 

3 major commercial airport that is also actively 

4 seeking to increase the use of sustainable avia5 tion fuel. 

6 (2) NOTICE TO CONGRESS.—Upon the selection 

7 of each facility under paragraph (1), the Secretary 

8 shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services 

9 of the Senate and the House of Representatives no10 tice of the selection, including an identification of 

11 the facility selected. 

12 (c) USE OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL.— 

13 (1) PLANS.—For each facility selected under 

14 subsection (b), not later than one year after the se15 lection of the facility, the Secretary shall— 

16 (A) develop a plan on how to implement, 

17 by September 30, 2028, a target of exclusively 

18 using at the facility aviation fuel that is blended 

19 to contain not less than 10 percent sustainable 

20 aviation fuel; 

21 (B) submit the plan developed under sub22 paragraph (A) to the Committees on Armed 

23 Services of the Senate and the House of Rep24 resentatives; and 


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1 (C) provide to the Committees on Armed 

2 Services of the Senate and the House of Rep3 resentatives a briefing on such plan that in4 cludes, at a minimum— 

5 (i) a description of any operational, 

6 infrastructure, or logistical requirements 

7 and recommendations for the blending and 

8 use of sustainable aviation fuel; and 

9 (ii) a description of any stakeholder 

10 engagement in the development of the 

11 plan, including any consultations with 

12 nearby commercial airport owners or oper13 ators. 

14 (2) IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANS.—For each fa15 cility selected under subsection (b), during the pe16 riod beginning on a date that is not later than Sep17 tember 30, 2028, and for five years thereafter, the 

18 Secretary shall require, in accordance with the re19 spective plan developed under paragraph (1), the ex20 clusive use at the facility of aviation fuel that is 

21 blended to contain not less than 10 percent sustain22 able aviation fuel. 

23 (d) CRITERIA FOR SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL.— 

24 Sustainable aviation fuel used under the pilot program 

25 shall meet the following criteria: 


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1 (1) Such fuel shall be produced in the United 

2 States from domestic feedstock sources. 

3 (2) Such fuel shall constitute drop-in fuel that 

4 meets all specifications and performance require5 ments of the Department of Defense and the Armed 

6 Forces. 

7 (e) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the use of 

8 sustainable aviation fuel at a facility under the pilot pro9 gram if the Secretary— 

10 (1) determines such use is not feasible due to 

11 a lack of domestic availability of sustainable aviation 

12 fuel or a national security contingency; and 

13 (2) submits to the congressional defense com14 mittees notice of such waiver and the reasons for 

15 such waiver. 

16 (f) FINAL REPORT.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—At the conclusion of the 

18 pilot program, the Assistant Secretary of Defense 

19 for Energy, Installations, and Environment shall 

20 submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 

21 Senate and the House of Representatives a final re22 port on the pilot program. 

23 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para24 graph (1) shall include each of the following: 


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1 (A) An assessment of the effect of using 

2 sustainable aviation fuel on the overall fuel 

3 costs of blended fuel. 

4 (B) A description of any operational, infra5 structure, or logistical requirements and rec6 ommendations for the blending and use of sus7 tainable aviation fuel, with a focus on scaling 

8 up adoption of such fuel throughout the Armed 

9 Forces. 

10 (C) Recommendations with respect to how 

11 military installations can leverage proximity to 

12 commercial airports and other jet fuel con13 sumers to increase the rate of use of sustain14 able aviation fuel, for both military and non15 military use, including potential collaboration 

16 on innovative financing or purchasing and 

17 shared supply chain infrastructure. 

18 (D) A description of the effects on per19 formance and operation of aircraft using sus20 tainable aviation fuel, including— 

21 (i) if used, considerations of various 

22 blending ratios and their associated bene23 fits; 


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1 (ii) efficiency and distance improve2 ments of flights using sustainable aviation 

3 fuel; 

4 (iii) weight savings on large transpor5 tation aircraft and other types of aircraft 

6 with using blended fuel with higher con7 centrations of sustainable aviation fuel; 

8 (iv) maintenance benefits of using 

9 sustainable aviation fuel, including engine 

10 longevity; 

11 (v) the effect of the use of sustainable 

12 aviation fuel on emissions and air quality; 

13 (vi) the effect of the use of sustain14 able aviation fuel on the environment and 

15 on surrounding communities, including en16 vironmental justice factors that are created 

17 by the demand for and use of sustainable 

18 aviation fuel by the Department of De19 fense; and 

20 (vii) benefits with respect to job cre21 ation in the sustainable aviation fuel pro22 duction and supply chain. 

23 (g) SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL DEFINED.—In 

24 this section, the term ‘‘sustainable aviation fuel’’ means 

25 liquid fuel that— 


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1 (1) consists of synthesized hydrocarbon; 

2 (2) meets the requirements of ASTM Inter3 national Standard D7566 (or successor standard); 

4 (3) is derived from biomass (as such term is de5 fined in section 45K(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 

6 Code of 1986), waste streams, renewable energy 

7 sources, or gaseous carbon oxides; and 

8 (4) is not derived from palm fatty acid dis9 tillates. 

Æ 


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