II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2905 

To require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office to calculate 

a carbon score for each bill or resolution. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 

Mr. SANDERS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Budget 

A BILL 

To require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

to calculate a carbon score for each bill or resolution. 

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 ‘‘Carbon Pollution 

5 Transparency Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) CARBON SCORE.—The term ‘‘carbon score’’ 

9 means the projected net greenhouse gas emissions 

10 that would result— 


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1 (A) from the enactment and implementa2 tion of a bill or resolution; and 

3 (B) if the amounts authorized to be appro4 priated, or otherwise made available, in the bill 

5 or resolution were fully appropriated. 

6 (2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

7 the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. 

8 (3) GREENHOUSE GAS.—The term ‘‘greenhouse 

9 gas’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

10 211(o)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 

11 7545(o)(1)). 

12 (4) NET GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.—The 

13 term ‘‘net greenhouse gas emissions’’ means the net 

14 quantity of all greenhouse gases emitted into the at15 mosphere, including emissions by sources and re16 movals by sinks, where the total quantity of emis17 sions for each gas is expressed as a carbon dioxide 

18 equivalent. 

19 SEC. 3. CARBON SCORE. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out section 402 of the 

21 Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653), the Di22 rector shall include in the analysis submitted to the appro23 priate committee of Congress the carbon score of each 

24 public bill or resolution. 


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1 (b) NET GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BASELINE.— 

2 In calculating the carbon score under subsection (a), the 

3 Director shall base any calculation of the increase or de4 crease of the level of greenhouse gas emissions on a com5 parison with the level of greenhouse gas emissions occur6 ring under current law. 

7 (c) SCOPE OF CALCULATED EMISSIONS.—In calcu8 lating the carbon score under subsection (a), the Director 

9 shall consider all likely changes in net greenhouse gas 

10 emissions, including— 

11 (1) any changes to net greenhouse gas emis12 sions that would directly result from activities re13 quired to carry out the bill or resolution; and 

14 (2) any changes to net greenhouse gas emis15 sions that would— 

16 (A) indirectly result from activities re17 quired to carry out the bill or resolution; and 

18 (B) not otherwise have occurred. 

19 (d) ESTABLISHED BEST PRACTICES.—In calculating 

20 the carbon score under subsection (a), the Director shall, 

21 to the maximum extent practicable, use established best 

22 practices for estimating emissions, such as— 

23 (1) lifecycle analysis; and 


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1 (2) internationally recognized methodologies 

2 (such as guidelines from the International Panel on 

3 Climate Change). 

4 (e) TIMELINE.—The Director shall calculate the car5 bon score under subsection (a) on the same timeline as 

6 the Director carries out the analysis under section 402 

7 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653). 

8 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Direc10 tor such sums as are necessary to develop the expertise 

11 and capacity required to carry out the analyses required 

12 under section 3. 

Æ 


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