Natural GAS Act of 2023

Subjects: Energy


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1043 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1043

To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to modify standards for 
  water heaters, furnaces, boilers, and kitchen cooktops, ranges, and 
                     ovens, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 29, 2023

  Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Lee, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. 
    Hoeven) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to modify standards for 
  water heaters, furnaces, boilers, and kitchen cooktops, ranges, and 
                     ovens, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Natural Gas Appliances Standards Act 
of 2023'' or the ``Natural GAS Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. RULE REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER HEATERS.

    Section 325(e) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
6295(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) Rulemaking process.--For any rule relating to 
                water heaters under this section that is finalized 
                after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the 
                Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) require as part of the rulemaking 
                        process the performance of a full fuel cycle 
                        analysis for energy efficiency standards and a 
                        full fuel cycle energy descriptor, as described 
                        in a letter report of the National Academies 
                        entitled `Review of Site (Point-of-Use) and 
                        Full-Fuel-Cycle Measurement Approaches to DOE/
                        EERE Building Appliance Energy-Efficiency 
                        Standards' and dated 2009; and
                            ``(ii) certify that the rule is not likely 
                        to result in a significant shift from gas water 
                        heaters to electric water heaters with respect 
                        to residential construction, commercial 
                        construction, or water heater replacement.
                    ``(B) Rules.--Any rule relating to water heaters 
                under this section that is finalized after the date of 
                enactment of this paragraph--
                            ``(i) shall not apply to small major 
                        household appliance manufacturers (as defined 
                        in section 121.201 of title 13, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations (or successor regulations)); and
                            ``(ii) shall require the results of the 
                        analysis and resulting energy descriptor 
                        described in subparagraph (A)(i) to be 
                        prominently disclosed on any label that--
                                    ``(I) is required by the Federal 
                                Trade Commission to provide energy 
                                efficiency information of the water 
                                heater; and
                                    ``(II) is visible to consumers at 
                                the point of sale.''.

SEC. 3. RULE REQUIREMENTS FOR FURNACES AND BOILERS.

    Section 325(f) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
6295(f)) is amended--
     (a) in paragraph (1)(B)--
            (1) in clause (i), by adding ``and'' at the end after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end and 
        inserting a period; and
            (3) by striking clause (iii); and
    (b) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) Rulemaking process.--For any rule relating to 
                furnaces or boilers under this section that is 
                finalized after the date of enactment of this 
                paragraph, the Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) require as part of the rulemaking 
                        process the performance of a full fuel cycle 
                        analysis for energy efficiency standards and a 
                        full fuel cycle energy descriptor, as described 
                        in a letter report of the National Academies 
                        entitled `Review of Site (Point-of-Use) and 
                        Full-Fuel-Cycle Measurement Approaches to DOE/
                        EERE Building Appliance Energy-Efficiency 
                        Standards' and dated 2009; and
                            ``(ii) certify that the rule is not likely 
                        to result in a significant shift from gas 
                        furnaces or boilers to electric furnaces or 
                        boilers with respect to residential 
                        construction, commercial construction, or 
                        furnace or boiler replacement.
                    ``(B) Rules.--Any rule relating to furnaces or 
                boilers under this section that is finalized after the 
                date of enactment of this paragraph--
                            ``(i) shall not apply to small major 
                        household appliance manufacturers (as defined 
                        in section 121.201 of title 13, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations (or successor regulations)); and
                            ``(ii) shall require the results of the 
                        analysis and resulting energy descriptor 
                        described in subparagraph (A)(i) to be 
                        prominently disclosed on any label that--
                                    ``(I) is required by the Federal 
                                Trade Commission to provide energy 
                                efficiency information of the water 
                                heater; and
                                    ``(II) is visible to consumers at 
                                the point of sale.''.

SEC. 4. RULE REQUIREMENTS FOR COOKTOPS, RANGES, AND OVENS.

    Section 325(h) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
6295(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) Rulemaking process.--For any rule relating to 
                kitchen cooktops, ranges, and ovens under this section 
                that is finalized after the date of enactment of this 
                paragraph, the Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) require as part of the rulemaking 
                        process the performance of a full fuel cycle 
                        analysis for energy efficiency standards and a 
                        full fuel cycle energy descriptor, as described 
                        in a letter report of the National Academies 
                        entitled `Review of Site (Point-of-Use) and 
                        Full-Fuel-Cycle Measurement Approaches to DOE/
                        EERE Building Appliance Energy-Efficiency 
                        Standards' and dated 2009; and
                            ``(ii) certify that the rule is not likely 
                        to result in a significant shift from gas 
                        kitchen cooktops, ranges, and ovens to electric 
                        kitchen cooktops, ranges, and ovens with 
                        respect to residential construction, commercial 
                        construction, or cooktop, range, and oven 
                        replacement.
                    ``(B) Rules.--Any rule relating to kitchen 
                cooktops, ranges, and ovens under this section that is 
                finalized after the date of enactment of this 
                paragraph--
                            ``(i) shall not limit the features and 
                        functionality available on residential gas 
                        kitchen cooktops, ranges, and ovens, 
                        including--
                                    ``(I) quick-to-boil times;
                                    ``(II) the number and size of 
                                burners, including burners designed for 
                                simmering and high input rate burners; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) the design of grates, 
                                including continuous grates;
                            ``(ii) shall not apply to small major 
                        household appliance manufacturers (as defined 
                        in section 121.201 of title 13, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations (or successor regulations)); and
                            ``(iii) shall require the results of the 
                        analysis and resulting energy descriptor 
                        described in subparagraph (A)(i) to be 
                        prominently disclosed on any label that--
                                    ``(I) is required by the Federal 
                                Trade Commission to provide energy 
                                efficiency information of the kitchen 
                                cooktop, range, or oven; and
                                    ``(II) is visible to consumers at 
                                the point of sale.''.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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