I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4370 
To provide incentives to the auto industry to accelerate efforts to develop 
more energy-efficient vehicles to lessen dependence on oil. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 17, 2005 
Mr. INSLEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide incentives to the auto industry to accelerate ef-
forts to develop more energy-efficient vehicles to lessen 
dependence on oil. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Health Care for Hy-
brids Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States imports over half the oil 
it consumes. 
(2) According to present trends, the United 
States’ reliance on foreign oil will increase to 68 per-
cent of total consumption by 2025. 
(3) Having only 3 percent of the world’s known 
oil reserves, the health of the United States economy 
is dependent on world oil prices. 
(4) World oil prices are overwhelmingly dictated 
by countries other than the United States, thus en-
dangering our economic and national security. 
(5) A major portion of the world’s oil supply is 
controlled by unstable governments and countries 
that are known to finance, harbor, or otherwise sup-
port terrorists and terrorist activities. 
(6) American automakers have lagged behind 
their foreign competitors in producing hybrid and 
other energy-efficient automobiles. 
(7) Legacy health care costs associated with re-
tiree workers are an increasing burden on the global 
competitiveness of American industries. 
(8) Innovative uses of new technology in auto-
mobiles in the United States will help retain Amer-
ican jobs, support health care obligations for retiring 
workers in the automotive sector, decrease America’s
dependence on foreign oil, and address pressing envi-
ronmental concerns. 
TITLE I—PROGRAM 
SEC. 101. COORDINATING TASK FORCE. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall establish, 
and appoint an equal number of representatives to, a task 
force (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘task force’’) to ad-
minister the program established under this Act. 
SEC. 102. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the task force established 
under section 101 shall establish a program to reimburse 
eligible domestic automobile manufacturers for the costs 
incurred in providing health benefits to their retired em-
ployees. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In establishing the program 
under subsection (a), the task force shall consult with rep-
resentatives from eligible domestic automobile manufac-
turers, unions representing employees of such manufactur-
ers, and consumer and environmental groups. 
(c) ELIGIBLE DOMESTIC AUTOMOBILE MANUFAC-
TURER.—To be eligible to receive reimbursement under
the program established under subsection (a), a domestic 
automobile manufacturer shall— 
(1) submit an application to the task force at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the task force shall require; 
(2) certify that such manufacturer is providing 
full health care coverage to all of its employees; 
(3) provide an assurance that the manufacturer 
will invest an amount equal to or more than 50 per-
cent of the amount of health savings derived by the 
manufacturer as a result of its retiree health care 
costs being covered under the program under this 
section, in— 
(A) the domestic manufacture and com-
mercialization of petroleum fuel reduction tech-
nologies, including alternative or flexible fuel 
vehicles, hybrids, and other state-of-the-art fuel 
saving technologies; 
(B) the retraining of workers and retooling 
of assembly lines for such domestic manufac-
ture and commercialization; 
(C) research and development, design, 
commercialization, and other costs related to 
the diversifying of domestic production of auto-
mobiles through the offering of high perform-
ance fuel efficient vehicles; and 
(D) assisting domestic automobile compo-
nent suppliers to retool their domestic manufac-
turing plants to produce components for petro-
leum fuel reduction technologies, including al-
ternative or flexible fuel vehicles, hybrid, ad-
vanced diesel, or other state-of-the-art fuel sav-
ing technologies; and 
(4) provide additional assurances and informa-
tion as the task force may require, including infor-
mation needed by the task force to audit the manu-
facturer’s compliance with the requirements of the 
program. 
(d) LIMITATION.—The total amount of cost that may 
be reimbursed each year under the program under this 
section with respect to any single domestic automobile 
manufacturer shall not exceed an amount equal to 10 per-
cent of the retiree health care costs of that manufacturer 
for that year. 
SEC. 103. REPORTING. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and every 6 months thereafter, the task force 
shall submit to Congress a report on any reimbursements 
paid under the program under this Act and the resulting
changes in the manufacture and commercialization of fuel 
saving technologies implemented by auto manufacturers as 
a result of such reimbursements. Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the task force shall 
submit a report to Congress on the effectiveness of current 
consumer incentives available for the purchase of hybrid 
vehicles in encouraging the purchase of such vehicles and 
whether these incentives should be expanded. 
SEC. 104. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT. 
To be eligible to receive financial assistance under 
this title, a manufacturer shall provide assurances to the 
task force that fuel savings achieved with respect to the 
average adjusted fuel economy will not result in decreases 
with respect to fuel economy elsewhere in the domestic 
fleet. The task force shall determine compliance with such 
assurances using accepted measurements of fuel savings. 
SEC. 105. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary in each fiscal year to carry out this 
Act. 
SEC. 106. TERMINATION OF PROGRAM. 
The program established under section 102 shall ter-
minate on December 31, 2015.