I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1605
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require phased increases in the 
fuel efficiency standards applicable to light trucks; to require fuel econ-
omy standards for automobiles up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight; 
to increase the fuel economy of the Federal fleet of vehicles, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2003
Mr. GILCHREST (for himself, Mr. OLVER, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. MARKEY, Mrs. 
JOHNSON of Connecticut, and Ms. SOLIS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committee on Government Reform, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require phased 
increases in the fuel efficiency standards applicable to 
light trucks; to require fuel economy standards for auto-
mobiles up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight; to 
increase the fuel economy of the Federal fleet of vehicles, 
and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Automobile Fuel Econ-
omy Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. INCREASED AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY STANDARD 
FOR LIGHT TRUCKS. 
(a) 
DEFINITION
OF
LIGHT
TRUCK.—Section 
32901(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(17) ‘light truck’ has the meaning given that 
term in regulations prescribed by the Secretary of 
Transportation in the administration of this chap-
ter.’’. 
(b) REQUIREMENT FOR INCREASED STANDARD.—
Section 32902(a) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘AUTOMOBILES.—
’’; 
(2) by inserting before the period at the end of 
the third sentence the following: ‘‘, subject to para-
graph (2)’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The average fuel economy standard for light 
trucks manufactured by a manufacturer may not be less 
than 27.5 miles per gallon, except that the average fuel 
economy standard for light trucks manufactured by a
manufacturer in a model year before model year 2011 
and—
‘‘(A) after model year 2007 may not be less 
than 23.5 miles per gallon; 
‘‘(B) after model year 2008 may not be less 
than 24.8 miles per gallon; and 
‘‘(C) after model year 2009 may not be less 
than 26.1 miles per gallon.’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (2) of section 
32902(a) of such title, as added by subsection (b)(3), does 
not apply with respect to light trucks manufactured before 
model year 2008. 
SEC. 3. FUEL ECONOMY STANDARDS FOR AUTOMOBILES UP 
TO 10,000 POUNDS GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT. 
(a) VEHICLES DEFINED AS AUTOMOBILES.—Section 
32901(a)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ‘‘rated at—’’ and all that follows through the 
end and inserting ‘‘is rated at not more than 10,000 
pounds gross vehicle weight.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on January 1, 2011. 
SEC. 4. FUEL ECONOMY OF THE FEDERAL FLEET OF VEHI-
CLES. 
(a) BASELINE AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY.—The head 
of each executive agency shall determine, for each class
of vehicles that are in the agency’s fleet of vehicles in fiscal 
year 2005, the average fuel economy for all of the vehicles 
in that class that are in the agency’s fleet of vehicles for 
that fiscal year. For the purposes of this section, the aver-
age fuel economy so determined for the agency’s vehicles 
in a class of vehicles shall be the baseline average fuel 
economy for the agency’s fleet of vehicles in that class. 
(b) INCREASE OF AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY.—The 
head of an executive agency shall manage the procurement 
of vehicles in each class of vehicles for that agency in such 
a manner that—
(1) not later than September 30, 2007, the av-
erage fuel economy of the new vehicles in the agen-
cy’s fleet of vehicles in each class of vehicles is not 
less than 3 miles per gallon higher than the baseline 
average fuel economy determined for that class; and 
(2) not later than September 30, 2010, the av-
erage fuel economy of the new vehicles in the agen-
cy’s fleet of vehicles in each class of vehicles is not 
less than 6 miles per gallon higher than the baseline 
average fuel economy determined for that class. 
(c) CALCULATION OF AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY.—
Average fuel economy shall be calculated for the purposes 
of this section in accordance with guidance which the Sec-