I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 508 
To establish a task force to review policies and measures to promote, and 
to develop best practices for, reduction of short-lived climate pollutants, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 22, 2015 
Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 
CARTWRIGHT, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. LOF-
GREN, Mr. POCAN, Mr. ELLISON, and Mr. CROWLEY) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
A BILL 
To establish a task force to review policies and measures 
to promote, and to develop best practices for, reduction 
of short-lived climate pollutants, 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 ‘‘Super Pollutant Emis-
sions Reduction Act of 2015’’ or the ‘‘SUPER Act of 
2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Carbon dioxide is estimated to account for 
55 to 60 percent of anthropogenic radiative forcing 
(or manmade global warming), while the remainder 
is driven by non-carbon dioxide climate pollutants, 
primarily short-lived climate pollutants. These short- 
lived climate pollutants, or ‘‘super pollutants’’, have 
shorter atmospheric lifespans than carbon dioxide 
but cause much more warming per molecule, and in 
many cases the emissions are growing much faster 
than carbon dioxide. 
(2) Several of the short-lived climate pollutants 
are also potent air pollutants that harm human 
health and reduce crop yields. Reducing these pollut-
ants can save thousands of lives every year in the 
United States and millions globally, while also in-
creasing agricultural production. 
(3) International efforts to address short-lived 
climate pollutants are underway, including the Cli-
mate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived 
Climate Pollutants, led by the Department of State 
and the United Nations Environment Programme, 
the Global Methane Initiative, and the negotiation of 
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amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances 
that Deplete the Ozone Layer. 
(4) Many of the technologies to reduce short- 
lived climate pollutants already exist, but adoption 
of such technologies has been slow. 
(5) The Federal Government has a number of 
programs and initiatives some of which aim to, or 
the outcomes of which, reduce emissions of short- 
lived climate pollutants, but these programs are 
scattered across multiple agencies and there is insuf-
ficient coordination to maximize reductions of these 
pollutants. In February 2012, the Government Ac-
countability Office published an annual report, ‘‘Op-
portunities to Reduce Duplication, Overlap and 
Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and Enhance Rev-
enue’’, which examined the efficiency and efficacy of 
government programs, including those that address 
diesel emissions that contain black carbon, a short- 
lived climate pollutant. 
(6) Executive Order 13514 requires Federal 
agencies to develop plans for reducing hydrofluoro-
carbons and methane, but few agencies have focused 
on these compounds in their annual Strategic Sus-
tainability Performance Plans. 
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(7) Because of their short atmospheric life-
times, reducing global emissions of short-lived cli-
mate pollutants can quickly cut the rate of global 
temperature rise in half, by 2050, and help stabilize 
global temperatures below 2 °C above pre-industrial 
temperatures by 2100, when combined with reduc-
tions of global emissions of carbon dioxide. Cutting 
short-lived climate pollutants along with carbon diox-
ide can also reduce the rate of projected global sea- 
level rise by half and total sea-level rise by a third. 
Steps to reduce short-lived climate pollutants are 
likely to have air quality and public health benefits 
as well. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to— 
(1) coordinate and optimize the Federal Gov-
ernment’s existing efforts to address short-lived cli-
mate pollutants; 
(2) reduce overlap and duplication of such ef-
forts; and 
(3) encourage Federal operations, programs, 
policies, and initiatives to reduce short-lived climate 
pollutants by— 
(A) ensuring that the coordinated Federal 
programs are effective and forward-looking in 
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their efforts to control short-lived climate pol-
lutants; 
(B) ensuring coordination of such Federal 
operations, programs, policies, and initiatives 
with State, local, regional, tribal, and industry 
efforts; and 
(C) supporting such State, local, regional, 
tribal, and industry efforts. 
SEC. 3. TASK FORCE ON SUPER POLLUTANTS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 
establish the ‘‘Task Force on Super Pollutants’’ (referred 
to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—The Task Force shall— 
(1) review existing and potential policies and 
measures that promote reduction of short-lived cli-
mate pollutants, in part by identifying and evalu-
ating programs and activities of the Federal govern-
ment that contribute, or could contribute, to such 
reduction; 
(2) identify and recommend specific existing 
Federal programs and activities evaluated under 
paragraph (1) that are unnecessarily duplicative and 
can be consolidated to achieve greater efficiency and 
effectiveness; 
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(3) identify gaps where programs do not exist, 
and recommend focused programs and activities to 
fill these gaps to achieve reductions of short-lived cli-
mate pollutants, with an emphasis on industry 
standards and public-private partnerships where pos-
sible; 
(4) identify, compile, evaluate, and develop best 
practices for reductions of short-lived climate pollut-
ants, including by— 
(A) identifying and evaluating both domes-
tic and international best practices and stand-
ards practiced and set by governments, industry 
in each sector listed in subsection (c)(5), stand-
ards bodies, and other relevant institutions; and 
(B) identifying and evaluating cost-effec-
tive mitigation projects, strategies, and policies 
at the State, local, and tribal level, with the 
greatest potential for reduction of short-lived 
climate pollutants; and 
(5) not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, submit to Congress a report 
on the findings and recommendations developed 
under paragraphs (1) through (4). 
(c) MEMBERS.—The task force established under 
subsection (a) shall include representatives of— 
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(1) all relevant Federal agencies, including— 
(A) the Secretary of Energy; 
(B) the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency; 
(C) the Secretary of the Interior; 
(D) the Secretary of Transportation; 
(E) the Secretary of Agriculture; 
(F) the Secretary of State; 
(G) the Secretary of Commerce; and 
(H) the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services; 
(2) relevant offices and councils within the Ex-
ecutive Office of the President, including— 
(A) the Office of Management and Budget; 
(B) the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy; and 
(C) the Council on Environmental Quality; 
(3) State, local, and tribal governments or asso-
ciations; 
(4) academic and non-governmental organiza-
tions with expertise in short-lived climate pollutants; 
and 
(5) 
relevant 
industry 
organizations, 
rep-
resenting at least the following sectors: 
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(A) Energy supply and transmission, in-
cluding fossil fuels. 
(B) Solid waste. 
(C) Transportation. 
(D) Chemical manufacturing and user in-
dustries. 
(E) Agriculture. 
(F) Wastewater. 
(G) Buildings. 
(H) Other sectors as determined appro-
priate by the President. 
(d) DEFINITION.—In this Act, the term ‘‘short-lived 
climate pollutant’’ means any of the following: 
(1) Black carbon. 
(2) Methane. 
(3) Hydrofluorocarbons. 
(4) Tropospheric ozone and its precursors. 
(5) Emissions from banks of ozone-depleting 
substances. 
Æ 
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