Title: Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program Reform Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program Reform Act
This bill expands the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program of the Department of Energy. The Government Accountability Office must conduct a study on the barriers to the application for, and issuance of, direct loans under the program, including potential changes to reduce such barriers in order to increase the number of loans.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5860 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5860

  To expand the advanced technology vehicles manufacturing incentive 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2020

  Ms. Brownley of California introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To expand the advanced technology vehicles manufacturing incentive 
                    program, 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 ``Advanced Technology Vehicles 
Manufacturing Program Reform Act''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES MANUFACTURING INCENTIVE PROGRAM 
              EXPANSION.

    (a) Zero-Emission Vehicles Included.--
            (1) In general.--Section 136 of the Energy Independence and 
        Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17013) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (d)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``or in 
                        paragraph (5)'' after ``subsection (b)''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following new 
                        paragraph:
            ``(5) Zero-emission vehicle manufacturing.--The activities 
        described in this paragraph are an automobile manufacturer, 
        ultra efficient vehicle manufacturer, or component supplier--
                    ``(A) reequipping, expanding, or establishing a 
                manufacturing facility in the United States to produce 
                zero-emission vehicles or qualifying components; or
                    ``(B) performing engineering integration in the 
                United States for zero-emission vehicles.''; and
                    (B) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 
                following new paragraph:
            ``(6) Zero-emission vehicle.--The term `zero-emission 
        vehicle' means a passenger vehicle that produces zero exhaust 
        emissions of any criteria pollutant, precursor pollutant, or 
        greenhouse gas, other than water vapor, in any mode of 
        operation or condition, as determined by the Administrator.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 136(a) of the Energy 
        Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17013(a)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or 
                        zero-emission vehicles'' after ``advanced 
                        technology vehicles''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``components or advanced technology vehicles'' 
                        and inserting ``components, advanced technology 
                        vehicles, or zero-emissions vehicles''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or 
                        zero-emission vehicles'' after ``advanced 
                        technology vehicles''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``or 
                        zero-emission vehicles'' after ``advanced 
                        technology vehicles''.
    (b) Financial Viability Requirement Modification.--Section 
136(d)(3) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 
U.S.C. 17013(d)(3)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``in which, as determined by the 
        Secretary'' and all that follows through ``the proposed 
        project;'' and inserting the following: ``for which the 
        Secretary determines--
                    ``(A) the award recipient--
                            ``(i) has a reasonable prospect of repaying 
                        the principal and interest on the loan;'';
            (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as clauses 
        (ii) and (iii), respectively;
            (3) in clause (iii), as redesignated, by striking the 
        period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(B) the amount of the loan, in combination with 
                amounts available to the award recipient from other 
                sources, will be sufficient to carry out the applicable 
                eligible project; and
                    ``(C) the loan will not be subordinate to other 
                financing.''.
    (c) Rulemaking.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall promulgate regulations to 
carry out the amendments made by this section.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON PROGRAM LOANS.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study on the barriers to the application for, and issuance 
of, loans under section 136(d) of the Energy Independence and Security 
Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17013(d)) and potential changes to reduce such 
barriers to increase the number of such loans.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall provide a briefing to the 
relevant congressional committees, as determined by the Comptroller 
General, on the study described in subsection (a). At the time of the 
briefing, the Comptroller General and such relevant congressional 
committees shall jointly determine the date by which the report 
described in subsection (c) shall be submitted to Congress and to the 
Secretary of Energy.
    (c) Report.--Not later than the report submission date determined 
under subsection (b), the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress 
and to the Secretary of Energy a report on the results of the study 
conducted under subsection (a).
    (d) Response to Report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
Secretary of Energy receives the report under subsection (c), the 
Secretary shall, taking into consideration such report and to the 
extent authorized by law, promulgate regulations to carry out the 
program described in section 136(d) of the Energy Independence and 
Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17013(d)).
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