Fuel Economy Reform Act

Bill: 110-s-768
Sponsor: Sen. Obama, Barack [D-IL]
Introduced: 2007-03-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Armed Forces and National Security
Automobile engines
Automobile industry
Automobiles
Cartels
Commerce
Congress
Cost effectiveness
Defense budgets
Department of Transportation
Economics and Public Finance
Electric vehicles
Employee training
Energy efficiency
Energy prices
Energy security
Energy supplies
Environmental Protection
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Fuel consumption
Gasoline
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Imports
Income tax
Industrial buildings
International Affairs
Judicial review
Labor and Employment
Law
Motor vehicle pollution control
Petroleum
Research and development
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Tax credits
Taxation
Transportation and Public Works
Transportation research
Trucks

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-06
text: 
Fuel Economy Reform Act - Amends federal transportation law to: (1) revise the definitions of automobile to require including all automobiles up to 10,000 pounds (currently, not all automobiles up to 10,000 pounds are required to be included in the definition) and passenger automobile to eliminate the exclusion of automobiles capable of off-highway operation; and (2) continue applying the current minimum corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for non-passenger and passenger automobiles to automobiles manufactured through model year 2012, but, for passenger automobiles, adds an increase of four percent per year in such standard for model years 2010 through 2012.
 
Requires an average fuel economy standard of 27.5 miles per gallon for all automobiles manufactured by all manufacturers for model year 2013, with an increase of four percent in the average fuel economy from the level for the prior model year for model year 2014 and beyond.
 
Subjects each manufacturer of passenger automobiles manufactured in a model year, in addition to such CAFE standards, to an average fuel economy standard equal to 92% of the average fuel economy projected by the Secretary for all passenger automobiles manufactured by all manufacturers in that model year.
 
Permits lower fuel economy standards if the minimum standards: (1) are technologically unachievable; (2) materially reduce auto safety and no offsetting safety improvements can be implemented; or (3) are not cost effective.
 
Allows, with specified exceptions, the selling of credits between manufacturers.
 
Allows a person who has been aggrieved by, or suffers a legal wrong because of (currently, adversely affected by), a CAFE standard to apply for judicial review.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) terminate the limitation on the number of new qualified hybrid and advanced lean burn technology vehicles eligible for the alternative motor vehicle credit; (2) extend, through 2011, the alternative vehicle credit for certain new qualified hybrid motor vehicles; and (3) allow an advanced technology motor vehicles manufacturing credit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (consideration: CR S2703-2706)
action_date: 2007-03-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2700-2701)
action_date: 2007-03-06
text: Introduced in Senate