119-s1841

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1841 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1841

 To provide regulatory relief to alternative fuel producers and 
 consumers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 21, 2025

 Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
 referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To provide regulatory relief to alternative fuel producers and 
 consumers, 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 ``Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. ALTERNATIVE FUELS.

    (a) Aftermarket Conversions of Motor Vehicles to Alternative 
Fuel.--

Section 203 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7522) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (c) Older Vehicles.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The aftermarket conversion of a motor 
 vehicle to alternative fuel operation shall not--
 ``
        (A) be considered tampering under this section if 
 the aftermarket conversion system manufacturer or the 
 person performing the conversion demonstrates that the 
 development and engineering sophistication of the 
 conversion technology is--
 ``
            (i) matched to an appropriate motor 
 vehicle or group of motor vehicles; and
 ``
            (ii) well-designed and installed in 
 accordance with good engineering judgment so 
 that the aftermarket conversion system does not 
 degrade emission performance, as compared to 
 the performance of the motor vehicle or motor 
 vehicles before the conversion; or
 ``
        (B) require the Administrator to issue a 
 certificate of conformity.
 ``

    (2) Label.--The person performing a conversion described 
 in paragraph

    (1) shall affix a label to the motor vehicle 
 stating that--
 ``
        (A) the motor vehicle has been equipped with an 
 aftermarket conversion system; and
 ``
        (B) the installation of that system occurred 
 after the initial sale of the motor vehicle.
 ``

    (3) No preclusion of orders.--Nothing in this subsection 
 precludes the Administrator from issuing an order to prohibit 
 the manufacture, sale, distribution, or installation of an 
 aftermarket conversion system if the Administrator has evidence 
 that the installation of the aftermarket conversion system on a 
 motor vehicle degrades emission performance.''.

    (b) Biomass Fuels.--

Section 211 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7545) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (w) Biomass Fuels.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
Act, the Administrator may not prohibit or control biomass fuel (as 
defined in 

section 203 of the Biomass Energy and Alcohol Fuels Act of 
1980 (42 U.S.C. 8802)) under this Act.''.

SEC. 3. CALCULATION OF AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-

Section 32901

    (a) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended--

    (1) by redesignating paragraphs

    (7) through

    (19) as 
 paragraphs

    (8) ,

    (9) ,

    (10) ,

    (13) ,

    (16) ,

    (17) ,

    (19) ,

    (20) ,

    (21) ,

    (22) ,

    (23) ,

    (24) , and

    (26) , respectively;

    (2) by inserting after paragraph

    (6) the following:
 ``

    (7) `biodiesel'--
 ``
        (A) means liquid fuel derived from biomass that 
 meets--
 ``
            (i) the registration requirements for 
 fuels and fuel additives established by the 
 Environmental Protection Agency under 

section 211 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545); and
 ``
            (ii) the requirements of the American 
 Society of Testing Materials Standard D6751; 
 and
 ``
        (B) does not include any liquid with respect to 
 which a credit may be determined under 

section 40 of 
 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.'';

    (3) by inserting after paragraph

    (10) (as so redesignated) 
 the following:
 ``

    (11) `E85' means a fuel mixture that--
 ``
        (A) contains between 51 and 83 percent ethanol; 
 and
 ``
        (B) meets the specifications of the American 
 Society of Testing Materials Standard D5798.
 ``

    (12) `flexible fuel vehicle' means a vehicle that has 
 been warranted to operate on gasoline, E85, and M85.'';

    (4) by inserting after paragraph

    (13) (as so redesignated) 
 the following:
 ``

    (14) `fuel choice enabling manufacturer' means a 
 manufacturer whose total fleet of automobiles manufactured for 
 the most recent model year for sale in the United States 
 contains not less than 50 percent fuel choice enabling 
 vehicles.
 ``

    (15) `fuel choice enabling vehicle' means an automobile 
 that--
 ``
        (A) has been warranted to operate on natural gas, 
 hydrogen, propane, or at least 20 percent biodiesel;
 ``
        (B) is a flexible fuel vehicle;
 ``
            (C) is a plug-in electric drive vehicle;
 ``
            (D) is propelled by a fuel cell that can produce 
 power without the use of petroleum or a petroleum-based 
 fuel; or
 ``
        (E)
            (i) is propelled by something other than an 
 internal combustion engine; and
 ``
            (ii) is warranted to operate on something other 
 than petroleum-based fuel.'';

    (5) by inserting after paragraph

    (17) (as so redesignated) 
 the following:
 ``

    (18) `M85' means a fuel mixture that--
 ``
        (A) contains up to 85 percent methanol; and
 ``
        (B) meets the specifications of the American 
 Society of Testing Materials International Standard 
 D5797.''; and

    (6) by inserting after paragraph

    (24) (as so redesignated) 
 the following:
 ``

    (25) `plug-in electric drive vehicle' has the meaning 
 given the term in 

section 508

    (a) of the Energy Policy Act of 
 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13258

    (a) ).''.

    (b) Fuel Choice Enabling Manufacturers.--

    (1) Compliance with the clean air act.--

Section 32902 of 
 title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
 the following:
 ``
            (l) Deemed Compliance With the Clean Air Act.--If a fuel choice 
enabling manufacturer is in compliance with all applicable standards 
prescribed under this section for model year 2020 or any subsequent 
model year, the automobiles manufactured by that manufacturer in that 
model year are deemed to be in compliance with all applicable 
greenhouse gas regulations established by the Environmental Protection 
Agency pursuant to 

section 202 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7521).''.

    (2) Credits for exceeding standards.--

Section 32903

    (a) of 
 title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph

    (2) and inserting the following:
 ``

    (2) any of the 5 consecutive model years immediately 
 after the model year for which the credits are earned, to the 
 extent that those credits are not used under paragraph

    (1) .''.

    (3) Average fuel economy bonus for fuel choice enabling 
 manufacturers.--

Section 32904 of title 49, United States Code, 
 is amended--
        (A) by redesignating subsections
            (d) and

    (e) as 
 subsections

    (e) and

    (f) , respectively; and
        (B) by inserting after subsection
            (c) the 
 following:
 ``
            (d) Average Fuel Economy Bonus for Fuel Choice Enabling 
Manufacturers.--The average fuel economy of a fuel choice enabling 
manufacturer for a model year is the sum of--
 ``

    (1) the average fuel economy of the fuel choice enabling 
 manufacturer for that model year, as otherwise calculated under 
 this section; and
 ``

    (2) 8 miles per gallon.''.
            (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to automobiles manufactured for model year 2026 or 
for any subsequent model year.

SEC. 4. ETHANOL WAIVER.

 

Section 211

    (h)

    (4) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545

    (h)

    (4) ) is 
amended--

    (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph
        (A) , by inserting 
 ``or more of'' after ``10 percent''; and

    (2) in subparagraph
            (C) , by striking ``additional alcohol 
 or''.
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