What This Bill Does
This bill makes room air cleaners into "covered products" under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. That means room air cleaners must follow certain energy efficiency standards. The bill sets specific energy efficiency requirements that manufacturers must meet starting on certain dates.
Who It Affects
Manufacturers of consumer room air cleaners, companies that sell these products, the Secretary of Energy, and the Federal Trade Commission.
Key Provisions
• Room air cleaners become covered products subject to federal energy conservation standards (Sec. 3)
• Conventional room air cleaners must meet specific energy efficiency levels starting December 31, 2023 through December 30, 2025, based on how much particulate matter they remove per watt of electricity used (Sec. 6)
• Stricter energy efficiency standards apply to conventional room air cleaners made on or after December 31, 2025 (Sec. 6)
• Labels for conventional room air cleaners do not have to comply with labeling requirements until December 31, 2025 (Sec. 5)
• The Secretary of Energy may consider amending test procedures to include measurements of automatic mode when developing future standards (Sec. 4)
What Changes
Room air cleaners will be regulated like other household appliances under federal energy efficiency law. Manufacturers will have to design and test products to meet minimum energy efficiency standards. Products must display required labeling starting in 2026. The federal government gains authority to set and enforce energy standards for these products.
Important Definitions
**Consumer Room Air Cleaner:** An electrically powered, self-contained device that cleans air by removing, destroying, or deactivating particles (dust, pollen, etc.), volatile organic compounds (gases released from products), or microorganisms.
**Conventional Room Air Cleaner:** A portable or wall-mounted room air cleaner that plugs into an electrical outlet, uses a fan to move air, and removes particulates.
**Miscellaneous Room Air Cleaner:** Any room air cleaner that is not a conventional room air cleaner.
**Duct Type Device:** An air cleaner designed only for use inside the ducts and plenums (connected spaces) of heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text for the law's general effective date. However, energy standards for conventional room air cleaners begin December 31, 2023. Stricter standards start December 31, 2025. Labeling requirements do not apply before December 31, 2025.
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 235
To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide that consumer
room air cleaners are covered products to which certain energy conserva-
tion standards apply, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Mrs. SHAHEEN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide
that consumer room air cleaners are covered products
to which certain energy conservation standards apply,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Healthy Indoor Air
4
Act of 2023’’.
5
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
1
Section 321 of the Energy Policy and Conservation
2
Act (42 U.S.C. 6291) is amended by adding at the end
3
the following:
4
‘‘(67) CONSUMER ROOM AIR CLEANER.—
5
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘consumer
6
room air cleaner’ means a consumer product for
7
improving air quality that—
8
‘‘(i) is an electrically powered, self-
9
contained, mechanically encased assembly;
10
and
11
‘‘(ii) contains means to remove, de-
12
stroy, or deactivate particulates, volatile
13
organic compounds, or microorganisms
14
from the air.
15
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘consumer
16
room air cleaner’ includes—
17
‘‘(i) conventional room air cleaners;
18
and
19
‘‘(ii) miscellaneous room air cleaners.
20
‘‘(C) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘consumer
21
room air cleaner’ does not include—
22
‘‘(i) a central air conditioner, room air
23
conditioner, portable air conditioner, dehu-
24
midifier, or furnace (as those terms are de-
25
fined in section 430.2 of title 10, Code of
26
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Federal Regulations (as in effect on the
1
date of enactment of this paragraph)); or
2
‘‘(ii) a duct type device.
3
‘‘(68) CONVENTIONAL ROOM AIR CLEANER.—
4
The term ‘conventional room air cleaner’ means a
5
consumer room air cleaner that—
6
‘‘(A) is a portable or wall-mounted (fixed)
7
unit;
8
‘‘(B) plugs into an electrical outlet;
9
‘‘(C) operates with a fan for air circula-
10
tion; and
11
‘‘(D) contains a means to remove, destroy,
12
or deactivate particulates.
13
‘‘(69) DUCT
TYPE
DEVICE.—The term ‘duct
14
type device’ means an air cleaner that—
15
‘‘(A) is designed and marketed exclusively
16
for use in and at adjoining ducts, including the
17
plenum, of heating, air conditioning, and ven-
18
tilating systems; and
19
‘‘(B) is either cord-and-plug connected or
20
permanently connected to the electrical supply
21
source.
22
‘‘(70) MISCELLANEOUS ROOM AIR CLEANER.—
23
The term ‘miscellaneous room air cleaner’ means
24
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any consumer room air cleaner that is not a conven-
1
tional room air cleaner.’’.
2
SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF CONSUMER ROOM AIR CLEANERS.
3
Section 322(a) of the Energy Policy and Conserva-
4
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6292(a)) is amended—
5
(1) by redesignating paragraph (20) as para-
6
graph (21); and
7
(2) by inserting after paragraph (19) the fol-
8
lowing:
9
‘‘(20) Consumer room air cleaners.’’.
10
SEC. 4. TEST PROCEDURES.
11
Section 323(b) of the Energy Policy and Conserva-
12
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)) is amended by adding at
13
the end the following:
14
‘‘(19) CONVENTIONAL ROOM AIR CLEANERS.—
15
‘‘(A) For compliance with the standards
16
under section 325(ii)(1), the test procedure
17
shall be AHAM AC–7–2022, and section 6.2 of
18
ANSI/AHAM AC–1–2020 for Dust CADR and
19
section 5.2 of ANSI/AHAM AC–1–2020 for
20
Smoke CADR may be applied for the calcula-
21
tion of PM2.5.
22
‘‘(B) For compliance with the standards
23
under section 325(ii)(2), the test procedure
24
shall be AHAM AC–7–2022.
25
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‘‘(C) When considering amended standards
1
for conventional room air cleaners that replace
2
the standards under section 325(ii)(2), the Sec-
3
retary shall consider amending the test proce-
4
dure to include measurement of automatic
5
mode, if such an inclusion would improve the
6
accuracy of energy use measurements.’’.
7
SEC. 5. LABELING.
8
Section 324(a) of the Energy Policy and Conserva-
9
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6294(a)) is amended—
10
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and (8)
11
through (12)’’ and inserting ‘‘(8) through (12), and
12
(20)’’; and
13
(2) in paragraph (5), by adding at the end the
14
following:
15
‘‘(D) The Commission shall not require
16
compliance with labeling requirements under
17
this section for conventional room air cleaners
18
before December 31, 2025.’’.
19
SEC. 6. ENERGY CONSERVATION STANDARDS.
20
Section 325 of the Energy Policy and Conservation
21
Act (42 U.S.C. 6295) is amended—
22
(1) in subsection (m)(4)(A)(i), by inserting
23
‘‘consumer room air cleaners,’’ after ‘‘with respect
24
to’’;
25
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(2) by redesignating subsection (ii) as sub-
1
section (jj); and
2
(3) by inserting after subsection (hh) the fol-
3
lowing:
4
‘‘(ii) CONVENTIONAL ROOM AIR CLEANERS.—
5
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The following standards
6
shall apply to conventional room air cleaners manu-
7
factured during the period beginning on December
8
31, 2023 and ending on December 30, 2025:
9
‘‘(A) A conventional room air cleaner with
10
a measured PM2.5 CADR of greater than 9 and
11
less than 100 shall meet or exceed an IEF of
12
1.69 PM2.5 CADR/Watt.
13
‘‘(B) A conventional room air cleaner with
14
a measured PM2.5 CADR of greater than 99
15
and less than 150 shall meet or exceed an IEF
16
of 1.90 PM2.5 CADR/Watt.
17
‘‘(C) A conventional room air cleaner with
18
a measured PM2.5 CADR of 150 or greater
19
shall meet or exceed an IEF of 2.01 PM2.5
20
CADR/Watt.
21
‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT STANDARDS.—The following
22
standards shall apply to conventional room air clean-
23
ers manufactured on or after December 31, 2025:
24
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‘‘(A) A conventional room air cleaner with
1
a measured PM2.5 CADR of greater than 9 and
2
less than 100 shall meet or exceed an IEF of
3
1.89 PM2.5 CADR/Watt.
4
‘‘(B) A conventional room air cleaner with
5
a measured PM2.5 CADR of greater than 99
6
and less than 150 shall meet or exceed an IEF
7
of 2.39 PM2.5 CADR/Watt.
8
‘‘(C) A conventional room air cleaner with
9
a measured PM2.5 CADR of 150 or greater
10
shall meet or exceed an IEF of 2.91 PM2.5
11
CADR/Watt.’’.
12
SEC. 7. PREEMPTION.
13
Subsection (jj) of section 325 of the Energy Policy
14
and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6295) (as redesignated
15
by section 6(2)) is amended—
16
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the
17
end and inserting a semicolon;
18
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at
19
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
20
(3) by adding at the end the following:
21
‘‘(3) beginning on December 31, 2023, to con-
22
sumer room air cleaners, except that section
23
327(a)(1)(B) shall apply to consumer room air
24
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cleaners beginning on the date of enactment of this
1
paragraph.’’.
2
SEC. 8. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
3
(a) Section 321(6)(B) of the Energy Policy and Con-
4
servation Act (42 U.S.C. 6291(6)(B)) is amended by strik-
5
ing ‘‘(20)’’ and inserting ‘‘(21)’’.
6
(b) Section 324 of the Energy Policy and Conserva-
7
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6294) is amended by striking ‘‘(20)’’
8
each place it appears (other than in subsection (a)(1) (as
9
amended by section 5(1))) and inserting ‘‘(21)’’.
10
(c) Section 325 of the Energy Policy and Conserva-
11
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6295) is amended by striking ‘‘(20)’’
12
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘(21)’’.
13
SEC. 9. OTHER AIR CLEANERS.
14
Nothing in this Act affects the authority of the Sec-
15
retary of Energy to regulate air cleaners (as defined in
16
section 430.2 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regula-
17
tions (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act)),
18
other than consumer room air cleaners (as defined in sec-
19
tion 321 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42
20
U.S.C. 6291)).
21
Æ
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