Federal

COST Act

Source: Congress.gov · 714 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill requires the Comptroller General (a government official who audits federal spending) to study the costs of replacing gasoline-powered vehicles in the federal government's vehicle collection with electric vehicles or ethanol-based vehicles. The bill also requires the Secretary of Energy to compare the lifetime pollution emissions from three types of vehicles: regular gasoline cars, ethanol-capable flex-fuel cars, and battery electric vehicles.

Who It Affects

The federal government and its agencies that own or operate vehicles.

Key Provisions

- The Comptroller General must analyze the costs of replacing light-duty vehicles (vehicles weighing 8,500 pounds or less) in the federal fleet with electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (Sec. 2(a)(1)) - The Comptroller General must analyze the costs of replacing light-duty vehicles in the federal fleet with flex-fuel ethanol vehicles (Sec. 2(a)(2)) - Both cost analyses must include the costs of building necessary charging or refueling infrastructure that could be used nationwide by the federal fleet (Sec. 2(b)) - The Comptroller General must publish the cost analyses online within one year of the bill becoming law (Sec. 2(c)) - The Secretary of Energy must conduct a lifecycle emissions analysis comparing greenhouse gas pollution from conventional gasoline vehicles, E85 capable flex-fuel vehicles, and battery electric vehicles (Sec. 3(a)) - The Secretary of Energy must submit a report on the emissions analysis to Congress within one year of the bill becoming law (Sec. 3(b))

What Changes

The federal government will receive detailed cost and pollution studies comparing electric vehicles and ethanol vehicles as alternatives to gasoline-powered cars in its fleet.

Important Definitions

- E85: A fuel containing 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - Federal fleet: All motor vehicles owned or operated by the federal government as listed in the General Services Administration's most recent Federal Fleet Report - Light-duty vehicle: A vehicle weighing 8,500 pounds or less

Effective Date

Not specified in bill text

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 912 To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an analysis of the costs of converting light-duty vehicles in the Federal fleet to electric vehicles, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 9, 2023 Mr. FEENSTRA (for himself, Mr. BOST, Mr. FLOOD, Mrs. HINSON, Mr. FINSTAD, and Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con- cerned A BILL To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an analysis of the costs of converting light- duty vehicles in the Federal fleet to electric vehicles, 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 ‘‘Comparison of Sus- 4 tainable Transportation Act’’ or the ‘‘COST Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:33 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H912.IH H912 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 912 IH SEC. 2. COST ANALYSIS OF CONVERTING FEDERAL FLEET 1 TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES. 2 (a) COST ANALYSIS.—The Comptroller General of 3 the United States shall conduct— 4 (1) an analysis of the costs of replacing the 5 light-duty vehicles in the Federal fleet that are 6 fueled by gasoline with electric vehicles, including 7 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; and 8 (2) an analysis of the costs of replacing the 9 light-duty vehicles in the Federal fleet that are 10 fueled by gasoline with flex-fuel ethanol vehicles. 11 (b) INCLUSIONS.—Each analysis conducted under 12 subsection (a) shall include the costs necessary for deploy- 13 ment of infrastructure for each applicable type of electric 14 vehicle or flex-fuel ethanol vehicle that it is feasible to be 15 used in the Federal fleet nationwide. 16 (c) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 1 year after the 17 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 18 shall publish online the cost analyses conducted under sub- 19 section (a). 20 SEC. 3. ANALYSIS OF LIFECYCLE EMISSIONS OF E85 CAPA- 21 BLE FLEX-FUEL AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES. 22 (a) ANALYSIS.—The Secretary of Energy, utilizing 23 the most recent Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, 24 and Energy use in Transportation model (commonly re- 25 ferred to as the ‘‘GREET model’’) developed by Argonne 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:33 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H912.IH H912 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 912 IH National Laboratory, shall conduct a lifecycle analysis of 1 greenhouse gas emissions from each of the following types 2 of vehicles: 3 (1) A conventional gasoline vehicle. 4 (2) An E85 capable flex-fuel vehicle. 5 (3) A battery electric vehicle. 6 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 7 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall 8 submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- 9 nology of the House of Representatives, and the Com- 10 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 11 Senate a report on the lifecycle analyses conducted under 12 subsection (a). 13 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 14 In this Act: 15 (1) E85.—The term ‘‘E85’’ means a fuel con- 16 taining 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. 17 (2) FEDERAL FLEET.—The term ‘‘Federal 18 fleet’’ means the fleet of federally owned or operated 19 motor vehicles as reported in the most recent Fed- 20 eral Fleet Report of the General Services Adminis- 21 tration. 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:33 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H912.IH H912 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 912 IH (3) LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘light- 1 duty vehicle’’ means a vehicle with a gross vehicle 2 weight rating of less than or equal to 8,500 pounds. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:33 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H912.IH H912 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

Important: This plain English summary was generated by AI and is provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Always consult the official bill text on Congress.gov or a qualified attorney for legal matters.