What This Bill Does
This bill changes tax laws to provide a credit (money back from taxes) to people and businesses that sell or use renewable natural gas as fuel. Renewable natural gas is gas made from biomass (organic material like waste) that can power vehicles, boats and airplanes. The bill aims to encourage more use of this fuel type.
##
Who It Affects
- Businesses that produce renewable natural gas
- Businesses that sell renewable natural gas as fuel
- People who use renewable natural gas to power vehicles, boats or aircraft
- The federal government (which will pay out tax credits)
- Producers who must register with the government to participate
##
Key Provisions
- Taxpayers get a tax credit of $1.00 for each gallon of renewable natural gas or gasoline gallon equivalent they sell or use as fuel in motor vehicles, motorboats or aircraft (Sec. 2(a))
- Renewable natural gas must be made by a registered producer and include required paperwork (certification) to qualify for the credit (Sec. 2(a))
- Blended renewable natural gas (mixed with regular natural gas) qualifies for the credit only if there is a written contract before blending, and the amount claimed cannot exceed what the producer certifies was included (Sec. 2(a))
- The Secretary of the Treasury will pay out the tax credit to eligible sellers and users without charging interest (Sec. 2(c))
- Producers of renewable natural gas must register with the government (Sec. 2(d))
##
What Changes
The Internal Revenue Code will now include a new renewable natural gas fuel credit system. Businesses that currently pay taxes can claim this new credit. The government will begin making payments to eligible renewable natural gas producers and sellers. Registration requirements now apply to renewable natural gas producers.
##
Important Definitions
- **Renewable natural gas**: Compressed or liquefied gas made from biomass, produced by a registered person with required certification
- **Gasoline gallon equivalent**: The amount of nonliquid renewable natural gas with a heat value of 124,800 BTU (a measurement of energy content)
- **Blended renewable natural gas**: Compressed or liquefied natural gas that contains both renewable natural gas and regular natural gas mixed together
- **Biomass**: Not defined in this bill; defined elsewhere in tax law
##
Effective Date
The credits apply to fuel sold or used after December 31, 2023, and expire after December 31, 2033 (Sec. 2(a) and (e)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 2448
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to promote the increased
use of renewable natural gas, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
other harmful transportation-related emissions that contribute to poor
air quality, and to increase job creation and economic opportunity
throughout the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 30, 2023
Ms. SA´NCHEZ (for herself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to promote
the increased use of renewable natural gas, to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful transpor-
tation-related emissions that contribute to poor air qual-
ity, and to increase job creation and economic oppor-
tunity throughout the United States.
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 ‘‘Renewable Natural
4
Gas Incentive Act of 2023’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2
•HR 2448 IH
SEC. 2. INCREASED CREDIT FOR RENEWABLE NATURAL
1
GAS.
2
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6426 of the Internal Rev-
3
enue Code of 1986 is amended—
4
(1) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ‘‘and (l)’’
5
after ‘‘subsection (d)’’, and
6
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
7
section:
8
‘‘(l) RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS FUEL CREDIT.—
9
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this sec-
10
tion, the renewable natural gas fuel credit is the
11
product of $1.00 and the number of gallons of re-
12
newable natural gas or gasoline gallon equivalents of
13
a nonliquid renewable natural gas sold by the tax-
14
payer for use as a fuel in a motor vehicle or motor-
15
boat, sold by the taxpayer for use as a fuel in avia-
16
tion, or so used by the taxpayer.
17
‘‘(2) RENEWABLE
NATURAL
GAS.—For pur-
18
poses of this section, the term ‘renewable natural
19
gas’ means compressed or liquefied gas derived from
20
biomass (as defined in section 45K(c)(3))—
21
‘‘(A) which produced by a person reg-
22
istered under section 4101(a), and
23
‘‘(B) with respect to which the producer
24
has made a certification described in paragraph
25
(4).
26
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3
•HR 2448 IH
‘‘(3) TREATMENT
OF
BLENDED
RENEWABLE
1
NATURAL GAS.—
2
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Under regulations
3
prescribed by the Secretary, a sale of blended
4
renewable natural gas shall be treated as a sale
5
of renewable natural gas fuel if—
6
‘‘(i) at the time the renewable natural
7
gas was blended with other compressed or
8
liquefied natural gas, the taxpayer had a
9
contract with the registered producer of
10
such renewable natural gas for the sale of
11
such gas for use as a fuel in a motor vehi-
12
cle or motorboat, or for use as a fuel in
13
aviation,
14
‘‘(ii) such contract was entered into
15
before the sale of the blended renewable
16
natural gas and specifies the number of
17
gallons of renewable natural gas provided
18
for such purposes and the period for which
19
such contract is in effect, and
20
‘‘(iii) the registered producer of such
21
fuel provides to the taxpayer the certifi-
22
cation described in paragraph (4).
23
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The amount of blend-
24
ed renewable natural gas treated as renewable
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4
•HR 2448 IH
natural gas under subparagraph (A) for any pe-
1
riod shall not exceed the number of gallons of
2
renewable natural gas specified under subpara-
3
graph (A)(ii) and certified by the producer
4
under paragraph (4) for such period.
5
‘‘(C) BLENDED
RENEWABLE
NATURAL
6
GAS.—For purposes of this subsection, the term
7
‘blended renewable natural gas’ means com-
8
pressed or liquefied natural gas which consists
9
of both renewable natural gas and other com-
10
pressed or liquefied natural gas.
11
‘‘(4) CERTIFICATION.—A certification is de-
12
scribed in this subparagraph if such certification—
13
‘‘(A) identifies the product produced and
14
the gallon equivalent of fuel acquired by the
15
taxpayer for a purpose described in paragraph
16
(1), and
17
‘‘(B) is provided such form and manner as
18
prescribed by the Secretary.
19
‘‘(5) GASOLINE
GALLON
EQUIVALENT.—For
20
purposes of this subsection, the term ‘gasoline gallon
21
equivalent’ means, with respect to any nonliquid re-
22
newable natural gas, the amount of such fuel having
23
a Btu content of 124,800 (higher heating value).
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5
•HR 2448 IH
‘‘(6) TERMINATION.—This subsection shall not
1
apply to any sale or use for any period after Decem-
2
ber 31, 2033.’’.
3
(b) APPLICATION OF OTHER RULES.—
4
(1) REGISTRATION.—The last sentence of sec-
5
tion 6426(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
6
is amended by striking ‘‘subsections (d) and (e)’’
7
and inserting ‘‘subsections (d), (e), and (l)’’.
8
(2) DENIAL
OF
DOUBLE
BENEFIT.—Section
9
6426(h) of such Code is amended by striking ‘‘sub-
10
section (d) or (e)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (d), (e),
11
or (l)’’.
12
(3) FUEL
MUST
BE
CONNECTED
TO
THE
13
UNITED STATES.—Section 6426(i) of such Code is
14
amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
15
lowing new paragraph:
16
‘‘(3) RENEWABLE
NATURAL
GAS.—No credit
17
shall be determined under this section with respect
18
to any renewable natural gas which is produced out-
19
side the United States for use as a fuel outside the
20
United States.’’.
21
(4) ENERGY EQUIVALENCY.—Section 6426(j) of
22
such Code is amended—
23
(A) by inserting ‘‘or renewable natural
24
gas,’’ after ‘‘alternative fuel’’, and
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6
•HR 2448 IH
(B) by inserting ‘‘or gas’’ after ‘‘such a
1
fuel’’.
2
(c) PAYMENTS.—
3
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 6427(e) of the Inter-
4
nal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesig-
5
nating paragraphs (3) through (6) as paragraphs
6
(4) through (7), respectively, and by inserting after
7
paragraph (2) the following new paragraph:
8
‘‘(3) RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS.—If any per-
9
son sells or uses renewable natural gas (as defined
10
in section 6426(k)(2)) for a purpose described in
11
section 6426(k)(1) in such person’s trade or busi-
12
ness, the Secretary shall pay (without interest) to
13
such person an amount equal to the renewable nat-
14
ural gas fuel credit with respect to such fuel.’’.
15
(2) TERMINATION.—Section 6427(e)(7) of such
16
Code, as redesignated by paragraph (1), is amended
17
by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subparagraph (D),
18
by striking the period at the end of subparagraph
19
(E) and inserting ‘‘, and’’, and by adding at the end
20
the following new subparagraph:
21
‘‘(F) any renewable natural gas (as defined
22
in section 6426(k)(2)) sold or used after De-
23
cember 31, 2033.’’.
24
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7
•HR 2448 IH
(A) Section 6427(e)(4) of such Code, as
1
redesignated by paragraph (1), is amended—
2
(i) by striking ‘‘paragraph (1) or (2)’’
3
and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1), (2), or (3)’’,
4
and
5
(ii) by striking ‘‘any mixture or alter-
6
native fuel’’ and inserting ‘‘any mixture,
7
alternative fuel, or renewable natural gas’’.
8
(B) Section 6427(e)(6) of such Code, as
9
redesignated by paragraph (1), is amended by
10
striking ‘‘alternative fuel credit or alternative
11
fuel mixture credit’’ and inserting ‘‘alternative
12
fuel credit, alternative fuel mixture credit, or
13
renewable natural gas fuel credit’’.
14
(C) Section 6427(e)(6) of such Code, as
15
redesignated by paragraph (1), is amended—
16
(i) by striking ‘‘paragraph (1) or (2)’’
17
and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1), (2), or (3)’’,
18
and
19
(ii) by striking ‘‘any mixture or alter-
20
native fuel’’ and inserting ‘‘any mixture,
21
alternative fuel, or renewable natural gas’’.
22
(d) REGISTRATION.—Section 4101(a) of such Code
23
is amended—
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
8
•HR 2448 IH
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ before ‘‘every person pro-
1
ducing second generation biofuel’’, and
2
(2) by inserting ‘‘, and every person producing
3
renewable natural gas (as defined in section
4
6426(k)(2))’’
after
‘‘(as
defined
in
section
5
40(b)(6)(E))’’.
6
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
7
this section shall apply to fuel sold or used after December
8
31, 2023.
9
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:08 Apr 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2448.IH
H2448
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB