[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5611 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5611
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 27 (legislative day, July 26), 2006
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize a partnership between the Secretary of Energy and
appropriate industry groups for the creation of a transportation fuel
conservation education campaign, 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 at the ``Fuel Consumption Education Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) today's gasoline prices are taking a severe toll on the
pocketbooks of all Americans;
(2) a large number of factors contribute to the price of
gasoline, including worldwide demand for crude oil, taxes,
international conflicts, regional supply chains, environmental
regulations, and refining capacity;
(3) individuals can take steps to address rising demand by
using a few simple gas saving tips; and
(4) increased driving efficiency will lower the demand for
gasoline and thereby lower prices in the short term.
SEC. 3. PARTNERSHIP.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy, through the existing
programs at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, shall
enter into a partnership with interested industry groups, including
groups from the automotive, gasoline refining, and oil industries, to
carry out a public education campaign that provides information to
United States drivers about immediate measures that may be taken to
conserve transportation fuel. This public-private partnership shall
include a five member advisory board, to be chaired by the Secretary or
his designee, which shall include representatives from the Department
of Energy, the oil industry, the automotive industry, and the Congress,
to be appointed by the Secretary. The Secretary shall appoint the
advisory board not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(b) Accessibility.--The public information campaign under this
section shall be targeted to reach the widest audience possible. The
education campaign shall include television, print, Internet website,
or any other method designed to maximize the dissemination of
transportation fuel savings information to drivers.
(c) Funding.--The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than
$10,000,000 to carry out this section from funds previously authorized
to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, but shall
provide no more than 50 percent of the cost of carrying out this
section.
SEC. 4. PARTNERSHIP ON FUEL SUPPLY FOR EVACUATIONS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy, through the existing
programs at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, shall
enter into a partnership with interested industry groups and State and
local governments, including groups from the gasoline refining and
marketing industries, to carry out an education campaign that provides
information to the State and local governments and the private sector
about best practices to ensure adequate fuel supplies during emergency
evacuations. This public-private partnership shall include a five
member advisory board, to be chaired by the Secretary or his designee,
which shall include representatives from the Department of Energy, the
gasoline refining industry, the gasoline marketing industry, a State
government, and a unit of local government. The Secretary shall appoint
the advisory board not later than 30 days after the date of enactment
of this Act.
(b) Funding.--The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than
$3,000,000 to carry out this section from funds previously authorized
to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Passed the House of Representatives July 26, 2006.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.