II
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3266
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 15, 2008
Mr. Warner introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To require Congress and Federal departments and agencies to reduce the annual consumption of gasoline of the Federal Government.
Short title
This Act may be cited as
the Immediate Steps to Conserve
Gasoline Act
.
Federal conservation of gasoline
Findings
Congress finds that—
each day, as Americans contend with rising gasoline prices, personal stories reflect the ways in which Americans are altering their family budgets, including food budgets, to cope with record high gasoline costs;
as a consequence of economic pressures, Americans are taking initiatives to reduce consumption of gasoline, such as—
driving less frequently;
altering daily routines; and
changing, or even cancelling, family vacation plans;
the conservation efforts being taken by Americans, on their own initiative, bring hardships but save funds that can be redirected—
to meet essential family needs; and
to relieve, to some extent, the demand for gasoline;
just as individuals are taking initiatives to reduce gasoline consumption, the Federal Government, including Congress, should take initiatives to conserve gasoline;
such Government-wide initiatives to conserve gasoline would send a signal to Americans that the Federal Government—
recognizes the burdens imposed by unprecedented gasoline costs; and
will participate in activities to reduce gasoline consumption;
an overall reduction of gasoline consumption by the Federal Government by even 3 percentage points would send a strong signal that, as a nation, the United States is working to conserve energy;
in 2005, policies directed at reducing the usage of energy in Federal agency and department buildings by 20 percent by 2015, at a rate of a 2-percent reduction per calendar year, were enacted by the President and Congress;
in 2007, policies increasing the energy reduction goal to 30 percent by 2015, at a rate of a 3-percent reduction per calendar year, were enacted by the President and Congress; and
Congress and the President should extend the precedent of those mandatory conservation initiatives taken in 2005 and 2007 to usage by the Federal Government of gasoline.
Reduction of gasoline usage by Federal departments and agencies
For fiscal year 2009, each Federal department and agency shall develop and carry out initiatives to reduce by not less than 3 percent the annual consumption of gasoline by the department or agency.
Congressional conservation of gasoline
For fiscal year 2009, Congress shall develop and carry out initiatives to reduce by not less than 3 percent the annual consumption of gasoline by Congress.
Studies and reports on national speed limit and future gasoline conservation
National speed limit
In general
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration shall conduct, and submit to Congress a report describing the results of, a study of the potential transportation fuel savings of imposing a national speed limit on highways on the Interstate System of 60 miles per hour.
Inclusions
The study under paragraph (1) shall include—
an examination of the fuel efficiency of automobiles in use as of the date on which the study is conducted;
a description of the range at which those automobiles are most fuel-efficient on highways on the Interstate System;
an analysis of actions carried out by the Federal Government, with the full support of Congress, during the 1973–1974 energy crisis, resulting in a national speed limit on highways on the Interstate System of 55 miles per hour, which remained in effect until 1995;
a recognition that in 1974, when fewer than 137,000,000 cars traveled in the United States (as compared to 250,000,000 cars in 2006) and only 30 percent of United States oil was imported from foreign sources (as compared to 60 percent of oil so imported on the date of enactment of this Act), 167,000 barrels of oil per day were saved by the imposition of a national speed limit, such that greater savings are possible on the date of enactment of this Act than the savings realized in 1974; and
a determination of whether a limitation on the national speed limit on highways on the Interstate System similar to the limitation described in subparagraph (C) could serve as a model to generate gasoline savings, through a national speed limit on highways on the Interstate System of 60 miles per hour, given the improved fuel efficiency of automobile engines in use on the date of enactment of this Act.
Future gasoline conservation
In general
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct, and submit to the Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Environment and Public Works, and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committees on House Administration, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report describing the results of, a study to determine whether additional gasoline reduction measures by Federal departments and agencies and Congress are technically feasible.
Inclusion
The report under paragraph (1) shall include a proposed schedule of future gasoline reduction measures, if the measures are determined to be technically feasible.