IIB
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1622
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 22, 2009
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
AN ACT
To provide for a program of research, development, and demonstration on natural gas vehicles.
Natural gas vehicle
research,
development, and demonstration projects
In General
The Secretary of Energy shall
conduct a
5-year program of natural gas vehicle research, development, and demonstration.
The Secretary shall
coordinate with the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, as necessary.
Purpose
The program under this section shall focus on—
the continued improvement and development of new, cleaner, more efficient light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty natural gas vehicle engines;
the integration of
those engines into light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty natural
gas
vehicles for onroad and offroad applications;
expanding product availability by ensuring
that technologies researched and developed assist
engines and
vehicles in meeting Federal and State
requirements and
standards;
the demonstration and proper operation and use of the vehicles described in paragraph (2) under all operating conditions;
the development
and improvement of
nationally recognized codes and standards for
the
continued safe operation of natural gas vehicles and their
components;
improvement in the reliability and efficiency of natural gas fueling station infrastructure;
the certification
of natural gas fueling
station infrastructure to nationally
recognized and industry safety standards;
the improvement in
the reliability and
efficiency of onboard natural gas fuel storage
systems;
the development of
new natural gas fuel
storage materials;
the certification of onboard natural gas fuel storage systems to nationally recognized and industry safety standards;
the use of
natural gas engines in hybrid
vehicles; and
researching and developing technologies and processes so as to improve and streamline the process by which natural gas conversion systems meet Federal and State requirements and standards.
Cooperation and
Coordination with
Industry
In developing and carrying
out the program under this section, the Secretary shall coordinate with the
natural gas vehicle industry to ensure cooperation between
the
public and the private sector.
Conduct of program
The program under this section shall be conducted in accordance with sections 3001 and 3002 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
Report
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide a report to Congress on the implementation of this section.
Authorization of Appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to carry out this section.
Definition
For purposes of this section, the term natural gas means compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, biomethane, and mixtures of hydrogen and methane or natural gas.
Passed the House of Representatives July 21, 2009.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk.