Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2025
- Sponsor
- Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
- Committees
- Environment and Public Works Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Mar 12, 2025
Bottom line
The bill aims to reverse current EPA vehicle emissions standards and restrict the agency's future authority to regulate tailpipe emissions, particularly concerning the promotion of electric vehicles, in favor of consumer choice and industry flexibility.
What it actually does
This bill repeals the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles" rule. It also amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit the EPA from issuing future regulations that mandate specific vehicle technologies or limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on their engine type, applying these restrictions to regulations prescribed after January 1, 2021, and those proposed after the bill's enactment.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that the bill restores consumer choice by preventing federal mandates that would effectively force consumers into electric vehicles, thereby protecting the market for internal combustion engine vehicles. They contend it prevents federal overreach by the EPA, allowing market forces and technological innovation to drive vehicle development rather than government regulation.
Opponents contend
Opponents would likely argue that the bill undermines critical efforts to combat climate change and improve air quality by rolling back stringent emissions standards. They may contend it hinders the transition to cleaner transportation technologies, potentially harming public health and making the U.S. less competitive in the global electric vehicle market.
The bill is very short and uses clear language, making it highly accessible for any reader to understand its core provisions.
Section 2
Repeal of EPA's Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards
This section explicitly nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's final rule, published on April 18, 2024, which established multi-pollutant emissions standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 and beyond. This rule was designed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, effectively accelerating the transition towards electric vehicles.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that repealing this rule prevents costly mandates on automakers that would increase vehicle prices and limit consumer choice. They contend it allows the market, rather than government, to determine the pace of technological adoption.
Critics contend
Critics contend that repealing these standards rolls back crucial environmental protections, slows progress on climate change, and exacerbates air quality issues. They argue it undermines the U.S.'s ability to compete in the global electric vehicle market.
Tradeoffs
The provision balances environmental protection goals against concerns about economic burden on the automotive industry and consumer choice. It creates a tension between federal regulatory authority and market-driven innovation.
Section 3(a)
Prohibiting Technology Mandates and Vehicle Availability Restrictions in Clean Air Act
This section amends the Clean Air Act to add new prohibitions on EPA's regulatory authority. It stipulates that any future regulation, including revisions or those prescribed after January 1, 2021, cannot mandate the use of any specific technology (e.g., electric powertrains) or result in limited availability of new motor vehicles based on their engine type (e.g., internal combustion engines). This aims to prevent the EPA from indirectly phasing out gasoline-powered vehicles through emissions standards.
Section 3(b)
EPA Regulatory Conformance Requirement
This section mandates that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency must, within 24 months of the bill's enactment, revise existing regulations as necessary to conform to the new prohibitions established in Section 3(a). This ensures that all relevant EPA regulations align with the new statutory limits on technology mandates and vehicle availability restrictions.