Sponsors (8)
The bill provides a decade of regulatory certainty and operational flexibility for manufacturers, owners, and service providers in exchange for delaying tighter emission standards and associated air‑quality and climate benefits, increasing near‑term pollution exposure and the risk of larger long‑term costs and reduced local regulatory options.
Vehicle and equipment owners (including fleet operators, small business owners, and transportation workers) gain 10 years of regulatory certainty because EPA is barred from tightening vehicle/emission equipment standards above the 2007/2010 (Tier 4) levels for a decade, reducing near-term compliance risk and avoiding sudden retrofit or compliance costs.
Manufacturers, dealers, and service providers can rely on specified EPA guidance and safe-harbors for software updates, repairs, diagnostics, and monitoring, allowing maintenance, recalls, and improvements without triggering penalties and enabling continuity of operations and cost-saving maintenance practices.
The EPA retains explicit authority to enforce against defeat devices, tampering, and permanent disabling of emissions controls, preserving a tool to protect emissions integrity and public health.
People who live, work, and go to school near roadways (urban and rural communities) face higher pollution exposure for up to 10 years because the EPA is barred from tightening emission standards above 2007/2010 (Tier 4) levels, raising near-term public health risks.
The general public and future generations lose near-term air quality and climate benefits because the moratorium delays tighter emissions controls and greenhouse gas reductions for a decade.
Taxpayers and vehicle/equipment owners may face higher long-term economic costs because delayed tightening can require larger future compliance programs, retrofits, or accelerated replacement once stricter standards are reinstated.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Makes EPA guidance-based diesel repair/DEF/monitoring practices eligible for 10-year regulatory safe harbors and bars EPA from tightening standards beyond 2007/2010 (on-road) and Tier 4 (nonroad) during that period, with rules for successors.
Official title: To amend the Clean Air Act to preserve regulatory stability for motor vehicles, motor vehicle engines, nonroad vehicles, and nonroad engines, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 9, 2026 by Julie Fedorchak · Last progress July 9, 2026
Creates temporary 10-year "guidance-based safe harbors" that allow specified inducement, repair, monitoring, and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) quality practices for on-road and nonroad diesel engines when implemented consistent with named EPA guidance documents and with existing certification and useful-life requirements. During that 10-year period the EPA Administrator is barred from issuing more stringent emission regulations than specified existing standards (2007/2010 on-road standards and Tier 4 nonroad standards), subject to enumerated exceptions. After the 10-year period, the bill requires any successor standards to apply for at least three model years, take effect no earlier than five model years after promulgation, and directs the Administrator to consider specified economic, operational, harmonization, and durability factors when setting those successor standards. The bill preserves prohibitions on permanent disablement and does not exempt engines from applicable emission standards or from enforcement against defeat devices.