Sponsor
Victoria Spartz
Representative · R-IN
Representative · R-IN
The bill reduces costs and regulatory burdens for farmers and small agricultural businesses but does so at the expense of likely worse local air quality, increased public health and cleanup costs, and weaker nationwide consistency in emissions management.
Farmers and local agricultural businesses will save money and face fewer regulatory burdens because nonroad agricultural engines and vehicles would be exempted from certain federal emissions requirements, reducing compliance, retrofit, and equipment-replacement costs.
Rural residents and farm workers are likely to experience worse air quality and higher respiratory and other pollution-related health risks because agricultural nonroad engines would no longer be subject to federal emissions limits.
Taxpayers and local governments could incur higher healthcare and environmental remediation costs if emissions-related illness or pollution increases due to reduced federal emissions oversight.
Exempting agricultural nonroad engines from federal standards would undermine nationwide consistency of emissions rules and could complicate interstate air quality management and state implementation plans.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Exempts nonroad engines and nonroad vehicles used for agricultural purposes from EPA Section 213 federal emissions standards (42 U.S.C. § 7547).
The bill removes EPA authority to apply federal emissions standards under 42 U.S.C. § 7547 (the Section 213 nonroad emissions program) to nonroad engines and nonroad vehicles when they are used for agricultural purposes. In practice, engines and vehicles used in farming would be categorically exempted from those federal emissions standards. That change reduces regulatory obligations for farmers and manufacturers of agricultural nonroad equipment, may lower compliance costs, and likely increases emissions from the exempted equipment compared with keeping the standards in place. It also narrows the Administrator’s statutory authority over nonroad agricultural engines and vehicles, which could create conflicts with state rules and public-health objectives.
Official title: To amend the Clean Air Act to exempt nonroad engines and vehicles that are used for agricultural purposes from the emission standards of that Act, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 5, 2026 by Victoria Spartz · Last progress March 5, 2026