O'Connor And Tamm Update Lightning Rod Legislative Issues

Year after year, NAFA’s U.S. Legislative Update session is a must-attend session for fleet professionals. For this year's showcase general session, NAFA's Immediate Past President Claude Masters, CAFM^®, was joined by NAFA’s Legislative Counsel Patrick O'Connor, and James Tamm, a top National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) official that has been heavily involved in proposed rulemaking regarding Phase 2 greenhouse-gas emissions (2 GHG). This discussion took place on Thursday morning, April 16.

Patrick kicked things off with a brief overview of legislative and regulatory issues on fleet's horizon including the returned threat of lost funding for the Highway Trust Fund, concerns with the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the currently precarious position alt-fueled and advanced technology vehicles are in, in terms of tax credits and incentives. "I think we'll all need to hold our breaths for the next couple of months to see (about the future of these credits)," Patrick commented.

Another hot topic on Patrick's agenda was the often difficult and costly prohibitions that face utility fleets when they cross state lines to help affected regions out-of-state. From permits to tax issues, to provocations at weigh stations, utility fleets on the move to help others are being adversely troubled in their efforts. Lawmakers are looking into ways that could make their help less onerous.

James Tamm leads the Fuel Economy Division which is responsible for establishing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations for passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles, and fuel efficiency regulations for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and work trucks. The division is also responsible for reviewing and approving manufacturer petitions for alternative CAFE standards, and implementing consumer information programs, including regulations for some content on the fuel economy label and new regulations for alternative fuel badges on light-duty vehicles.

After a brief overview of Phase 1 greenhouse-gas emissions which affects Model Year 2014-2018/19 vehicles, Tamm revealed details about Phase 2 GHG, involving fuel economy standards for medium and heavy duty trucks. These rules will involve MY 2018 and beyond. For a more granular look at Phase 2, click here for Tamm's PowerPoint presentation from the morning's discussion.

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