U.S. Legislative News

NAFA Urges Congress to Increase FY19 Funding for DERA, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act

NAFA, along with environmental advocacy groups and members of the automotive and trucking industry, called on members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to increase funding for DERA in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2019. DERA supports states’ clean air programs and provides grants and rebates to incentivize the installation of retrofit technologies capable of reducing emissions by as much as 90 percent on existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines.

In a letter to Congress, NAFA outlined the program’s unique economic and environmental benefits. From 2009 to 2013, the program upgraded nearly 73,000 vehicles saving over 450 million gallons of fuel. The reduction in emissions from this period is estimated to have created up to $12.6 billion in health benefits and improved air quality at the nation’s schools, highways, construction sites, ports, and railyards.

Trump Administration Weighs Change In E-15 Policy

President Trump indicated April 11 that his Administration may allow E-15 gasoline to be sold year-round. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently bans the use of E-15 during the summer months because it says it contributes to smog on hot days. Farmers and the biofuels industry cheered the President's remarks, while the oil and gas industry said it will fight any such move. They say the higher ethanol blends can damage engines and fuel systems and potentially void vehicle warranties. An estimated 75 percent of the vehicles in the U.S. fleet are not designed to use E-15. The EPA is evaluating the legal validity of granting an E-15 waiver, with a final decision pending discussions with the White House and Congress.

Heidi King Nominated for NHTSA Administrator

The President announced the nomination of Heidi King to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety and Health Administration. NHTSA has been without a permanent Administrator since January 2017. King has served as the Acting Administrator since this past September. She previously served as an economist for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she had oversight responsibility for the CAFE standards. More recently, she was an executive for General Electric, where she was global director of environmental risk. A strong voice for vehicle safety, King has a special interest in cybersecurity and the development of autonomous vehicles.

The Road to Zero Coalition Releases Strategy to End Roadway Deaths by 2050

The Road to Zero Coalition, an alliance including NAFA and over 600 other government, advocacy, and automotive-industry organizations, released a comprehensive report seeking to eliminate roadway fatalities in the U.S. by 2050. The report is released amid increasing concerns about the uptick in roadway-related deaths following years of decline.

The report, A Road to Zero: A Vision for Achieving Zero Roadway Deaths by 2050, offers short-term and long-term solutions to reduce roadway fatalities based on three main initiatives:

• Double down on what works through proven, evidence-based strategies
• Advance life-saving technology in vehicles and infrastructure
• Prioritize safety by adopting a safe systems approach and creating a positive safety culture

“We demand 100 percent safe operations in aviation, marine, pipeline, rail, and transit. We should cultivate a corresponding societal demand for safe roads,” said NSC President and CEO, Deborah Hersman. “With these three guidelines, everyone can do something to reduce fatalities on the roadway. Getting to zero fatalities is not impossible – it just hasn’t been done yet.”

Read more about the Road to Zero Coalition here.

Autonomous Vehicle Legislation Stalls in Senate

Legislation meant to facilitate the development of self-driving cars is currently stalled in the U.S. Senate. The AV START Act (S. 1885) would regulate autonomous cars and trucks lighter than 10,000 pounds and is intended to advance the development and deployment of highly automated vehicles (HAVs).

Objections raised by several key Senators have prevented the Senate consideration of the bill. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) joined several of his colleagues in citing concerns about the legislation. The recent fatal crash in Tempe, Ariz., involving an Uber autonomous car, prompted the Senator's call for strengthening provisions in the bill.

Proponents of the technology reiterated the anticipated safety benefits of self-driving vehicles following the deadly crash. Safety groups have long raised alarms that self-driving technology is not advanced enough to deploy without federal standards that would prevent companies from rushing unsafe technology to market.