Committee sets Hearing on Fuel Economy Standards

WASHINGTON – The House Energy and Commerce Committee today released for discussion a staff draft of legislation to authorize the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to set passenger car fuel economy (CAFE) standards.  

The committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, May 3 at 10 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building to discuss the draft.

The draft would give NHTSA the authority to set new CAFE standards for passenger cars, much like those that it set for light trucks. The standards for light trucks, announced in March, were increased from 21.6 to 24 miles per gallon. The Department of Transportation says that the light truck standards will save 10.7 billion gallons of fuel.

 Since the 1990 model year, standards have remained at 27.5 miles per gallon.

A copy of the draft bill can be found at http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/HAS_030_XML.PDF.  

Witnesses for the hearing will be announced next week.

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