HJRES 87: Providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle and Engine Pollution Control Standards; Heavy-Duty Vehicle and Engine Emission Warranty and Maintenance Provisions; Advanced Clean Trucks; Zero Emission Airport Shuttle; Zero-Emission Power Train Certification; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision".

HJRES 87 in plain English: This joint resolution, now signed into law, nullifies an EPA decision that had granted California a waiver allowing the state to enforce its own stricter emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles and trucks, including zero-emission requirements. The waiver, originally published April 6, 2023, had permitted California to apply rules such as its Advanced Clean Trucks and Zero Emission Airport Shuttle standards. By nullifying the EPA's decision, the law prevents California from enforcing those standards under the federal Clean Air Act waiver.

Stated purpose

This resolution expresses Congress's formal disapproval of an EPA decision that granted California permission to enforce its own stricter emission rules for heavy-duty trucks and related vehicles, canceling that EPA decision so it has no legal force.

Key points

• Nullifies the EPA's April 2023 decision granting California a Clean Air Act emissions waiver
• Blocks California from enforcing its Advanced Clean Trucks and Zero Emission Airport Shuttle standards under the waiver
• Voids California Air Resources Board authority over heavy-duty vehicle emission warranty and maintenance rules granted by that waiver

Arguments supporters make

• One national emission standard is fairer to trucking companies and manufacturers, who would otherwise have to build different products for different states.
• Blocking California's stricter rules protects jobs and keeps commercial trucking costs lower, which can benefit businesses and consumers across the country.
• Congress, not an executive agency, should have final say over which states get special authority to set rules that affect interstate commerce.

Arguments opponents make

• California has had the legal right to set stricter vehicle emission standards for decades under the Clean Air Act, and Congress is overriding a long-standing environmental protection process.
• Revoking the waiver removes incentives for cleaner heavy-duty trucks, which operate in heavily populated areas and are a major source of air pollution and health problems.
• Other states had already adopted California's standards in reliance on this waiver, and canceling it disrupts state-level clean air planning already underway.

Tradeoffs

Uniform national standards make compliance easier and potentially cheaper for industry, but they remove California's and other states' ability to set stronger local air quality protections for their residents.

Current status in Congress: Became law.

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