Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§8501 Congressional findings and purposes

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 93— - EMERGENCY ENERGY CONSERVATION › § 8501

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress says there are five problems with fuel markets. Recent big disruptions have happened and might happen again. These outbreaks hurt trade between states. The country needs urgent ways to save fuel and handle shortages of gasoline, diesel, home heating oil, and other energy sources. Up-to-date supply and demand information for these fuels is not available to the President, Congress, or the public. To fix this, Congress sets four goals: let federal, state, and local governments put emergency conservation rules in place; create other emergency actions to ease gasoline and diesel market problems; gather current data on these fuels; and protect trade between states.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §8501

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Congress finds that—
(1)serious disruptions have recently occurred in the gasoline and diesel fuel markets of the United States;
(2)it is likely that such disruptions will recur;
(3)interstate commerce is significantly affected by those market disruptions;
(4)an urgent need exists to provide for emergency conservation and other measures with respect to gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, and other energy sources in potentially short supply in order to cope with market disruptions and protect interstate commerce; and
(5)up-to-date and reliable information concerning the supply and demand of gasoline, diesel fuel, and other related data is not available to the President, the Congress, or the public.
(b)The purposes of this chapter are to—
(1)provide a means for the Federal Government, States, and units of local government to establish emergency conservation measures with respect to gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, and other energy sources which may be in short supply;
(2)establish other emergency measures to alleviate disruptions in gasoline and diesel fuel markets;
(3)obtain data concerning such fuels; and
(4)protect interstate commerce.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 96–102, title III, § 302, Nov. 5, 1979, 93 Stat. 770, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this Act [enacting this chapter, amending section 6262, 6263, and 6422 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 6261 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 5, 1979].”

Short Title

Pub. L. 96–102, § 1(a), Nov. 5, 1979, 93 Stat. 749, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter, amending section 6261, 6262, 6263, and 6422 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 6261 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Emergency Energy Conservation Act of 1979’.” Congressional Findings Pub. L. 96–102, title I, § 101, Nov. 5, 1979, 93 Stat. 750, provided that: “The Congress finds that— “(1) a standby rationing plan for gasoline and diesel fuel should provide, to the maximum extent practicable, that the burden of reduced supplies of gasoline and diesel fuel be shared by all persons in a fair and equitable manner and that the economic and social impacts of such plan be minimized; and “(2) such a plan should be sufficiently flexible to respond to changed conditions and sufficiently simple to be effectively administered and enforced.” Funding for Fiscal Years 1979 and 1980 Pub. L. 96–102, title III, § 301, Nov. 5, 1979, 93 Stat. 769, provided that: “For purposes of any law relating to appropriations or authorizations for appropriations as such law relates to the fiscal year ending
September 30, 1979, or the fiscal year ending
September 30, 1980, the provisions of this Act (including

Amendments

made by this Act) [see

Short Title

note above] shall be treated as if it were a contingency plan under section 202 or 203 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act [former section 6262 and 6263 of this title] which was approved in accordance with the procedures under that Act [see

Short Title

note set out under section 6201 of this title] or as otherwise provided by law, and funds made available pursuant to such appropriations shall be available to carry out the provisions of this Act and the

Amendments

made by this Act.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 8501

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73