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119-hr-6200119th CongressWALLET

ESSENTIAL Act

Sponsored By: Representative LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1]

Introduced

Summary

Stops federal actions that promote engine idle start-stop systems. The bill would require the EPA Administrator and the Secretary of Transportation to repeal any agency action that encourages, incentivizes, promotes, or requires manufacturers to equip vehicles with engine idle start-stop technology, while allowing an exception if repeal would increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

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  • Vehicle manufacturers would no longer face federal encouragement or requirements to install engine idle start-stop systems on cars and trucks.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation would have to repeal covered actions within 1 year and may not issue similar rules going forward.
  • Repeals are blocked if they would raise carbon monoxide poisoning risk, preserving that safety constraint.
  • Agencies must send a joint initial report to Congress within 180 days and a final joint report within 1 year describing how they carried out the repeals.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Stops federal promotion of start-stop tech

This bill would require the EPA Administrator and the Secretary of Transportation to find and repeal any agency action that specifically pushes carmakers to install engine idle start-stop systems. It would define start-stop as any system that turns the engine off when a vehicle stops and restarts it when the driver presses the gas or releases the brake. The agencies would have 180 days to send an initial joint report to Congress and 1 year to complete the repeal or rescission and send a final report. Agencies could keep a rule only if removing it would increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, and after repeal they could not issue similar new rules.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1]

CA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1]

    ID • R

    Sponsored 11/20/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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