Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§8501 Congressional Findings and Purposes
Title 42 › CHAPTER 93 — EMERGENCY ENERGY CONSERVATION › § 8501
Summary
Requires governments to act because recent big problems hit U.S. gasoline and diesel markets, those problems are likely to happen again, and they hurt trade between states. It also says the President, Congress, and the public do not have up-to-date, reliable information about fuel supplies and demand. Aims to let the federal, state, and local governments set emergency conservation rules and other actions for gasoline, diesel, home heating oil, and other fuels, to gather fuel data, and to protect trade between states.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §8501
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Findings
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)Purposes
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 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110