Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988
Public Law 100-494 · S. 1518 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 14, 1988 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Cosponsors (64): Sen. John Danforth, Sen. Pete Wilson,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to direct the Secretary of Energy to ensure that beginning in FY 1990 the maximum practicable number of Federal passenger automobiles and light duty trucks be: (1) alcohol-powered vehicles; (2) dual energy vehicles; (3) natural gas-powered vehicles; or (4) natural gas dual energy vehicles. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study regarding such vehicles' performance, fuel economy, safety, and maintenance costs.
Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress the results of a feasibility study concerning the disposal of such alternative-fueled Federal vehicles.
Provides for alcohol fuel to be made available to the public at locations where the Federal vehicles are fueled. States that appropriations for Federal vehicle acquisition shall apply only to that portion of the cost of alcohol-powered (or dual energy) vehicles which exceeds the cost of comparable conventional fueled vehicles.
Provides that: (1) such vehicles shall not be counted in any average fuel economy calculation of the Federal passenger automobile fleet acquired in any fiscal year; and (2) the incremental cost of such vehicles over the cost of comparable conventional fueled vehicles shall not be applied to any calculation regarding the maximum cost of individual Federal vehicles. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1993 for such alternative-fueled vehicles.
Requires the Secretary to establish a commercial application program to study alcohol and natural gas fuel use in heavy duty trucks. Authorizes appropriations for such program for FY 1990 through 1992.
Directs the Secretary (in cooperation with Federal agencies regulating motor vehicles for safety and environmental purposes) to assist State and local governmental agencies in testing the environmental and safety aspects of alcohol and natural-gas powered buses in urban settings. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1992.
Establishes the Interagency Commission on Alternative Motor Fuels to develop and coordinate efforts to implement a national alternative motor fuels policy. Requires the Commission chairperson to establish a United States Alternative Fuels Council to report to the Commission about alternative motor fuels matters. Requires the Commission to submit interim reports to the Congress and a final report no later than September 30, 1992. Terminates the Commission and the Council upon submission of its final report.
Directs the Secretary to study and report to the Congress regarding the cost and practicability of methanol plants.
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to submit to specified congressional committees biennial reports on a comprehensive analysis of the air quality, global climate change, and other environmental impacts associated with the use of alternative motor fuels under this Act. Requires the reports to include extended reasonable forecasts of environmental effects. Authorizes appropriations.
Precludes the voiding of any guaranty or warranty with respect to any federally acquired passenger automobile or light-duty truck after October 1, 1989, on the grounds that such vehicle is operated with nonstandard fuels.
Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to set forth fuel efficiency standards for: (1) alcohol-powered automobiles; (2) dual energy automobiles; (3) natural gas-powered automobiles; and (4) natural gas dual energy automobiles.
Prescribes guidelines for calculation of the fuel economy of alternative-fueled vehicles at increasing rates for model years 1993 through 2004. Expands the definition of "automobile" to include vehicles powered by alcohol or natural gas.
Requires the Secretary of Transportation to report to the Congress the results of a study regarding the need to promulgate additional or amended regulations to stimulate the introduction of electric vehicles into commerce.
Sets forth fuel economy labeling guidelines for alcohol or natural gas powered automobiles, and dual energy or natural gas dual energy automobiles.
Requires the Secretary of Energy to report to certain congressional committees on whether the fuel economy prescriptions and the amendments made by this Act are likely to increase residential energy costs significantly.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Consumer Affairs and Product Safety Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 28 actions.
- Oct 14, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-494.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 3, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 23, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Sep 20, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate. By Unanimous Consent.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: official papers held at the desk in Senate.
- Sep 16, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 100-929 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 100-929 Filed in House.
- Sep 15, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Jul 6, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate appointed conferees Glenn; Levin; Roth from the committee on Governmental Affairs.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Hollings; Gore; Rockefeller; Danforth; McCain. From the committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 29, 1988FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and held at desk: House amendment to Senate bill and House requests a conference.
- Jun 28, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Dingell, Sharp, Bruce, Lent, Moorhead.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Apr 15, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Dec 21, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Nov 19, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Nov 12, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Consumer Affairs and Product Safety Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 21, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.