# Plain Language Summary: Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act

This bill would prevent states from banning the sale of gas-powered cars. Right now, a few states like California have the authority under federal law to set their own vehicle emission standards that are stricter than national rules. California and some other states have used this power to require that a growing percentage of new cars sold be electric or zero-emission vehicles, which effectively phases out traditional gas engines over time. This bill would block states from doing that by adding a new rule saying state emission standards cannot "directly or indirectly limit the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines"—meaning gas-powered cars would have to remain available for purchase.

The bill also targets existing waivers that the EPA has already granted to states. If the EPA previously approved a state's emission standards (like California's electric vehicle requirements), this bill would force the EPA to cancel those approvals if they're found to restrict gas engine vehicles. This essentially rewrites the rules retroactively, taking away authority that states already have and have been using to push the auto industry toward cleaner vehicles.

In practical terms, this means if the bill becomes law, states would lose their ability to encourage or require electric vehicle adoption through vehicle sales restrictions. People in states that wanted to transition away from gas cars would find it much harder to do so, since automakers would have no state-level incentive to phase out gas engines. The bill frames this as protecting consumer choice—the idea that people should always be able to buy traditional gas-powered vehicles—but it also removes the choice that states currently have to set their own environmental standards.

Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act

Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act This bill modifies the waiver process under the Clean Air Act related to state emission control standards for new motor vehicles (or new motor vehicle engines). Under current law, states are preempted from adopting or enforcing emission control standards for new motor vehicles (or new motor vehicle engines) unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a waiver authorizing a state to adopt such standards if certain requirements are met. The bill provides that state standards that directly or indirectly limit the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines are not eligible for waivers. The bill also prohibits the EPA from determining that any state standards amended after the bill's enactment are within the scope of an existing waiver. Additionally, the bill requires the EPA to revoke waivers granted between January 1, 2022, and the date of enactment of this bill if the standards directly or indirectly limit the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines.