An act relating to revoking Vermont’s use of California’s Clean Air Act waiver
H.65 would prohibit Vermont from adopting or enforcing California motor vehicle emissions standards under the federal Clean Air Act waiver authority. The bill amends several provisions of Title 10 to state that the Secretary of Natural Resources may establish motor vehicle emission control rules, but may not adopt the California rules for new motor vehicles authorized under 42 U.S.C. § 7507. It makes the same limitation applicable to emission control requirements generally and to rules developed under the Vermont Climate Action Plan process.
The bill also repeals Vermont’s Low Emission Vehicle and Zero Emission Vehicle Rules, which are the state regulations tied to California-style vehicle emissions standards. If enacted, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2025, and would remove the regulatory framework Vermont has used to align with California’s vehicle emissions program. In practical terms, it would change how the state can regulate new motor vehicle emissions and would constrain the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Secretary of Natural Resources from using California’s waiver-based standards.
H.65 would amend Vermont’s air pollution and climate-related statutes in Title 10 by removing the state’s authority to adopt California’s motor vehicle emissions rules and by repealing the existing Low Emission Vehicle and Zero Emission Vehicle Rules. The bill would directly affect state environmental regulators, automobile manufacturers, dealers, and consumers by changing the emissions standards applicable to new vehicles sold in Vermont. It would also limit the role of the Vermont Climate Action Plan as a basis for vehicle emissions rules insofar as those rules would otherwise rely on California standards.
Based on the bill text and the absence of committee transcripts or recorded votes, the available context suggests the bill is primarily driven by opposition to Vermont’s alignment with California vehicle emissions policy. The introduced language is direct and restrictive, indicating a clear policy preference to end use of the waiver-based standards. Because no discussion or vote history is provided, there is no documented bipartisan or committee sentiment to assess beyond the bill’s sponsor-driven intent.
The central point of contention is whether Vermont should continue using California’s Clean Air Act waiver to set stricter vehicle emissions standards. Supporters of the bill are likely to argue that Vermont should not adopt California rules and should instead retain more independent control over vehicle regulation. Opponents would likely contend that repealing the Low Emission Vehicle and Zero Emission Vehicle Rules would weaken air quality and climate policy and reduce Vermont’s ability to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals. The bill’s explicit prohibition in both emissions-rulemaking and climate-plan implementation makes the conflict especially sharp between regulatory autonomy and environmental policy alignment.