WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, along with Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), today introduced the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the DERA program through fiscal year 2029 at its current authorization level of $100 million annually.
“Since its implementation in 2005, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act has been one of our nation’s most cost-effective tools for reducing diesel emissions,” said Chairman Carper. “Our bipartisan bill would ensure that the DERA program continues to deliver cleaner air, healthier communities, and economic benefits across our country. Congress has already reauthorized DERA on two other occasions. Now, I look forward to working with Senator Capito and our colleagues on again reauthorizing this commonsense, clean air program.”
“The DERA program is a commonsense example of how we can successfully address emissions using policy carrots instead of regulatory sticks,” said Ranking Member Capito. “As an original sponsor of the last reauthorization of the DERA program, I am proud to join Chairman Carper and once again lead this effort, which will help improve air quality and grow our economy at the same time.”
OUTSIDE SUPPORT:
“Diesel emissions have been dramatically reduced thanks to the bipartisan Diesel Emissions Reduction Act,” said Harold Wimmer, President & CEO of the American Lung Association. “But heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses are among the most polluting vehicles on the road and still contribute to over half of the ozone- and particle-forming emissions that are putting the health of communities at risk. We must continue efforts to eliminate the health harms from dirty trucks and buses and the DERA program is a key component of that success.”
BACKGROUND:
Senator Carper and the late Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) co-authored DERA, which became law through the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Environmental Protection Agency administers the program, which distributes federal grants, rebates, and loans to help finance the voluntary replacement or installation of retrofits on existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines. By replacing or upgrading older diesel engines with newer American-made technology, the DERA program reduces diesel emissions, which protects public health and supports domestic manufacturing jobs.
The full text of the bill is available here.
A fact sheet is available here.
