PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6554-6556)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 11, 2009
Green Transportation Efficiency Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of Energy (DOE) a Green Transportation Efficiency Program through which the Secretary of Energy shall: (1) authorize issuance of an electronic voucher to offset the purchase or lease price for a new fuel efficient automobile or motorcycle upon the surrender to a participating dealer of an eligible trade-in vehicle; (2) certify dealers for Program participation; (3) make electronic payments to them for vouchers they accept between January 1, 2009, and three years after implementing regulations are promulgated; (4) provide for the payment of rebates to qualifying persons; and (5) establish enforcement of measures to prevent and penalize fraud under the Program.
Prescribes requirements, including combined fuel economy, for $2,500, $3,500, and $4,500 vouchers to offset the purchase or lease price for a qualifying passenger automobile, truck, or motorcycle.
Limits the number of vouchers to one per customer, including joint registered owners of a single eligible trade-in vehicle.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Requires a dealer to certify about each eligible trade-in vehicle that the dealer: (1) has not and will not sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the vehicle for use as an automobile in the United States or in any other country; and (2) will transfer the vehicle to an entity that will ensure that it will be crushed or shredded within the Program period, and has not been, and will not be, sold, leased, exchanged, or otherwise disposed of for use as an automobile anywhere in the world. Declares that such restrictions shall not prevent a person who dismantles or disposes of such vehicle from selling any of its parts (except the engine block and drive train, unless they have been crushed or shredded) and retaining sale proceeds.
Makes any person who purchased or leased a new fuel efficient vehicle after January 1, 2009, and before the enactment of this Act eligible for a cash rebate equivalent to the appropriate voucher amount.
Makes it unlawful for any person knowingly to violate this Act or any regulations issued under it, particularly by fraud. Prescribes civil penalties for any such violation.
Directs the Secretary to make Program information available on an Internet website and through other means.
Prescribes standards which any regulations issued by the Secretary for the Program must meet.
People & committees
Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] · D–PA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6554-6556)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6553-6554)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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