PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9024-9025)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Aug 6, 2009
Consumer Fuels and Vehicle Choice Act of 2009 - Requires each manufacturer to ensure that at least 50% of 2011 and 2012 model year automobiles and light duty trucks manufactured for sale in the United States are dual fueled. Increases the minimum to 90% for later model years. (Excludes automobiles and light duty trucks that operate only on electricity.)
Requires the Secretary of Energy to make grants to major fuel distributors to pay the federal share of costs to install blender pump fuel infrastructure at majority-owned stations and branded stations: (1) for the direct retail sale of ethanol fuel blends (including E-85 fuel), including blender pumps and storage tanks; and (2) to directly market such fuels to gas retailers, including in-line blending equipment, pumps, storage tanks, and loadout equipment.
Provides for infrastructure installation subgrants to direct retailers of ethanol fuel blends (including E-85 fuel) as well as blender pumps and storage tanks.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Amends the Clean Air Act to define: (1) "E-85 fuel" as a blend of gasoline at least 85% derived from ethanol; and (2) "ethanol fuel blend" as a blend of gasoline and ethanol, with a minimum of 0% and maximum of 85% derived from denatured ethanol.
Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations to ensure that each major fuel distributor installs one or more blender pumps that dispense E-85 fuel and ethanol fuel blends at specified minimum percentages of majority-owned stations and branded stations for specified years in each state. Allows major fuel distributors to earn and sell credits if they exceed the percentage of blender pump installations at majority-owned stations and branded stations.
People & committees
Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA] · D–IA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9024-9025)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9023-9024)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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