This bill proposes to amend existing statutes regarding the petition process for gasoline suppliers and oxygenate blenders seeking to comply with alternative fuel standards during ethanol shortages. Under current law, petitions are submitted to the Associate Director of the Weights and Measures Division. The bill introduces new provisions that allow petitions to be submitted to both the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, expanding the authority to grant or deny these petitions. Specifically, the language "or both the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives" is added to multiple sections, replacing the exclusive reference to the Associate Director. Additionally, the bill conditions its enactment on the approval of modifications to gasoline fuel formulation requirements by the United States Environmental Protection Agency by July 1, 2027. This is reflected in the new insertion that states, "Conditions the enactment of this legislation on if the United States Environmental Protection Agency, on or before July 1, 2027, approves the proposed modifications to the gasoline fuel formulation requirements as part of the state implementation plan for air quality." Overall, the bill aims to streamline the petition process while ensuring legislative oversight in the decision-making regarding fuel standards.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 3-3493, 3-3494, 49-401.01, 3-3433, 3-3492