Full Text of HR0182 96th General Assembly
HR0182 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0182 |
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LRB096 11991 JDS 23697 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, California has implemented more stringent motor | 3 |
| vehicle air emissions regulations than the federal government | 4 |
| for over 40 years; and
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| WHEREAS, In recognition of the pioneering role of | 6 |
| California in protecting public health and welfare from motor | 7 |
| vehicle emissions, the United States Congress enacted | 8 |
| subdivision (b) of Section 209 of the federal Clean Air Act (42 | 9 |
| U.S.C. 7543(b)) that allows the Administrator of the United | 10 |
| States Environmental Protection Agency ("the Administrator") | 11 |
| to waive federal preemption of state motor vehicle standards; | 12 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Once a waiver is granted to California for that | 14 |
| regulation, other states may adopt the vehicle emission | 15 |
| standards established by California; and
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| WHEREAS, On December 19, 2007, Administrator Stephen L. | 17 |
| Johnson of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied | 18 |
| California its requested waiver for the right to impose its own | 19 |
| standards for carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles; and | 20 |
| WHEREAS, According to the Congressional Research Service, | 21 |
| California has requested waivers of preemption under |
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LRB096 11991 JDS 23697 r |
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| subdivision (b) of Section 209 of the federal Clean Air Act (42 | 2 |
| U.S.C. 7543(b)) for vehicle emission standards more than 50 | 3 |
| times since that provision was enacted, and the Administrator | 4 |
| has never previously denied such a request, but has instead | 5 |
| always granted the requests in whole or in part; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, The President of the United States, Barack Obama, | 7 |
| has directed the Administrator to reconsider California's | 8 |
| waiver request, which was rejected by the previous | 9 |
| administration; and
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| WHEREAS, The Administrator has begun the process of | 11 |
| reconsidering California's request; and
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| WHEREAS, An analysis by the California Air Resources Board | 13 |
| shows that the California standards, once fully adopted, would, | 14 |
| when compared with the status quo under the federal Clean Air | 15 |
| Act, result by 2020, in a two-fold greater reduction in carbon | 16 |
| dioxide emissions in California and an 80 percent greater | 17 |
| reduction in carbon dioxide emissions nationally; and
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| WHEREAS, Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have | 19 |
| already taken steps to follow California's emissions | 20 |
| standards, which, according to Environment America, will | 21 |
| reduce global warming pollution by more than 450 million metric | 22 |
| tons by 2020, a reduction equivalent to eliminating all of the |
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| pollution from 84.7 million of today's cars for a year; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois supports California's right under the | 3 |
| Clean Air Act to set stricter standards than the federal | 4 |
| government for motor vehicle emissions and the rights of other | 5 |
| states to implement California's standards; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 7 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 8 |
| this House hereby encourages the United States Environmental | 9 |
| Protection Agency to grant California a waiver necessary to | 10 |
| achieve greenhouse gas reductions from motor vehicles as | 11 |
| required by California law; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That this House opposes preemption of state laws | 13 |
| and regulations that are stronger than federal laws or | 14 |
| regulations to reduce global warming emissions; and be it | 15 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the | 17 |
| President and Vice President of the United States, to the | 18 |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader | 19 |
| of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from Illinois | 20 |
| in the Congress of the United States, and to the Administrator | 21 |
| of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
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