Today, Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) and Vice Chair Jay Obernolte (CA-23) celebrated President Donald Trump’s signing of three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to overturn California’s de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandates. Specifically, the resolutions overturn the Biden administration’s approval of California’s vehicle emissions mandates, including the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, and the Omnibus Low-NOx Emissions rule.
“I was honored to be at the White House today as President Trump signed these critical resolutions I helped lead into law,” said Chairman LaMalfa. “California’s extreme vehicle mandates would have made it harder and more expensive for Americans to buy the cars and trucks they need, whether they live in California or not. These rules were designed to go national and force consumers, truckers, and most industries into costly electric vehicles with fewer options. These new laws are a major win for anyone who relies on a vehicle to get to work, run a business, or support their family. With his signature President Trump permanently stopped some of California’s most ridiculous rules.”
“I’m proud that President Trump has signed my resolution to stop California’s unworkable engine emission standards from becoming national policy,” said Vice Chair Obernolte. “These regulations would have raised cost for consumers, crushed small business, and threatened critical supply chains across our country. One state’s overreach should never dictate how all Americans live, work, or drive. This bill sends a strong message that national standards should be set only in Washington, not in Sacramento.”
Background
Under the Clean Air Act, states are generally prohibited from setting their own tailpipe emission standards for cars and trucks. However, California has a unique exemption under Section 209, allowing it to keep the emissions regulations that pre-dated the Clean Air Act, and update them as needed by submitting a waiver to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval. Once granted, these California standards can also be adopted by other states under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act. Currently, about a dozen states follow California’s emissions policies, effectively turning the state’s regulations into a nationwide mandate.
The Biden administration approved several controversial waivers requested by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), allowing the state to impose extreme emissions rules that impact car and truck costs and availability across the country. These include:
- Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC2) – Approved in December 2024, this regulation mandates that 35% of new car sales be zero-emission by 2026, increasing to 100% by 2035. At least 12 states have already adopted ACC2. Failure to meet this goal means a maximum penalty of $25,000 per non-compliant vehicle sold to consumers. Text of the resolution can be found here.
- Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) – Approved in March 2023, this regulation forces truck manufacturers and retailers to meet strict zero-emission quotas by 2035, including 55% of Class 2B-3 truck sales, 75% of Class 4-8 straight truck sales, and 40% of truck tractor sales. At least 11 states have adopted ACT. Text of the resolution can be found here.
- Omnibus Low-NOx Emissions Rule – Approved in December 2024, this regulation imposes aggressive emissions reductions on medium- and heavy-duty truck and other engines, requiring NOx emissions to be cut by 75% below current standards for Model Year 2024-2026 compared to 2010 levels and particulate matter emissions to be cut by 50%. Text of the resolution can be found here.
The House of Representatives
voted to overturn these waivers on April 30 and May 1, 2025.
