National Appliance and Motor Vehicle Energy Labeling Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
National Appliance and Motor Vehicle Energy Labeling Act - Authorizes the President to develop and promulgate energy conservation specifications for the following classes of products: motor vehicles, room and central air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, dishwashers, clothes dryers, kitchen ranges and ovens, water heaters, comfort heating equipment, and additional classes of appliances which use a significant amount of energy and which have an actual or potential range of energy efficiency from which consumers can choose. States that each specification promulgated under this Act shall include but need not be limited to: (1) a description of the class of product covered by the specification; (2) the range of energy efficiency and energy use data for that class of product as provided in this Act; (3) listings or descriptions of test methods to be used in measuring the energy efficiency and/or energy use characteristics of the class of product, providing that such test methods shall be methods the President determines are reasonable, technologically practicable, and appropriate; (4) a prototype label and directions for displaying the label, provided, however, that the specification shall require that the label be prominent and readable, visible to the consumer at time of purchase, shall specify the information that shall be included on the label to assist the consumer in comparing by cost of energy used or otherwise, the energy efficiency and/or energy use characteristics of a particular product with all others in its class, and include the energy conservation mark specified in this Act; and (5) a statement covering the information on the energy use and/or efficiency characteristics of the product which is to be included in any product advertisement pursuant to this Act. States that a specification shall be effective 60 days after publishing in the Federal Register unless the President determines that an earlier or later date is in the public interest. Requires that, if the range of energy efficiency and/or energy use for a product group is not known at the time of publication of the applicable specification, test data obtained through the test methods prescribed in the specification for each such product shall be forwarded to the President within forty-five days after publication of such specification. States that specifications shall, not apply to individual products the manufacture of which was completed prior to the effective date of the applicable specification. Specifies the requirements to be met to enable the President to effectively carry out the provisions of this Act. States that any manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, importer, or retailer of a product, for which a specification has been promulgated and is effective who causes to be advertised the energy characteristics of any such product must include all the information required by the specification applicable to such product. Provides for Government assistance to programs designed to educate consumers relative to the significance of the labeling program. States that this Act shall not apply to any product manufactured in the United States for the sole purpose of export from the United States. States that the offering for sale of any product without the required label, the removal of such label, the advertising of such product in violation of the provisions of this Act, the failure to allow access to information required to be supplied under this Act, or the failure of manufacturers to comply with their requirements under this Act shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $10,000. Provides for injunctive enforcement and seizure by proceedings in rem by the United States District Court having proper jurisdiction as defined by the Act. Provides for judicial review in the United States court of appeals for the circuit wherein a person who will be adversely affected by the requirements of this Act resides or has his principal place of business. Authorizes to be appropriated the sums necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on June 25, 1974. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on June 25, 1974: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HARLEY STAGGERS (D-WV) introduced it on June 25, 1974, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on June 25, 1974, 19070 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19070 days ago, on June 25, 1974.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers