An act entitled the "Methane Transportation Research, Development and Demonstration Act of 1980".
Latest action. public lawWhat a bill becomes when enacted, numbered by Congress and order of enactment: Public Law 119-4 is the 4th law of the 119th Congress.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) 96-512.
(Senate vitiated its action on passage of 11/20/80) Methane Transportation Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1980 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to designate an organizational entity within the Department of Energy to manage the methane vehicle research, development, and demonstration program established under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, or any other Federal agency, providing that such agencies conduct specified aspects of such program as the Secretary deems appropriate. States that, the Secretary shall have responsibility to ascertain that such program includes activities to: (1) promote research on methane-fueled vehicles; (2) conduct research and development on optimum overall specifications for such vehicles; (3) determine means and facilities for storing, transporting, and dispensing methane for use as vehicular fuel; (4) conduct demonstration projects with respect to the feasibility of such vehicles; (5) gather performance data on such vehicles; and related methane transmission and storage facilities; (6) determine that demonstration projects have an adequate supply of methane for vehicular use; (7) ascertain the need for modifying available methane-fueled vehicles in order to facilitate their use by fleet owners; and (8) report to the Congress on any changes in fuel supply patterns, tax policies, and manufacturing standards needed to facilitate the manufacture and use of such vehicles. Directs the Secretary to insure that the conduct of the research and development program of this Act: (1) supplements the automotive propulsion systems research and development efforts of private industry; (2) will not supplant or lessen private industry's research and development; and (3) avoids duplication of private research and development. Directs the Secretary to assure maximum coordination between Federal agencies and the Department of Energy in carrying out such program. Directs the Secretary to initiate and provide for research and development in areas relating to such vehicles, including: (1) flammability and combustibility of methane; (2) handling, storage and distribution of methane; (3) the efficiency of recovering methane from unconventional sources; (4) vehicle design and construction; (5) the nature of emissions; and (6) overcoming institutional barriers to widespread use. Directs the Secretary, by January 1, 1982, to develop data on the current state-of-the-art, with respect to methane-fueled vehicles to serve as baseline data for evaluating technological improvements. Directs the Secretary to promulgate guidelines for demonstrations and to issue an initial request for proposals for technical and financial assistance to support public and private entities in developing and implementing demonstration projects to gather data on the operation of such vehicles and methane transmission, storage, and dispensing facilities. Sets forth the types of technical and financial assistance to be provided under this Act, including grants and loans to cover specified percentages of the costs associated with the installation of methane transmission, storage, and dispensing facilities. Sets forth requirements as to the number and duration of such demonstrations. Directs the Secretary to consult with the Postmaster General, the Administrator of the General Services Administration, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies to determine the practicability of using methane vehicles in the performance of agency functions and to arrange for appropriate use of such vehicles at the earliest practicable date. Requires the Secretary to submit an annual report on all activities undertaken under this Act to the Senate and the House of Representatives for referral to appropriate committees. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 1981 through 1986 to carry out this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Senate vitiated passage of bill after amendment" stage on November 21, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Public Law 96-512.
Civibrief does not map this action to a stage in the process. See the official record.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
The latest action on file does not map to a stage Civibrief recognizes, so the page will not name one. The record's own words are the reliable fact here.
The record's latest action, on December 12, 1980: Public Law 96-512.
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 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one has no outstanding steps 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?
DAN GLICKMAN (D-KS) introduced it on March 20, 1980, and 38 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 27 Democrats, 10 Republicans, 1 independent.
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 March 20, 1980, 17022 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16755 days ago, on December 12, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 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
- HousePublic Law 96-512.
- SenateNot stated in the latest action
- PresidentNot stated in the latest action