Fuel Use Regulatory Reform Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Fuel Use Regulatory Reform Act of 1980 - Amends the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 to require the Secretary of Energy to grant a permanent or a temporary exemption allowing a new electric power plant or a new major fuel-burning installation to use petroleum or natural gas as a primary energy source to petitioners who certify that the Federal, State or local environmental law prevents, either permanently or temporarily, compliance with prohibitions against such use of petroleum or natural gas. Directs the Secretary to grant a temporary or a permanent exemption to an existing electric powerplant or major fuel-burning installation if the petitioner certifies that Federal State or local environmental law prevents, either temporarily or permanently, compliance with prohibitions of such use of petroleum or natural gas at such plant or installation. Requires the Secretary to grant a permanent exemption for the use of natural gas or petroleum in a new major fuel-burning installation if petitioner certifies that the amount of such fuels to be used as a primary energy source in a fuel mixture will not exceed 25 percent. Directs the Secretary to base any finding that an existing installation has a coal or alternate fuel capability on a consideration of the installation's entire energy generating system. Requires the terms and conditions of any exemption to a new or existing facility to apply only to the unit for which the petition is filed. Permits the Secretary to require only information directly related to the unit for which an exemption under this Act is sought. Requires information obtained under this Act to be treated confidentially.
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 5, 1980. 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 5, 1980: 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 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 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?
CLARENCE BROWN (R-OH) introduced it on June 5, 1980, and 2 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 2 Republicans.
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 5, 1980, 16898 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16898 days ago, on June 5, 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
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers