Truth in Energy Act
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce.
Truth in Energy Act - Title I: Truth in Energy - Declares it to be the intent of Congress to assure, through a uniform national system, noncompliance with which shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice, meaningful disclosure of the estimated annual operating cost of climate conditioning systems, so that consumers can readily compare them and thereby avoid purchasing or leasing buildings equipped with climate conditioning systems which unnecessarily waste energy. Directs the Federal Trade Commission, within 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, after consultation with the National Bureau of Standards, to establish: (1) model calculation procedures for use by suppliers in determining the estimated annual operating costs of climate conditioning systems; and (2) procedures for suppliers to disclose such estimates to their clients. States that, beginning 6 months after the date of adoption of procedures for determining and disclosing annual operating costs in accordance with this Act, it shall be unlawful for any person to sell or lease, or to offer for sale or lease, any previously unoccupied building for which a climate conditioning system has been designed subsequent to the adoption of such procedures; unless the estimated annual operating cost of such system is disclosed by the person prior to any such sale or lease. Stipulates that violation of any disclosure provision of this Act shall constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice and shall be subject to proceedings thereunder. Authorizes appropriations of not to exceed $2,000,000 for fiscal years 1975, 1976, and 1977 to carry out the above provisions. Title II: Renovation and Retrofitting of Existing Federal Buildings - Provides that, within 90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the General Services Administration, in consultation with the Director of the National Bureau of Standards, and the Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration, shall establish procedures for identifying existing buildings as candidates for renovation and retrofitting with energy conservation equipment and systems for the purpose of decreasing the cost of supplying such buildings with energy for climate-conditioning, water heating, lighting, and other major uses of energy. Directs the Administrator to solicit proposals for renovation and retrofitting each identified building with energy conservation equipment and systems. Authorizes the Administrator to award contracts for the design and installation of energy conservation equipment in the federally owned buildings identified above. Authorizes appropriations of such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this title, not to exceed $3,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, and $3,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1976.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on August 21, 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 August 21, 1974: Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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?
JOHN TUNNEY (D-CA) introduced it on August 21, 1974. No cosponsors are recorded.
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 August 21, 1974, 19013 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19013 days ago, on August 21, 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers