A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration relating to "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Fuel System Integrity of Hydrogen Vehicles; Compressed Hydrogen Storage System Integrity; Incorporation by Reference".
This joint resolution uses Congress’s congressional review authority (the Congressional Review Act, chapter 8 of title 5, U.S.C.) to disapprove a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule concerning hydrogen vehicle safety. Specifically, it targets the rule titled “Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Fuel System Integrity of Hydrogen Vehicles; Compressed Hydrogen Storage System Integrity; Incorporation by Reference,” published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 6218). If enacted, the resolution would block that rule from having any force or effect, effectively preventing NHTSA from implementing the proposed safety standards and the incorporation by reference of external standards related to hydrogen storage and fuel systems. In short, the bill would nullify a specific set of proposed safety requirements for hydrogen vehicles, maintaining the status quo and preventing the rule from taking effect, as part of Congress’s oversight of federal regulations under the Congressional Review Act.
Key Points
- 1What the rule would have done: The NHTSA proposal would establish Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards governing fuel system integrity for hydrogen vehicles, including the integrity of compressed hydrogen storage systems, and would incorporate by reference external standards into federal safety requirements.
- 2What the joint resolution does: It disapproves the rule under the Congressional Review Act, ensuring the rule has no force or effect.
- 3Scope and timing: The rule was published in January 2025; the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 55) represents a congressional action to block it. If enacted and signed (or not vetoed/overridden), the rule cannot take effect.
- 4Regulatory and safety impact: Disapproval means NHTSA would not implement the proposed hydrogen-storage safety standards or the incorporation-by-reference approach outlined in the rule, potentially maintaining less prescriptive or different safety requirements for hydrogen vehicles.
- 5Illustrative context: This is an example of Congress using the Congressional Review Act to block a specific agency regulation, illustrating how Congress can influence how new technologies (like hydrogen-powered vehicles) are regulated.