S 1779 — LOCOMOTIVES Act

Summary

This bill amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit states from setting their own emission standards for locomotives and engines used in locomotives that are engaged in commerce. Under current law, states are prevented from regulating certain nonroad engines and vehicles, such as construction and farm equipment under 175 horsepower. The bill adds locomotives to this federal preemption category, meaning only federal emission standards would apply to commercial railroad locomotives rather than a patchwork of state and federal standards. The bill defines covered locomotives as those providing common carrier railroad transportation for compensation.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] (R-IA)

19 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Joni Ernst’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

NULL $57,653
CAPITAL GROUP $40,000
SOROBAN CAPITAL $13,200
CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES $7,500
GOOGLE $6,800

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Joni Ernst → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

May 15, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. · senate
May 15, 2025 Introduced in Senate

Related bills (1)

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 15, 2025

Ms. Ernst (for herself, Mr. Daines, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Ricketts, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Risch, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Crapo, and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit State standards relating to the control of emissions from existing locomotives and engines used in locomotives, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Lifting Overburdensome Commerce Obstructions and Motives Act” or the “LOCOMOTIVES Act”.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON STATE STANDARDS RELATING TO THE CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM EXISTING LOCOMOTIVES AND ENGINES USED IN LOCOMOTIVES.

Section 209(e)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7543(e)(1)) is amended—

(1) by striking “either of the following new nonroad engines or nonroad vehicles subject to regulation under this Act—” and inserting “any of the following nonroad engines or nonroad vehicles:”;

(2) in subparagraph (A), by striking “which are used in construction equipment or vehicles or used in farm equipment or vehicles and which are smaller than 175 horsepower.” and inserting “, which are—

“(i) used in construction equipment or vehicles or used in farm equipment or vehicles;

“(ii) smaller than 175 horsepower; and

“(iii) subject to regulation under this Act.”;

(3) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “, which are subject to regulation under this Act” after “in locomotives”; and

(4) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) Locomotives or engines used in locomotives—

“(i) other than the locomotives and engines described in subparagraph (B); and

“(ii) which are engaged in commerce, which shall encompass all locomotives engaged in providing common carrier railroad transportation for compensation pursuant to section 10102 of title 49, United States Code.”. <all>

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