119-HR-1346 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary — H.R. 1346 (119th): Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025

Headline Summary: The bill would let gas stations sell E15 year‑round nationwide and makes a targeted change to how older Renewable Fuel Standard credits are handled for small refineries; it has passed the House and awaits Senate action. (congress.gov)

What It Does: H.R. 1346 updates the Clean Air Act’s summertime volatility rule (Reid Vapor Pressure) so that the same waiver long applied to E10 also applies to E15, allowing sales of gasoline blends with 10–15% ethanol during the summer ozone season in all states. It also revises how state opt‑outs interact with this waiver and directs EPA to return certain compliance credits (RINs) to small refineries for the 2016–2018 compliance years if their exemption petitions were pending or denied by specific dates. (congress.gov)

• Corn growers and biofuel producers say year‑round E15 expands markets for farmers, adds competition at the pump, and can trim prices for consumers. Supporters include the National Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association. (ncga.com)
• Energy and fuel‑retail stakeholders backing the bill argue it offers regulatory certainty and balanced reforms to small‑refinery exemptions; the American Petroleum Institute applauded House passage and urged Senate action. (api.org)
• Bipartisan Midwestern lawmakers frame it as a win for rural economies and consumer choice; the House approved the bill 218–203 on May 13, 2026. (fedorchak.house.gov)

• Environmental organizations oppose expanding E15 year‑round, citing smog/ozone concerns and research questioning corn ethanol’s lifecycle climate benefits. (wri.org)
• Free‑market and policy groups argue a permanent waiver distorts fuel markets and undercuts Clean Air Act protections. (rstreet.org)
• Some independent refiners warn the policy could raise compliance costs and threaten refinery viability despite the credit‑return provision. (fuelingusjobs.com)

What’s Next: The House passed H.R. 1346 by 218–203 on May 13, 2026; the measure now goes to the Senate, where a companion bill (S. 593) sits in the Environment and Public Works Committee. To become law, the Senate must act and the President must sign it. (clerk.house.gov)