S.J.Res. 55 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate May 21, 2025. Received May 26, 2025; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryBlocks safety rules for hydrogen fuel vehicles
This joint resolution would cancel two new federal safety standards that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration created for vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel. One standard sets requirements for hydrogen fuel systems during normal driving and after crashes. The other regulates compressed hydrogen storage systems and the valves that control hydrogen flow, with the goal of preventing leaks or bursts.
How it affects you
If this passes, automakers that build hydrogen vehicles would no longer have to follow these federal safety standards. For most people, this wouldn't have an immediate effect unless you drive or plan to buy a hydrogen vehicle, in which case you'd lose these specific federal safety requirements for that vehicle's fuel system.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, May 19, 2025)
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration titled Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Fuel System Integrity of Hydrogen Vehicles; Compressed Hydrogen Storage System Integrity; Incorporation by Reference and published on January 17, 2025.
This final rule establishes two new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) specifying performance requirements for all motor vehicles that use hydrogen as a fuel source.
FMVSS No. 307 sets requirements for the fuel system in hydrogen vehicles during normal vehicle operations and after crashes, as well as performance requirements for the hydrogen fuel system.
FMVSS No. 308 regulates the compressed hydrogen storage system (CHSS) and includes performance requirements intended to ensure the CHSS is unlikely to leak or burst during use. It also specifies performance requirements for different CHSS closure devices (i.e., the check valves, shut-off valves, and thermally activated pressure relief devices that control the flow of hydrogen into or out of a CHSS).
The final rule is based on Global Technical Regulation (GTR) No. 13, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicles. As background, the United States is a contracting party to a 1998 agreement that is administered by the UN Economic Commission for Europe's World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and concerns the establishment of GTRs.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS.J.Res. 55
JOINT RESOLUTION
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".
Sponsor: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) · Introduced May 19, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 26, 2025: “Held at the desk.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsSenate · On the Motion to Proceed · May 21, 2025
Motion to Proceed Agreed to 53–46
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| Independents | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Republicans | 53 | 0 | 0 |
Source: senate.gov · roll call 264
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.