The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to revoke two major truck emission rules from California, dealing a blow to the state’s push for zero-emission vehicles and tighter pollution limits.
EPA waivers had backed the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation and the low-NOx Omnibus rule during the Biden administration. Both were designed by California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) to cut truck emissions and require more electric truck sales.
With the Senate joining the House in voting to cancel the waivers, the resolutions now head to President Donald Trump, who’s expected to sign them into law. If that happens, the rules will no longer be enforceable—not just in California but also in several other states that followed California’s lead.
Industry groups like the American Trucking Associations cheered the decision. “California is the breeding ground of all bad public policy,” said ATA President Chris Spear. “Today’s Senate vote sends a resounding message nationwide that this is not the United States of California, nor will it ever be.”
Others praised the repeal for protecting truck buyers and the supply chain. “These rules would have been crippling to our nation’s supply chain and an obstacle to an industry that thrives on delivering a nation,” said David Heller of the Truckload Carriers Association.
But California officials fired back. CARB Chair Liane Randolph said the state would “pursue every available remedy to challenge these actions,” and Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to sue.
Even with the votes passed, the legal fight isn’t over. Experts say using the Congressional Review Act to cancel state waivers could face challenges in court, and lawsuits may take months to settle.
Meanwhile, many of the 10 states that adopted the ACT and the Omnibus have already delayed implementation. California had already backed off its Advanced Clean Fleets rule, dropping its waiver request in January.
The rules remain in place for now, but their future looks uncertain.
