Today Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) commended the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its recent decision to drop a proposed rule change that would have prohibited the modification of street cars, or cars for regular driving purposes, for use in off-road racing events. The proposal was the result of a new interpretation of emissions standards in the Clean Air Act. Last month, Congressman Cuellar sponsored H.R. 4715, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act of 2016, along with Congressmen Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10), Richard Hudson (R-NC-8), Bill Posey (R-FL-8) and Lee Zeldin (R-NY-1). The legislation is designed to protect a long-held understanding that the Clean Air Act does not prohibit such modifications.

"The EPA has made the right decision in dropping the street car proposal," Congressman Cuellar said. “The EPA’s proposal ran counter to the long-accepted interpretation of the Clean Air Act that exempted these changes to cars. Now racing enthusiasts in my district and across the country can continue to make modifications without fear of punishment."

To see the text of the bill, please click here. To see the congressman’s previous statements on the introduction of H.R. 4715, please click here.