The California Air Resources Board has announced that President Trump signed legislation revoking Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers, effectively abolishing California’s Advanced Clean Cars II mandate. This move prevents states from enforcing stricter electric vehicle sales standards.
According to Politico, the legislation signed by President Trump on June 12 rescinded EPA waivers that had enabled California’s Advanced Clean Cars II mandate to be enforced within the state and adopted by others. This marks the first instance of using the Congressional Review Act to rescind a Clean Air Act waiver, sparking debate over federal reach in environmental policymaking. Environmental groups and legal scholars cited by Politico warn that this decision could diminish states’ ability to set their own vehicle emissions standards and reshape national climate and transportation policies.
Reuters reports that following the signing of the bill, California and ten other states filed a federal lawsuit challenging the legality of revoking the EPA’s waiver under the Congressional Review Act. The lawsuit, led by Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, claims that Clean Air Act waivers are not federal rules and therefore cannot be repealed by Congressional resolution. Legal experts interviewed by Reuters emphasize that this case could become a landmark for defining federal and state authority over climate regulation.
The Financial Times notes that California’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulation set ambitious targets for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), requiring 35% of new vehicle sales to be ZEVs by 2026 and 100% by 2035. The rule had ripple effects nationwide as 11 other states chose to adopt California’s standards, accounting for a significant share of the U.S. auto market. According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. electric vehicle sales reached approximately 7% of total auto sales in 2024, while gas-powered car sales increased, highlighting ongoing consumer hesitancy toward widespread EV adoption.
According to Wikipedia, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was established in 1967 as part of the California Environmental Protection Agency and is responsible for setting air quality and vehicle emissions standards. CARB is unique among state agencies with federal authority to enact stricter emissions rules under the Clean Air Act, which other states may voluntarily adopt. With nearly 2,000 staff members and an annual budget exceeding $1 billion, CARB is recognized as a national leader in air quality regulation and climate policy innovation.
