Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

42 U.S.C. § 8501

Congressional findings and purposes

(a)

Findings

The Congress finds that—
(1)
serious disruptions have recently occurred in the gasoline and diesel fuel markets of the United States;
(2)
it is likely that such disruptions will recur;
(3)
interstate commerce is significantly affected by those market disruptions;
(4)
an urgent need exists to provide for emergency conservation and other measures with respect to gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, and other energy sources in potentially short supply in order to cope with market disruptions and protect interstate commerce; and
(5)
up-to-date and reliable information concerning the supply and demand of gasoline, diesel fuel, and other related data is not available to the President, the Congress, or the public.
(b)

Purposes

The purposes of this chapter are to—
(1)
provide a means for the Federal Government, States, and units of local government to establish emergency conservation measures with respect to gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, and other energy sources which may be in short supply;
(2)
establish other emergency measures to alleviate disruptions in gasoline and diesel fuel markets;
(3)
obtain data concerning such fuels; and
(4)
protect interstate commerce.

Pub. L. 96–102, title II, § 20193 Stat. 757(, , .)

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 96–102, title III, § 30293 Stat. 770

section 6261 of this title“The amendments made by this Act [enacting this chapter, amending sections 6262, 6263, and 6422 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and ] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [].”
, , , provided that:

Short Title

Pub. L. 96–102, § 1(a)93 Stat. 749

section 6261 of this title“This Act [enacting this chapter, amending sections 6261, 6262, 6263, and 6422 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and ] may be cited as the ‘Emergency Energy Conservation Act of 1979’.”
, , , provided that:

Congressional Findings

Pub. L. 96–102, title I, § 10193 Stat. 750

“The Congress finds that—
“(1)
a standby rationing plan for gasoline and diesel fuel should provide, to the maximum extent practicable, that the burden of reduced supplies of gasoline and diesel fuel be shared by all persons in a fair and equitable manner and that the economic and social impacts of such plan be minimized; and
“(2)
such a plan should be sufficiently flexible to respond to changed conditions and sufficiently simple to be effectively administered and enforced.”
, , , provided that:

Funding for Fiscal Years 1979 and 1980

Pub. L. 96–102, title III, § 30193 Stat. 769

section 6201 of this title“For purposes of any law relating to appropriations or authorizations for appropriations as such law relates to the fiscal year ending , or the fiscal year ending , the provisions of this Act (including amendments made by this Act) [see Short Title note above] shall be treated as if it were a contingency plan under section 202 or 203 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act [former sections 6262 and 6263 of this title] which was approved in accordance with the procedures under that Act [see Short Title note set out under ] or as otherwise provided by law, and funds made available pursuant to such appropriations shall be available to carry out the provisions of this Act and the amendments made by this Act.”
, , , provided that: