HR2218

What happened: On March 18, 2025, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) introduced the Stop CARB Act of 2025 (HR 2218) in the 119th Congress. The bill amends Section 209 of the Clean Air Act to retroactively void the EPA waiver that allows California to set its own vehicle emissions standards (which are stricter than federal standards). It also prohibits states from adopting California's standards. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A companion bill (S 1072) has been introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. The bill has 6 cosponsors, all Republicans, indicating limited bipartisan support at this stage. The money trail: This bill does not authorize or appropriate any federal funding. Its economic impact operates through regulatory relief: eliminating compliance costs for automakers, preserving high-margin ICE vehicle sales, and removing ZEV credit purchase obligations (a revenue stream for Tesla). For oil companies, it protects downstream gasoline and diesel volumes by slowing the regulatory-driven shift to EVs. The bill does not spend taxpayer money — it removes regulatory obligations that impose private sector costs. Structural winners and losers: The winners are legacy automakers GM and Ford, which can continue producing their most profitable ICE vehicles without regulatory penalty or credit purchases. Oil majors ExxonMobil and Chevron benefit from preserved gasoline demand, particularly in California and other CARB-adopting states. The losers are pure-play EV manufacturers Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid. Tesla loses a ~$1.5-2B annual regulatory credit revenue stream with near-zero production cost. Rivian and Lucid lose the regulatory mandate that compels fleet operators and dealers to stock EVs in key states. All three face a weaker demand outlook in ~40% of the U.S. auto market. Real market data analysis: As of April 30, 2026, pure-play EV stocks show divergent but generally weak trends. TSLA at $374.57 is down 0.46% over 7 days and up only 0.76% over 30 days, with a clear downtrend from $400.62 on April 17. RIVN at $16.27 is down 1.57% over 7 days. LCID at $5.96 is down 4.64% over 7 days and has collapsed 37.46% over 30 days, trading within 5% of its 52-week low of $5.62. In contrast, GM at $77.58 is up 4.13% over 30 days, and XOM at $154.33 and CVX at $192.30 show 7-day gains of 3.64% and 3.82% respectively. The price action is consistent with the market already pricing in reduced regulatory tailwinds for EVs and improved outlooks for legacy ICE and oil exposure. Timeline: The bill is in an early legislative stage — referred to committee with no hearings, markups, or votes scheduled. The 119th Congress runs through January 2027. The bill would need to clear the House Energy and Commerce Committee (currently chaired by Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-KY), pass the full House, pass the Senate, and be signed by the President. With only 6 Republican cosponsors and no Democratic support, near-term passage appears unlikely. However, if Republicans retain unified control after the 2026 midterm elections, the bill could gain momentum in the second half of the 119th Congress.