New Act Eliminates All Federal Vehicle Emissions Controls, Mandates Expungement of Related Criminal Records

The newly introduced Diesel Truck Liberation Act of 2025 is a complete, top-to-bottom rewrite of how the federal government regulates vehicle emissions. In short, this bill completely strips the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its power to require or enforce the use of emissions control devices on any vehicle or engine.

The EPA’s Authority Goes Up in Smoke

This bill is not subtle. It states clearly that no federal law, including the Clean Air Act, can force manufacturers to install, certify, or maintain emissions control devices or onboard diagnostic systems (OBD) on cars and trucks (SEC. 2). This means the EPA loses all authority to create or enforce any rules related to these devices. For example, if you’re a vehicle manufacturer, the federal government can no longer require you to put a catalytic converter or a diesel particulate filter (DPF) on the vehicles you sell. This instantly eliminates a massive chunk of environmental regulation that has been standard for decades.

Open Season on Emissions Systems

The real-world impact for vehicle owners and mechanics is huge. The bill abolishes all civil or criminal penalties under federal law for making, selling, importing, using, or even modifying a vehicle without these emission control devices (SEC. 2). Essentially, if you own a truck and want to “delete” your emissions system—which is currently a serious federal violation—this bill makes that conduct completely legal under federal law. For the owner of a small fleet of delivery vans, this could mean avoiding costly repairs to complex emissions systems, saving money on maintenance and downtime. However, that cost saving is immediately transferred to the general public in the form of dirtier air.

The Public Health Trade-Off

This is where the rubber meets the road for everyone else. Emissions controls exist to clean up the exhaust coming out of engines, reducing pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that cause smog and respiratory illness. If federal law no longer requires these systems, and people can legally remove them from existing vehicles, air quality will almost certainly decline. If you live or work near a busy highway, a distribution center, or a construction site, you and your family are the ones who will bear the cost of this “liberation” through increased exposure to tailpipe pollutants. Individuals with asthma or other respiratory issues are particularly vulnerable to this direct consequence.

A Clean Slate for Past Violations

Perhaps the most striking provision is the retroactive element. The bill mandates that any existing regulation concerning the installation or removal of these devices is voided immediately. Furthermore, anyone currently serving a federal prison sentence for a criminal conviction related to violating these emission laws must have their sentence canceled immediately, and their criminal record must be expunged (erased) (SEC. 2). This is a massive, immediate, and retroactive action that impacts the criminal justice system, effectively stating that what was once a federal crime is now not only legal but must be wiped from the record.