Collins introduced the Diesel Truck Liberation Act, saying it would stop EPA emission mandates that he argues harm family farmers and truckers and drive up costs for Americans.
Stop EPA emission mandates that he says harm family farmers and truckers and raise costs.
Occurrences
introduced the Diesel Truck Liberation Act, legislation that will stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from criminalizing family farmers and truckers through federal emission mandates that do little to help the environment while driving up costs for Americans.
introduced the Diesel Truck Liberation Act ... legislation that will stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from criminalizing family farmers and truckers through federal emission mandates
Evidence
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Action listed: 'Mr. Collins (for himself, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Ms. Hageman, Mrs. Luna, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Wied, and Mr. Ezell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.' Bill title: 'Diesel Truck Liberation Act of 2026.' Short title text: 'To prohibit the enforcement of laws relating to the installation, certification, and maintenance of emissions control devices under the Clean Air Act, and for other purposes.'
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Press release states Collins 'introduced the Diesel Truck Liberation Act,' saying it would stop EPA 'from criminalizing family farmers and truckers through federal emission mandates' that 'drive up costs for Americans.'
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The document is a February 13, 2026 memorandum published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2026, reflecting federal action in the same policy area during the lookback window.
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EPA says that on February 12, 2026, Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Trump finalized rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and 'eliminat[ed] all subsequent federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for motor vehicles and engines.'
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Official bill record shows Rep. Collins introduced H.R. 8079 and it was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; the bill text aims to bar enforcement of emissions-control-device laws under the Clean Air Act.
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The member's public votes-and-legislation page lists recent House votes only through March 27, 2026, with no later recorded passage or follow-on action shown for the emissions bill in the page snapshot.
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EPA states comments on docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2026-0728 are due August 29, 2026, and says the proposed rule was announced July 9, 2026 and published July 14, 2026. The page describes this as a public comment opportunity for a proposed rule, not a final rule.
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EPA says the July 14, 2026 proposal would amend DEF inducement provisions by replacing engine derates and vehicle speed reductions with audible and/or visible notifications for newly manufactured diesel highway vehicles, heavy-duty engines, and nonroad equipment.
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Last Action Date Listed March 25, 2026 Action Mr. Collins (for himself, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Ms. Hageman, Mrs. Luna, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Wied, and Mr. Ezell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
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EPA also proposes to make nonconformance penalties available to manufacturers of medium heavy-duty engines and heavy heavy-duty engines beginning in model year 2027. In addition, EPA proposes to amend the inducement provisions for selective catalytic reduction systems that use DEF.
Assessments
Collins took direct legislative action by introducing H.R. 8079, the Diesel Truck Liberation Act of 2026, which aligned with the promise to stop EPA emissions-control mandates affecting farmers and truckers, but the bill only reached introduction and committee referral and was not enacted. EPA also took deregulatory action in the same policy area, including proposed DEF inducement changes and broader GHG rollback activity, but those actions were agency-led and at least some remained proposed as of August 14, 2026. Because there was meaningful same-term progress and candidate effort but no completed Collins-secured statutory delivery of the promised outcome, this merits partial credit rather than delivered.
Collins made a concrete effort by introducing H.R. 8079, the Diesel Truck Liberation Act of 2026, which directly targeted EPA emissions-control mandates and was referred to committee on March 25, 2026. But the bill did not pass, and the available record shows no completed legislative delivery by Collins himself. EPA later took independent deregulatory action in the same policy area, but that was not Collins's own fulfilled deliverable, so the promise gets partial credit rather than full delivery.
Collins materially acted on the promise by introducing the Diesel Truck Liberation Act, explicitly framed as stopping EPA emission mandates affecting family farmers and truckers and lowering costs. That is a serious legislative effort in direct alignment with the promise. However, the evidence provided does not show his bill passed or that he himself secured enactment of the promised outcome. Separate EPA executive action in 2026 moved in a deregulatory direction on vehicle emissions, but that outcome appears driven by the administration rather than by Collins's own completed legislative success. Because he advanced the promise substantially but did not clearly deliver the full result through his own action, the best judgment is partial fulfillment in the same term.