Earlier this week the U.S. House of Representatives passed S. 565, the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act, requiring federal agencies to consider using remanufactured parts for vehicle fleet repairs.
The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and its remanufacturing division, the Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA), applauded the vote.
“We thank the House of Representatives for passing this important legislation,” says Steve Handschuh, MEMA president and CEO. “This has been a great example of bipartisan legislation that benefits both the motor vehicle supplier industry and the federal government. We appreciate the efforts of Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), and the work by Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.).”
The legislation requires all federal agencies to consider using remanufactured parts in maintaining the federal vehicle fleet, which numbers more than 588,000 vehicles. A 2013 Government Accountability Office study found that the federal government spends nearly $1 billion dollars per year on fleet maintenance, but there is no uniform policy among agencies about using remanufactured parts, MERA says.
The Senate unanimously passed the measure in June of this year; in recent weeks identical legislation was approved by the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee. The bill will now go directly to the President for signature and enactment.
John Chalifoux, MERA president and COO, adds, “Passage of this cost-savings bill by the House and Senate is great news. It is clear Congress recognizes the quality, value, and sustainability benefits of remanufactured motor vehicle parts. This legislation is a big win for workers in the remanufacturing industry and our nation.”
