PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

S. 3737: Sell Fuel Efficient Cars Act of 2008

Before you vote › Federal bills

S. 3737: Sell Fuel Efficient Cars Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-12-11 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2008-12-11 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Sell Fuel Efficient Cars Act of 2008

Plain summary

Sell Fuel Efficient Cars Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish the Passenger Automobile Trade-In Program to provide eligible individuals with subsidies to purchase eligible new automobiles in exchange for eligible old automobiles. Defines as eligible individuals those who (among other requirements) do not have more than three passenger automobiles registered under his or her name and whose adjusted gross income was not more than $25,000 ($40,000 in the case of a joint tax return). Defines as eligible new automobiles (among other requirements) those that were manufactured by a U.S. automaker whose failure would have a systemic adverse effect on the overall U.S. economy, were assembled in the United States, and have a fuel economy of not less than 25 miles per gallon (MPG) or more than 4.9 MPG greater than the eligible old automobile. Defines as eligible old automobiles (among other requirements) those that are operable, were first registered by any person not less than ten years before a trade is initiated, and are registered under the eligible individual's name before December 1, 2008. Directs the Secretary to provide $10,000 to the seller (automaker) of each new automobile who trades a new automobile to an eligible individual in exchange for an old automobile. Requires the eligible individual to pay the seller the difference between the purchase price of the new automobile and the $10,000 provided by the Secretary. Requires eligible old automobiles to be destroyed and disposed of.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Sell Fuel Efficient Cars Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong110-s3737 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110