AUSTIN — State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) filed House Bill 2374 to ensure gasoline and diesel powered engines can never be outlawed by local governments in the state of Texas.
“For years now, more than a thousand people a day have been moving to Texas,” Landgraf said. “Americans are fleeing the coasts to live here in the liberty-loving Lone Star State. And while we welcome the opportunities that growth brings, the last thing anyone wants is for pockets of Texas to start looking like San Francisco or Los Angeles. That’s why I filed HB 2374, to make sure that no big city politicians are able to California our Texas.”
HB 2374 prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing any rule or ordinance that would limit access to gasoline, diesel, or any other fuel source. The bill prohibits gas stations from being banned as well as any other related wholesaler, retailer, energy producer, or infrastructure necessary to provide access to a specific energy source. HB 2374 also ensures that local governments cannot directly or indirectly prohibit or restrict the use, sale, or lease of an engine based on its fuel source.
“I’m committed to defending the rights and liberties of every Texan, especially the hard-working West Texans who elected me to be their voice in the Texas House,” Landgraf said. “West Texas might be the last place on earth where someone might try to ban gasoline-power engines, but many who live and work in some large Texas cities are seeing the engine ban train coming down the tracks to the detriment of their families and businesses. HB 2374 will serve as bulwark against politicians who want to undermine the individual liberties of Texans.”
It was recently announced that the Dallas city council is planning to phase out the use of gas-powered tools by 2027. The state of California is banning all small-gas powered engines by 2024, with some communities outlawing gas stations altogether.
Landgraf and the other members of the Texas legislature convened at the Texas Capitol building for the 88th Texas Legislative Session on January 10, 2023. Members of the Texas House and Texas Senate meet for a 140-day regular session beginning the second Tuesday in January every odd-numbered year to vote on legislation and pass a balanced state budget.