MOTOR Act

The Maintaining Our Tactical and Operational Response (MOTOR) Act would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exempt certain marine vessels used by emergency response and public safety agencies from federal emission standards. This exemption would apply specifically to engines and equipment on boats used for domestic emergency response or homeland security activities.

For citizens, the practical impact of this bill is intended to ensure that local and federal agencies—such as fire departments, police, and search-and-rescue teams—can operate high-performance marine equipment without the technical or maintenance constraints sometimes associated with meeting strict environmental regulations. Proponents suggest this would improve the reliability and response times of emergency vessels during critical waterborne operations.