37 



compensation of such additional personnel as may 

 be necessary to carry out the functions of the 

 Board, but no Individual so appointed shall receive 

 compensation In excess of the rate authorized for 

 OS-18 by section 6332 of Title 6. 



(B) The Chairman may fix the time and place of 

 such meetings as may be required, but a meeting 

 of the Board shall be called whenever a majority of 

 Its members so request. 



(C) The Board Is granted all other power neces- 

 sary for meeting Its responsibilities under this sec- 

 tion. 



(c) Determination by Administrator of models or 

 classes of motor vehicles Qualifying as low-emis- 

 sion vehicles. 



The Administrator shall determine which models 

 or classes of motor vehicles qualify as low-emission 

 vehicles in accordance with the provisions of this 

 section. 



(d) Certification by Board; specifications for suitable 

 substitutes; criteria for certification; term of cer- 

 tification; procedure for certification. 



(1) The Board shall certify any class or model of 

 motor vehicles — 



(A) for which a certification application has 

 been filed in accordance with paragraph (3) of 

 this subsection ; 



(B) which is a low-emission vehicle as deter- 

 mined by the Administrator ; and 



(C) which it determines is suitable for use as 

 a substitute for a class or model of vehicles at 

 that time in use by agencies of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment. 



The Board shall specify with particularity the class 

 or model of vehicles for which the class or model of 

 vehicles described in the application is a suitable 

 substitute. In making the determination under this 

 subsection the Board shall consider the following 

 criteria : 



( I ) the safety of the vehicle ; 



( II ) Its performance characteristics ; 

 (ill) its reliability potential ; 



(iv) its serviceability ; 



(y) its fuel avallablUty: 



(vl) its noise level; and 



(vll) its maintenance costs as compared with 

 the class or model of motor vehicle for which It 

 may be a suitable substitute. 



(2) Certification under this section shall be ef- 

 fective for a period of one year from the date of 

 Issuance. 



(3) (A) Any party seeking to have a class or model 

 of vehicle certified under this section shall file a 

 certification application in accordance with regu- 

 lations prescribed by the Board. 



(B) The Board shall publish a notice of each 

 application received in the Federal Register. 



(C) The Administrator and the Board shall make 

 determinations for the purpose of this section In 

 accordance with procedures prescribed by regula- 

 tion by the Administrator and the Board, respec- 

 tively. 



(D) The Administrator and the Board shall corv- 

 duct whatever investigation is necessary, including 

 actual inspection of the vehicle at a place desig- 



nated in regulations prescribed under subparagraph 

 (A). 



(B) The Board shall receive and evaluate written 

 comments and documents from interested parties in 

 support of, or in opposition to, certification of the 

 class or model of vehicle under consideration. 



(F) Within 90 days after the receipt of a pro- 

 perly fUed certification application, the Admlnlstra^ 

 tor shall determine whether such class or model of 

 vehicle Is a low-emission vehicle, and within 180 

 days of such determination, the Board shall reach 

 a decision by majority vote as to whether such claos 

 or model of vehicle, having been determined to be 

 a low-emlsslon vehicle, is a suitable substitute for 

 any class or classes of vehicles presently being pur- 

 chased by the Federal Oovernment for use by its 

 agencies. 



(0) Immediately upon making any determina- 

 tion or decision under subparagraph (F), the Ad- 

 ministrator and the Board shall each publish in the 

 Federal Register notice of such determination or 

 decision, Including reasons therefor and in the 

 case of the Board emy dissenting views. 



(e) Acquisition by Federal government by purchase or 

 lease; procurement costs; contract provisions. 



(1) Certified low-emission vehicles shall be ac- 

 quired by purchase or lease by the Federal Oovern- 

 ment for use by the Federal Oovernment In lieu of 

 other jvehlcles if the Administrator of Oeneral Serv- 

 ices determines that such certified vehicles have 

 procurement costs which are no more than 150 per 

 centum of the retail price of the least expensive 

 class or model of motor vehicle for which they are 

 certified substitutes. 



(2) In order to encourage development of Inher- 

 ently low-polluting propulsion technology, the 

 Board may, at its discretion, raise the premium set 

 torth in paragraph (1) of this subsection to 200 per 

 centum of the retail price of any class or model of 

 motor vehicle for which a certified low-emlsslon 

 vehicle Is a certified substitute. If the Board deter- 

 mines that the certified low-emlsslon vehicle is 

 powered by an inherently low-polluting propulsion 

 system. 



(3) Data relied upon by the Board and the Admin- 

 istrator in determining that a vehicle is a certified 

 low-emlsslon vehicle shall be incorporated in any 

 contract for the procurement of such vehicle. 



(f) Priority for purchase by procuring agency. 



The procuring agency shall be required to pur- 

 chase available certified low-emission vehicles which 

 are eligible for purchase to the extent they are 

 available before purchasing any other vehicles for 

 which any low-emission vehicle Is a certified substi- 

 tute. In making purchasing selections between com- 

 peting eligible certified low-emlsslon vehicles, the 

 procuring agency shall give priority to ( 1) any class 

 or model which does not require extensive periodic 

 maintenance to retain Its low-polluting qualities or 

 which does not require the use of fuels which are 

 more expensive than those of the classes or models 

 of vehicles for which it Is a certified substitute; and 

 (2) passenger vehicles other than busee. 



