THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY GABLER, BAKER, BLOOM, CAUSER, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, FABRIZIO, GEIST, GILLEN, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GROVE, HENNESSEY, HESS, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, KOTIK, LAWRENCE, MALONEY, MILLARD, MOUL, MURT, OBERLANDER, PICKETT, RAPP, ROAE, SACCONE, SAYLOR, SIMMONS, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TOOHIL AND COX, JULY 18, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, JULY 18, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Memorializing Congress to repeal the provisions of the Energy

Independence and Security Act of 2007, which creates Federal

energy efficiency standards for lighting.

WHEREAS, The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

effectively bans the sale of most current incandescent light

bulbs beginning January 2012; and

WHEREAS, Existing alternatives, including the most common

replacement, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), to

incandescent light bulbs are often more expensive than their

standard incandescent counterparts; and

WHEREAS, CFLs are loaded with toxic mercury, which upon

breakage or disposal pollutes the environment via seepage into

groundwater and rivers and lakes and threatens human health; and

WHEREAS, Such a change would jeopardize the economic

stability and well-being of many American manufacturers who have

been producing incandescent light bulbs for decades; and

WHEREAS, The unnecessary limitation of available light bulb

selection would obstruct free choice of American consumers by

depriving them of long-established personal liberties; and

WHEREAS, The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the

United States reserves to the states and their people all powers

not delegated to the Federal Government and not prohibited to

the states; and

WHEREAS, The Ninth Amendment to the Constitution of the

United States provides that certain rights enumerated in the

Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage other

rights retained by the people; and

WHEREAS, It is therefore evident that if an item manufactured

in this Commonwealth without the inclusion of any significant

parts imported from another state and offered for sale and sold

only for use within the borders of this Commonwealth, the item

is not in the stream of interstate commerce and not subject to

Federal regulation under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution

of the United States pursuant to section 8 of Article I;

therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize members of each house

of Congress to repeal the provisions of the Energy Independence

and Security Act of 2007, which creates Federal energy

efficiency standards for lighting; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to

the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each

member of Congress from Pennsylvania.