---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 17243"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "17243"
heading: "Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prizes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/17243"
units:
  - "Chapter 152 — Energy Independence and Security"
  - "Subchapter V — Accelerated Research and Development"
  - "Part E — Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §17243. Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prizes

- (a) **Establishment—** Not later than 1 year after December 19, 2007, as part of the [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) carried out under [section 16396 of this title](/usc/42/16396.md), the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall establish and award Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prizes for solid [state](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6) lighting in accordance with this section.
- (b) **Prize specifications—**
  - (1) **60-Watt Incandescent Replacement Lamp Prize—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall award a 60-Watt Incandescent Replacement Lamp Prize to an entrant that produces a solid-[state](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6)-light package simultaneously capable of—
    - (A) producing a luminous flux greater than 900 lumens;
    - (B) consuming less than or equal to 10 watts;
    - (C) having an efficiency greater than 90 lumens per watt;
    - (D) having a color rendering index greater than 90;
    - (E) having a correlated color temperature of not less than 2,750, and not more than 3,000, degrees Kelvin;
    - (F) having 70 percent of the lumen value under [subparagraph (A)](#b-1-A) exceeding 25,000 hours under typical conditions expected in residential use;
    - (G) having a light distribution pattern similar to a soft 60-watt incandescent A19 bulb;
    - (H) having a size and shape that fits within the maximum dimensions of an A19 bulb in accordance with American National Standards Institute standard C78.20–2003, figure C78.20–211;
    - (I) using a single contact medium screw socket; and
    - (J) mass production for a competitive sales commercial market satisfied by producing commercially accepted quality control lots of such units equal to or exceeding the criteria described in subparagraphs [(A)](#b-1-A) through [(I)](#b-1-I).
  - (2) **PAR Type 38 Halogen Replacement Lamp Prize—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall award a Parabolic Aluminized Reflector Type 38 Halogen Replacement Lamp Prize (referred to in this section as the “PAR Type 38 Halogen Replacement Lamp Prize”) to an entrant that produces a solid-[state](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6)-light package simultaneously capable of—
    - (A) producing a luminous flux greater than or equal to 1,350 lumens;
    - (B) consuming less than or equal to 11 watts;
    - (C) having an efficiency greater than 123 lumens per watt;
    - (D) having a color rendering index greater than or equal to 90;
    - (E) having a correlated color coordinate temperature of not less than 2,750, and not more than 3,000, degrees Kelvin;
    - (F) having 70 percent of the lumen value under [subparagraph (A)](#b-2-A) exceeding 25,000 hours under typical conditions expected in residential use;
    - (G) having a light distribution pattern similar to a PAR 38 halogen lamp;
    - (H) having a size and shape that fits within the maximum dimensions of a PAR 38 halogen lamp in accordance with American National Standards Institute standard C78–21–2003, figure C78.21–238;
    - (I) using a single contact medium screw socket; and
    - (J) mass production for a competitive sales commercial market satisfied by producing commercially accepted quality control lots of such units equal to or exceeding the criteria described in subparagraphs [(A)](#b-2-A) through [(I)](#b-2-I).
  - (3) **Twenty-First Century Lamp Prize—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall award a Twenty-First Century Lamp Prize to an entrant that produces a solid-[state](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6)-light-light[^1] capable of—
    - (A) producing a light output greater than 1,200 lumens;
    - (B) having an efficiency greater than 150 lumens per watt;
    - (C) having a color rendering index greater than 90;
    - (D) having a color coordinate temperature between 2,800 and 3,000 degrees Kelvin; and
    - (E) having a lifetime exceeding 25,000 hours.
- (c) **Private funds—**
  - (1) **In general—** Subject to [paragraph (2)](#c-2), and notwithstanding [section 3302 of title 31](/usc/31/3302.md), the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) may accept, retain, and use funds contributed by any person, government entity, or organization for purposes of carrying out this subsection—
    - (A) without further appropriation; and
    - (B) without fiscal year limitation.
  - (2) **Prize competition—** A private source of funding may not participate in the competition for prizes awarded under this section.
- (d) **Technical review—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall establish a technical review committee composed of non-Federal officers to review entrant data submitted under this section to determine whether the data meets the prize specifications described in [subsection (b)](#b).
- (e) **Third party administration—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) may competitively select a third party to administer awards under this section.
- (f) **Eligibility for prizes—** To be eligible to be awarded a prize under this section—
  - (1) in the case of a private entity, the entity shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States; and
  - (2) in the case of an individual (whether participating as a single individual or in a group), the individual shall be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.
- (g) **Award amounts—** Subject to the availability of funds to carry out this section, the amount of—
  - (1) the 60-Watt Incandescent Replacement Lamp Prize described in [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) shall be $10,000,000;
  - (2) the PAR Type 38 Halogen Replacement Lamp Prize described in [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2) shall be $5,000,000; and
  - (3) the Twenty-First Century Lamp Prize described in [subsection (b)(3)](#b-3) shall be $5,000,000.
- (h) **Federal procurement of solid-state-lights—**
  - (1) **60-watt incandescent replacement—** Subject to [paragraph (3)](#h-3), as soon as practicable after the successful award of the 60-Watt Incandescent Replacement Lamp Prize under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1), the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) (in consultation with the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of General Services) shall develop governmentwide Federal purchase guidelines with a goal of replacing the use of 60-watt incandescent lamps in Federal Government buildings with a solid-[state](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6)-light package described in [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) by not later than the date that is 5 years after the date the award is made.
  - (2) **PAR 38 halogen replacement lamp replacement 1—** Subject to [paragraph (3)](#h-3), as soon as practicable after the successful award of the PAR Type 38 Halogen Replacement Lamp Prize under [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2), the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) (in consultation with the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of General Services) shall develop governmentwide Federal purchase guidelines with the goal of replacing the use of PAR 38 halogen lamps in Federal Government buildings with a solid-[state](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6)-light package described in [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2) by not later than the date that is 5 years after the date the award is made.
  - (3) **Waivers—**
    - (A) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) or the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of General Services may waive the application of paragraph [(1)](#h-1) or [(2)](#h-2) if the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) or [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) determines that the return on investment from the purchase of a solid-[state](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6)-light package described in paragraph [(1)](#b-1) or [(2)](#b-2) of subsection (b), respectively, is cost prohibitive.
    - (B) **Report of waiver—** If the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) or [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) waives the application of paragraph [(1)](#h-1) or [(2)](#h-2), the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) or [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1), respectively, shall submit to Congress an annual report that describes the waiver and provides a detailed justification for the waiver.
- (i) **Report—** Not later than 2 years after December 19, 2007, and annually thereafter, the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of General Services shall submit to the Energy Information [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) a report describing the quantity, type, and cost of each lighting product purchased by the Federal Government.
- (j) **Bright Tomorrow Lighting Award Fund—**
  - (1) **Establishment—** There is established in the United States Treasury a Bright Tomorrow Lighting permanent fund without fiscal year limitation to award prizes under paragraphs [(1)](#b-1), [(2)](#b-2), and [(3)](#b-3) of subsection (b).
  - (2) **Sources of funding—** The fund established under [paragraph (1)](#j-1) shall accept—
    - (A) fiscal year appropriations; and
    - (B) private contributions authorized under [subsection (c)](#c).
- (k) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–140, title VI, § 655, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1700.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.