---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 7544"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "7544"
heading: "State grants"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/7544"
units:
  - "Chapter 85 — Air Pollution Prevention and Control"
  - "Subchapter II — Emission Standards for Moving Sources"
  - "Part A — Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards"
---

# §7544. State grants


The [Administrator](/usc/42/7602.md?p=a) is authorized to make grants to appropriate [State agencies](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=12) in an amount up to two-thirds of the cost of developing and maintaining effective vehicle emission devices and systems inspection and emission testing and control programs, except that—

- (1) no such grant shall be made for any part of any [State](/usc/42/7602.md?p=d) vehicle inspection program which does not directly relate to the cost of the air pollution control aspects of such a program;
- (2) no such grant shall be made unless the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Transportation has certified to the [Administrator](/usc/42/7602.md?p=a) that such program is consistent with any highway safety program developed pursuant to [section 402 of title 23](/usc/23/402.md); and
- (3) no such grant shall be made unless the program includes provisions designed to insure that emission control devices and systems on vehicles in actual use have not been discontinued or rendered inoperative.

Grants may be made under this section by way of reimbursement in any case in which amounts have been expended by the [State](/usc/42/7602.md?p=d) before the date on which any such grant was made.


## Source credit

(July 14, 1955, ch. 360, title II, § 210, formerly § 209, as added Pub. L. 90–148, § 2, Nov. 21, 1967, 81 Stat. 502; renumbered and amended Pub. L. 91–604, §§ 8(a), 10(b), Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1694, 1700; Pub. L. 95–95, title II, § 204, Aug. 7, 1977, 91 Stat. 754.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 1857f–6b of this title.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 210 of act July 14, 1955, was renumbered section 211 by Pub. L. 91–604 and is classified to section 7545 of this title.

### Amendments

1977—Pub. L. 95–95 inserted provision allowing grants to be made by way of reimbursement in any case in which amounts have been expended by States before the date on which the grants were made.

1970—Pub. L. 91–604, § 10(b), substituted provisions authorizing the Administrator to make grants to appropriate State agencies for the development and maintenance of effective vehicle emission devices and systems inspection and emission testing and control programs, for provisions authorizing the Secretary to make grants to appropriate State air pollution control agencies for the development of meaningful uniform motor vehicle emission device inspection and emission testing programs.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1977 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–95 effective Aug. 7, 1977, except as otherwise expressly provided, see section 406(d) of Pub. L. 95–95, set out as a note under section 7401 of this title.