California has moved to ban the sale of internal combustion vehicles by the year 2035, and has received a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency which allows the state to enforce regulations on emissions which surpass the limits set by federal law.

This week, the U.S. House will likely vote on a bill which would block the EPA from granting such waivers, and effectively stop states from mandating the purchase of EVs, or restricting the purchase of vehicles powered by fossil fuels.

[Hear the KRMG In-Depth report on electric vehicles HERE]

The Senate version of the “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act” was introduced in June by Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin.

The House version was authored by Pennsylvania Representative John Joyce.

He told Fox News “This legislation, H.R. 1435, is an option. It is not an anti-electric vehicle legislation,” he added. “For those who would like an electric vehicle, they should have the option of buying one. But it doesn’t help my constituents — it doesn’t help in any district to require an individual to buy an EV regardless of what they want and regardless of the demands of the market.”

But many in the industry don’t think it matters if lawmakers mandate the purchase of EVs or not, because the American consumer will make the ultimate decision.

Genevieve Cullen is President of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, a trade group which represents a number of industries associated with EVs, ranging from manufacturers to utility companies.

She tells KRMG more than half of U.S. consumers have indicated that they’re interested in looking at an EV for their next vehicle.

She notes that in just over a decade, the market has grown from just a couple of electric vehicles, to dozens of models.

“It took a handful of years to get to the first million sold,” she said. “Slightly more than ten years later, right, there are 87 plug-in vehicles for sale today, at every price point. And that number’s going to be closer to 120 in the next three years, and those are just the ones that are announced.”

EVs have gained ground in several markets, including an increasing number of light-duty applications like school buses.

“They’re some of the oldest vehicles on the road,” Cullen said, “and they’ve tested the indoor air quality inside a school bus, and it’s worse inside the bus than if you were standing outside an idling bus. Like, that’s the worst thing for your kids to be sitting in. So, making that a cleaner environment is so important.”

Thursday’s likely vote on H. R. 1435 could signal whether the Senate version (S. 2090) will muster enough votes to pass in that chamber, because it will need some bipartisan support.