A bill that had been submitted in 2002 was finally voted on by the Senate in the first step towards approval. The bill will allow the use of fuels that contain 22% alcohol derived from sugar cane. The 17 senators present at the session voted to approve the bill. Alcohol fuels are cleaner-burning than normal fuels. Article 2 of the bill provides for tax exemptions, tariff exemptions, import tax exemptions, exchange commission exemptions or any other similar surcharges for a period of 20 years to the industries that start producing alcohol for fuels in the Dominican Republic. The tax exemptions would be extended to machinery to be used in the distillation of alcohol from sugar cane, whether these industries are related to an existing sugar mill or not. Any excess alcohol can be exported under the terms of the legislation.