The US Senate passed the bill to award up to $4,500 for model year 1984 cars or older. The maximum voucher applies when your new vehicle is 10MPG more economical than your clunker. For SUV/pickups the rules are easier, with only 5 MPG better a requirement.

The 1984 or before date is little silly, 1996 would have been a much better choice, given that ’94-’96 is the OBD-2 in-car diagnostics transition and 1996 marks the year where it’s mandated for all car in the United States.  Obviously, not all cars of ’84-’96 vintage can be considered clunkers, but getting all pre-ODB-2 would make emissions control and testing simpler. IMO.

The question of, not if, but when the Canadian government will apply something like this is now openly debated.