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H.R. 2869 107th Congress House

Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act

Official title: To provide certain relief for small businesses from liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, and to a… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To provide certain relief for small businesses from liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, and to amend such Act to promote the cleanup and reuse of brownfields, to provide financial assistance for brownfields revitalization, to enhance State response programs, and for other purposes.

Introduced: September 10, 2001 See on congress.gov
Environmental Protection AuditingAuthorizationBrownfieldsCitizen participation
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Civil actions and liabilityCommerceCongressCongressional reporting requirementsCrime and Law EnforcementDrug abuseDrug trafficEconomics and Public FinanceEnvironmental assessmentEnvironmental healthEnvironmental law enforcementFactoriesFederal aid to IndiansFederal-state relationsFinance and Financial SectorGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment lendingGovernment paperworkGovernment publicityGrants-in-aidGroundwater pollutionHazardous waste disposalHazardous waste site remediationHealthHousehold hazardous wastesHousing and Community DevelopmentIndian landsLand transfersLand useLawLegal feesLiability for toxic substances pollution damagesLiensLimitation of actionsMines and mineral resourcesMinoritiesMunicipal solid wasteOil pollutionPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesPublic recordsReal estate appraisalReal estate developmentRevolving fundsSmall businessStandardsStrip miningSubpoenaTax-exempt organizationsTaxationTransboundary pollutionTransportation and Public WorksTransportation of hazardous substances
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 Everywhere this bill has been 16 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 11, 2002
Became Public Law No: 107-118.
Jan 11, 2002
Signed by President.
Jan 7, 2002
Presented to President.
Dec 21, 2001
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Dec 20, 2001
Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S14063-14064)
Dec 20, 2001
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S14063-14064)
Dec 20, 2001
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Dec 20, 2001
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR 12/19/2001 H10893-10899)
Dec 20, 2001
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR 12/19/2001 H10893-10899)
Dec 20, 2001
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2869.
Dec 20, 2001
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR 12/19/2001 H10892-10904)
Dec 20, 2001
Mr. Gillmor moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Sep 17, 2001
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
Sep 11, 2001
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Sep 10, 2001
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sep 10, 2001
Introduced in House
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 Latest action January 11, 2002

Became Public Law No: 107-118.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act - Small Business Liability Protection Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to provide (with exceptions) that persons shall be liable for response costs at a National Priorities List (NPL) facility as non-owners or operators only if the total of material containing a hazardous substance that the business arranged for disposal, transport, or treatment of, or accepted for transport, was greater than specified amounts.

Exempts a person from liability for response costs (with exceptions) at a NPL facility for municipal solid waste (MSW) as a non-owner or operator if the person is an owner, operator, or lessee of residential property from which all of the person's MSW was generated, or a certain small business or small charitable tax-exempt organization that generated all its MSW, with respect to the facility concerned.

Makes nongovernmental entities that commence a contribution action liable to the defendant for all reasonable legal costs if the defendant is not liable based on the above-described exemptions.

Revises conditions for de minimis settlements.

Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001 - Provides grants for inventorying, characterizing, assessing, remediating, and conducting planning related to brownfield sites. Defines a "brownfield site," with exceptions, as real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which is complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance or pollutant. Includes certain petroleum- or controlled substance-contaminated sites and mine-scarred land.

Exempts from liability under CERCLA certain owners of real property contiguous to property on which there has been a hazardous substance release or threatened release that is not owned by such persons.

Absolves from liability for response actions bona fide prospective purchasers to the extent liability at a facility for a release or threat thereof is based solely on ownership or operation of a facility. Gives a lien to the United States for unrecovered response costs in any case for which the owner is not liable by reason of this section and the facility's fair market value has increased above that which existed before the action was taken.

Deems a person, with respect to defenses to liability of an owner of after-acquired property, to have undertaken appropriate inquiry into the property's previous ownership and uses if the person demonstrates that inquiries were undertaken in accordance with specified requirements.

Authorizes the Administrator to award grants to States or Indian tribes for response programs comprised of elements including survey and inventory of brownfield sites, public participation opportunities, oversight and enforcement authorities, and certification mechanisms.

Restricts authority to take enforcement actions under CERCLA in cases of hazardous substance releases addressed by a State response plan. Authorizes the President to bring enforcement actions in certain instances where there is migration of contamination across State lines or onto Federal property, or there is an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment and additional response actions are likely to be necessary.

Makes restrictions on the President's authority to take such actions applicable only at sites in States that maintain and publicize a record of sites at which response actions have been completed in the previous year and are planned to be addressed under the State response program in the upcoming year. Applies enforcement action requirements only to response actions conducted after February 15, 2001.

Provides conditions for deferral by the President of final listing of an eligible NPL response site.

 Related & companion bills 3
 Bill text 5 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2869: Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. 107th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-2869/
MLA
"H.R. 2869: Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act." 107th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-2869/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2869, 107th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-2869/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2869: Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/107-HR-2869/)
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