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HR 1540 109th Congress House Water Resources Development Civil actions and liability Environmental Protection Evidence (Law) Law Liability (Law) Potable water Pretrial procedure Public utilities Water quality

Drinking Water Standards Preservation Act of 2005

Introduced: April 8, 2005 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 109th Congress ended
It never became law before the 109th Congress (2005–2006) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 10, 2005
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
Apr 22, 2005
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
Apr 8, 2005
Introduced in House
Apr 8, 2005
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Drinking Water Standards Preservation Act of 2005 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish liability standards for a public water system for damages arising from injury (including personal injury, death, or property damage) allegedly caused by delivery of contaminated water containing either regulated or unregulated contaminants.

Requires for both regulated and unregulated contaminants that the plaintiff establish that there is substantial scientific evidence that the kind of injury alleged could be caused by such substance in the amounts present and that the substance did, in fact, cause the injury.

Requires proof: (1) in the case of regulated contaminants, that the water system violated the regulation, was negligent and that the violation caused the injury; and (2) in the case of unregulated contaminants, that the water system knew or should have known that the substance at that level was likely to cause such injury and that it was feasible to remove the contaminant to a safe level.

Directs the court to make determinations regarding proof requirements in a special pretrial proceeding and to give binding effect to any findings of fact, conclusions of law, or determinations of State agencies exercising primary enforcement authority.

What's happening now May 10, 2005

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Republican 2
R
Aderholt, Robert B.
Alabama · Jun 16, 2005
 R
Calvert, Ken
California · Apr 8, 2005
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1540: Drinking Water Standards Preservation Act of 2005. 109th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-1540/
MLA
"H.R. 1540: Drinking Water Standards Preservation Act of 2005." 109th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-1540/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1540, 109th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-1540/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1540: Drinking Water Standards Preservation Act of 2005](https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-1540/)
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