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HR 2391 109th Congress House

Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2005

Official title: To provide for the reduction of mercury in the environment.

Introduced: May 17, 2005 Introduced by: Baldwin, Tammy Democratic · Wisconsin See on congress.gov
Environmental Protection Administrative procedureAdministrative remediesAutomobile partsChild safety
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CommerceCongressCongressional reporting requirementsConsumer educationContractorsCost accountingDental careEconomics and Public FinanceEducationElementary and secondary educationEnvironmental Protection AgencyEnvironmental technologyFamiliesFederal-state relationsFinance and Financial Sector
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 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 3, 2005
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
May 17, 2005
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
May 17, 2005
Introduced in House
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 Latest action June 3, 2005

Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2005 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a grant program for projects to: (1) reduce free-flowing elemental mercury and mercury-added products from the environment; (2) safely dispose of or recycle mercury; (3) educate communities and citizens about mercury's harmful effects; (4) develop and carry out a plan for eliminating free-flowing mercury and instruments containing mercury from K-12 public and private schools; (5) carry out a mercury thermometer exchange program; or (6) facilitate the recovery, and safe disposal and management, of mercury-added components from automobiles.

Directs the Administrator to encourage States to develop programs that facilitate the recovery and safe disposal and management of mercury-added component parts from automobiles when components are being replaced or removed from scrapped vehicles.

Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) prohibit the sale or supplying of mercury fever thermometers to consumers except by prescription; and (2) require manufacturers of such prescribed thermometers to provide instructions on careful handling to avoid breakage and proper cleanup in the event of breakage. Requires contractors who replace building thermostats in residential or commercial buildings to dispose of replaced thermometers through recycling programs established or participated in by building thermostat manufacturers as required by this Act.

Requires the Administrator to publish guidance to assist State and local governments in removing elemental free-flowing mercury and mercury-added instruments from public and private schools.

Directs the Administrator to issue regulations requiring dentists to capture 90 percent or more of mercury-laden amalgam when administering amalgam to or recovering amalgam from patients. Sets forth considerations that such guidelines shall take into account.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2391: Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2005. 109th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2391/
MLA
"H.R. 2391: Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2005." 109th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2391/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2391, 109th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2391/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2391: Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2005](https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2391/)
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