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HR 3370 116th Congress House Public Lands and Natural Resources Administrative remedies Civil actions and liability Crimes against animals and natural resources Department of the Interior Environmental assessment, monitoring, research Hazardous wastes and toxic substances Judicial review and appeals Marine and coastal resources, fisheries Oil and gas Pollution liability Water quality Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Refuge System Protection Act

Introduced: June 19, 2019 Introduced by: Thompson, Mike Democratic · California See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 1, 2019
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
Jun 19, 2019
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, 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.
Jun 19, 2019
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Refuge System Protection Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ), at the request of the Department of the Interior, to bring in a district court a civil action against any individual or entity that destroys, causes the loss of, causes Interior to make risk mitigation efforts with respect to, or injures any resource that is within the boundaries any land or water that is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bill also authorizes DOJ, at the request of Interior, to bring in a district court an in rem action against any instrumentality (e.g., a vessel, vehicle, or aircraft) that destroys, causes the loss of, causes Interior to make risk mitigation efforts with respect to, or injures any such system resource.

Among others, it shall be an affirmative defense in either type of action that the destruction of, loss of, risk mitigation regarding, or injury to a system resource was caused by an otherwise legal act or omission that occurred outside the boundaries of the resource.

In either type of action, the court may award response costs and damages.

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What's happening now July 1, 2019

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3