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S 865 116th Congress Senate Environmental Protection Congressional oversight Education programs funding Environmental assessment, monitoring, research Government trust funds Great Lakes Higher education Inflation and prices Lakes and rivers Marine and inland water transportation Marine pollution Navigation, waterways, harbors Oil and gas Pollution liability Research administration and funding Sales and excise taxes

Spill Response and Prevention Surety Act

Introduced: March 25, 2019 Introduced by: Sullivan, Dan Republican · Alaska See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 25, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mar 25, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Spill Response and Prevention Surety Act

This bill provides support for responding to oil spills.

Specifically, it makes permanent and modifies the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which provides funds to pay removal costs and claims for damages resulting from oil spills into navigable waters of the United States. Under current law, the fund is financed primarily by an excise tax on domestic crude oil and imported petroleum products. The bill expands the definition of crude oil for purposes of such tax to include any bitumen or bituminous mixture as well as any oil derived from a bitumen or bituminous mixture.

The bill revises requirements governing the use of the funds. For example, the bill doubles the limit placed on expenditures from the fund that may be used for (1) any single incident, or (2) natural resource damages.

In addition, the bill allows the fund to be used for carrying out grant programs established by this bill. The Department of Homeland Security must biennially award grants to eligible institutions of higher education for oil spill response research and technology development activities and programs as well as oil spill prevention activities and programs. Grants may also be given to states for oil spill prevention activities and programs.

What's happening now March 25, 2019

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1