[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5617 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5617

To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to improve provisions concerning 
    the recovery of damages for injuries resulting from oil spills.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 1, 2000

 Mr. DeFazio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to improve provisions concerning 
    the recovery of damages for injuries resulting from oil spills.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fishery and Aquaculture Oil Spill 
Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. INTEREST; PARTIAL PAYMENT OF CLAIMS.

    Section 1005 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2705) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Loan Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President shall establish a loan 
        program to assist injured parties in meeting financial 
        obligations during the claims procedure described in section 
        1013.
            ``(2) Condition for loan.--A loan may be awarded under 
        paragraph (1) only to a fisherman or aquaculture producer to 
        whom a responsible party has failed to provide an interim 
        payment under subsection (a).''.

SEC. 3. USES OF THE FUND.

    Section 1012(a) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 
2712(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5)(C), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) the making of loans to assist any injured party in 
        paying financial obligations during the claims procedure 
        described in section 1013.''.

SEC. 4. STUDY.

    Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Administrator of 
the Environmental Protection Agency, shall submit to Congress a study 
that contains--
            (1) an assessment of the effectiveness of the claims 
        procedures and emergency response programs under the Oil 
        Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) concerning 
        claims filed by, and emergency responses carried out to protect 
        the interests of, fishermen and aquaculture producers; and
            (2) any legislative or other recommendations to improve the 
        procedures and programs referred to in paragraph (1).
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