I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3450 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 16, 2011 Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Agriculture, 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 A BILL To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to assist communities in complying with environmental requirements, to authorize the use of penalty amounts collected under laws administered by the Environmental Protection Agency to finance the grants, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Fairness in Negative Enforcement Act of 2011 or the FINE Act of 2011.

2.

Community grant program

(a)

In general

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may make grants to States and local governments for projects and activities to assist communities in complying with environmental requirements under laws administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. (b)

Applications

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a State or local government shall submit to the Administrator an application that is in such form and contains such information as the Administrator may require. (c)

Selection of grant recipients

The Administrator shall select among applicants for grants under this section based on need. (d)

Federal share

The Federal share of the cost of a project or activity carried out with grant funds received under this section shall be 75 percent. (e)

Funding

The Administrator shall make grants under this section using amounts made available from the EPA Compliance Trust Fund established under section 3.

3.

EPA Compliance Trust Fund

(a)

Creation of trust fund

There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the EPA Compliance Trust Fund (in this section referred to as the Fund). (b)

Transfers to trust fund

There is hereby appropriated to the Fund amounts equivalent to the amounts deposited in the general fund of the Treasury that are attributable to penalties collected under laws administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. The amounts to be transferred to the Fund under this subsection shall be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (c)

Administration of trust fund

The Administrator shall administer the EPA Compliance Trust Fund. (d)

Use of funds

Amounts in the Fund shall be available to the Administrator, in amounts specified in appropriation Acts, for making grants under section 2.

4.

Prohibition on use of funds

None of the funds made available to the Environmental Protection Agency for a fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act may be used to fund programs or activities that are carried out outside of the United States.