[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10255 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10255
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to increase certain penalties for
violations of the Act, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 3, 2026
Ms. Dexter (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Norton, Mr.
Thanedar, Mr. Min, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Simon, Ms. Brownley, Mr.
Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Randall, Ms. Ansari, Mr. Cohen, Ms. McCollum, Ms.
Salinas, Mr. Mullin, Mrs. Grijalva, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Levin, and Mr.
Liccardo) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 amend the Mineral Leasing Act to increase certain penalties for
violations of the Act, and for other purposes.
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 ``Penalties for Polluters Act''.
SEC. 2. PENALTIES RELATING TO VIOLATIONS OF CERTAIN MINERAL LEASING
ACTS.
(a) Penalties Under Mineral Leasing Act.--Section 41 of the Mineral
Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 195) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``Any person'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--Any person'';
(B) by striking ``$500,000'' and inserting
``$2,700,000''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Inflation adjustment.--The Secretary of the Interior
shall annually adjust the maximum penalty specified in
paragraph (1) to reflect any increases in the Consumer Price
Index (all items, United States city average) as prepared by
the Department of Labor.''; and
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ``$100,000'' and
inserting ``$500,000''.
(b) Penalties Under Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of
1982.--The Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 109--
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ``$500'' and
inserting ``$3,000'';
(B) in subsection (b), by striking ``$5,000'' and
inserting ``$30,000'';
(C) in subsection (c), by striking ``$10,000'' and
inserting ``$65,000''; and
(D) in subsection (d), by striking ``$25,000'' and
inserting ``$160,000''; and
(2) in section 110--
(A) by striking ``Any person'' and inserting the
following:
``(a) In General.--Any person'';
(B) by striking ``$50,000'' and inserting
``$320,000''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Inflation Adjustment.--The Secretary shall annually adjust
the maximum penalty specified in this section to reflect any increases
in the Consumer Price Index (all items, United States city average) as
prepared by the Department of Labor.''.
(c) Penalties Under Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.--Section 24
of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1350) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
``(b) Civil Penalties.--
``(1) In general.--Any person who fails to comply with any
provision of this Act, any regulation or order issued under
this Act, or any term of a lease, license, or permit issued
pursuant to this Act shall be liable, subject to paragraph (3),
for a civil penalty of not more than $100,000, except as
provided in paragraph (4), for each day of the continuance of
such failure.
``(2) Assessment.--The Secretary may assess, collect, and
compromise any such penalty.
``(3) Opportunity for a hearing.--The Secretary may not
assess a penalty against a person described in paragraph (1)
until such person has been given an opportunity for a hearing.
``(4) Threat of harm.--If a failure described in paragraph
(1) constitutes or constituted a threat of harm or damage to
life (including fish and other aquatic life), property, any
mineral deposit, or the marine, coastal, or human environment,
a civil penalty of not more than $360,000 may be assessed for
each day of the continuance of such failure.''; and
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting
``$1,000,000''; and
(B) by inserting ``The Secretary shall annually
adjust the maximum penalty specified in this subsection
to reflect any increases in the Consumer Price Index
(all items, United States city average) as prepared by
the Department of Labor.'' after the period at the end.
(d) Penalties Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.--Section 4303 of
the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2716a) is amended by striking
``$25,000'' and inserting ``$120,000''.
(e) Penalty Revenue Reinvestment Fund.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of
the United States a separate account, to be known as the
Penalty Revenue Reinvestment Fund (referred to in this
subsection as the ``Fund'').
(2) Source of funds.--Any amounts collected by the
Secretary that are excess revenue shall be deposited into the
Fund.
(3) Use of funds.--Amounts deposited into the Fund in
accordance with paragraph (2) shall be available to the
Secretary without further appropriation or fiscal year
limitation to be allocated as follows:
(A) 50 percent to States, Indian Tribes, and local
governments that the Secretary determines to have been
harmed by a violation with respect to which excess
revenue is collected by the Secretary.
(B) 50 percent to the Office of Natural Resources
Revenue, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement, and the Bureau of Land Management for
continued enforcement and compliance activities under
the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), the
Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), and the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.).
(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Excess revenue.--The term ``excess revenue''
means the portion of any penalty assessed for a
violation under section 41 of the Mineral Leasing Act
(30 U.S.C. 195), section 109 or 110 of the Federal Oil
and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1719;
30 U.S.C. 1720), or section 24 of the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1350) on or after the date
of enactment of this Act that exceeds the maximum civil
penalty amount that could have been assessed for the
same violation under the applicable provision of law as
in effect on the day before the date of enactment of
this Act.
(B) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has
the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304).
(C) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the
Secretary of the Interior.
(D) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the
several States, the District of Columbia, and each
territory of the United States.
<all>