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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="H948A6945B8B24A09AF22AA81473F6FE0" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>119 HR 10255 IH: Penalties for Polluters Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-09-03</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">2d Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 10255</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20260903">September 3, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="D000635">Ms. Dexter</sponsor> (for herself, <cosponsor name-id="B001278">Ms. Bonamici</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="H001068">Mr. Huffman</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="N000147">Ms. Norton</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="T000488">Mr. Thanedar</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="M001241">Mr. Min</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="T000469">Mr. Tonko</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S001231">Ms. Simon</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="B001285">Ms. Brownley</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="K000391">Mr. Krishnamoorthi</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="R000621">Ms. Randall</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="A000381">Ms. Ansari</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="C001068">Mr. Cohen</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="M001143">Ms. McCollum</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S001226">Ms. Salinas</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="M001225">Mr. Mullin</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="G000606">Mrs. Grijalva</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="V000130">Mr. Vargas</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="L000593">Mr. Levin</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="L000607">Mr. Liccardo</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HII00">Committee on Natural Resources</committee-name>, and in addition to the Committee on <committee-name committee-id="HPW00">Transportation and Infrastructure</committee-name>, 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</action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to increase certain penalties for violations of the Act, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body id="HC6F1C028179D4CD0ACD7609920F2BE65" style="OLC"> 
<section id="H631FEDE5619A40B79DC93B7B614D6972" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Penalties for Polluters Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section> <section id="H0E51417A4F9541ED8319181C38C948A0"><enum>2.</enum><header>Penalties relating to violations of certain mineral leasing acts</header> <subsection id="HB0FFF881DE634F5F845115D0AD3E0408"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Penalties under Mineral Leasing Act</header><text>Section 41 of the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/195">30 U.S.C. 195</external-xref>) is amended—</text> 
<paragraph id="HACE9033F6FAD4846A8CD3270B8D06C5D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subsection (b)—</text> <subparagraph id="H0287660697A14EDF91D6E2C619E8DAAF"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>Any person</quote> and inserting the following:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" id="H04F2EF98585C41CF9E6281739002F28F" display-inline="no-display-inline"> 
<paragraph id="H93B599A7F42149E696DDD9C5B3D1B83C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Any person</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HBBA99C83EEB14FF19FE8B3D6BFA56B42"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking <quote>$500,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$2,700,000</quote>; and</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HAD202FC5E2C245D9833975A471D130F3"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H813D6377C6C44A4EB3C189907F4DAF81" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <paragraph id="HD02D6510B5A14B4180BE3D0DCB9D440E" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Inflation adjustment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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.</text> </paragraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H119BE03AEDC04D33A7F268AABEBD9996"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subsection (c), by striking <quote>$100,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$500,000</quote>.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H0C652F59500247C0A7E724CB1B0FB609"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Penalties under Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982</header><text>The Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/1701">30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended—</text> 
<paragraph id="HE6C010F1D68C469183A69C42DADE039D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in section 109—</text> <subparagraph id="H9CB22CD4FFB34C26ACFC9094AFC6D156"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subsection (a), by striking <quote>$500</quote> and inserting <quote>$3,000</quote>;</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H80E51E273C934EB098EA8FCD582C9518"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subsection (b), by striking <quote>$5,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$30,000</quote>;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H1AC4DAAEF0EF41CEA39CFF58B9D13C9B"><enum>(C)</enum><text>in subsection (c), by striking <quote>$10,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$65,000</quote>; and</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H86F0619098CE48379BE56399F44730C0"><enum>(D)</enum><text>in subsection (d), by striking <quote>$25,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$160,000</quote>; and</text></subparagraph> </paragraph> <paragraph id="H9967C0148F5D40B2B3448F66D24163FD"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in section 110—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H67C19B675EC24979ACADFE98723B967D"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>Any person</quote> and inserting the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H97409443A8234C2E8F55696988F85E9C" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <subsection id="HAB0E076D01A448C59176D05B9E15A9CB"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Any person</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H9A5397B7E77D4EEB98E411ED38D7CF4F"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking <quote>$50,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$320,000</quote>; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H7566BC2037F84FF9889808245B3459E1"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" id="H610C404B02D84E029FF6F5A9F2F83D3F" display-inline="no-display-inline"> 
<subsection id="HD648576218644BA581E394F75278DC27"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Inflation adjustment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H4CD9FA8FA8E0407189964911C510C3DF"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Penalties under Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 24 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1350">43 U.S.C. 1350</external-xref>) is amended—</text> 
<paragraph id="H0FF18AA9E5354E14A764FCB424C843D8"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H22335AC3ACA24D7AB7111107BEE6DC1D" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <subsection id="H88E23E154D59449D93DD85682F058C75"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Civil penalties</header> <paragraph id="H729499E6A4D145E7B3755DA9BDB63E07"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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.</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H7EBD883CCBEF4B878C7AE393A6C04DFD"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Assessment</header><text>The Secretary may assess, collect, and compromise any such penalty.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HAA9F9122C19F4C4AB719AD7A43CC3924"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Opportunity for a hearing</header><text>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.</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H13BCF1EF897447AAB4549F81E7240381"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Threat of harm</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph> <paragraph id="H0667B65103A14604890FDC6C54066DC3"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subsection (c)—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H3B58F40043E747B99C9FC8CF3CC3EC55"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>$100,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$1,000,000</quote>; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H0EB52DF507884FEA92B2E5B194E8777C"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by inserting <quote>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.</quote> after the period at the end.</text> </subparagraph></paragraph> </subsection> 
<subsection id="H4DCABA39C9F9461F9C43AF4243777993" commented="no"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Penalties under the oil pollution act of 1990</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 4303 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/2716a">33 U.S.C. 2716a</external-xref>) is amended by striking <quote>$25,000</quote> and inserting <quote>$120,000</quote>.</text></subsection> <subsection id="HC1B42510B0A3495FAA80185B2ED270F6"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Penalty Revenue Reinvestment Fund</header> <paragraph id="H2FCB13AE2E0F4564867142FB5B31CBCE"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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 <quote>Fund</quote>).</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H75629DF7C02F4DB59EE0B9793971144E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Source of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Any amounts collected by the Secretary that are excess revenue shall be deposited into the Fund.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H5A8804F55EAA452A9ADFC5C615141EBE"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Use of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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:</text> 
<subparagraph id="H8B8A4D9C415D4AD699992949B93B1779"><enum>(A)</enum><text>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.</text> </subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H8AC4F60DD7C5480584365B7C7E3C7688"><enum>(B)</enum><text>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 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/201">30 U.S.C. 201 et seq.</external-xref>), the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/1701">30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.</external-xref>), and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1331">43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.</external-xref>).</text> </subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H44FBD46636A24A4F8A8EDB06F729F2DD"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this subsection:</text> <subparagraph id="H07E5037005FA430A8FFDD2098ED48FC2"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Excess revenue</header><text>The term <term>excess revenue</term> means the portion of any penalty assessed for a violation under section 41 of the Mineral Leasing Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/195">30 U.S.C. 195</external-xref>), section 109 or 110 of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/1719">30 U.S.C. 1719</external-xref>; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/30/1720">30 U.S.C. 1720</external-xref>), or section 24 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1350">43 U.S.C. 1350</external-xref>) 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.</text> </subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HEBC2AB19338B4FA7AC3ADF8FD896208D"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Indian Tribe</header><text>The term <term>Indian Tribe</term> has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/25/5304">25 U.S.C. 5304</external-xref>).</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H50A51B6F52874D44BBE4A03A4DA0313F"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Secretary</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>Secretary</term> means the Secretary of the Interior.</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HDAC61762D9A841E18DACA06BBA40B9D6"><enum>(D)</enum><header>State</header><text>The term <term>State</term> means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section> </legis-body></bill>

