HR 1831 · 107th Congress 2001–2003, ended

Small Business Liability Protection Act

Introduced May 15, 2001 Originated House Sponsor Paul E. Gillmor R-OH

Latest action · Jun 13, 2001 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

IntroducedMay 15, 2001
Passed HouseMay 22, 2001
Passed SenateNot reached
To the PresidentNot reached
Became lawNot reached

Summary

Small Business Liability Protection Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to provide (with exceptions) that persons shall be liable for response costs at a National Priorities List (NPL) facility as non-owners or operators only if the total of material containing a hazardous substance that the business arranged for disposal, transport, or treatment of, or accepted for transport, was greater than 110 gallons of liquid material or 200 pounds of solid material. Applies this exemption only to activities taking place before April 1, 2001.

Exempts a person from liability for response costs (with exceptions) at a NPL facility for municipal solid waste (MSW) as a non-owner or operator if the person is an owner, operator, or lessee of residential property from which all of the person's MSW was generated, or a certain small business or small charitable tax-exempt organization that generated all its MSW, with respect to the facility concerned.

Makes nongovernmental entities that commence a contribution action liable to the defendant for all reasonable costs of defending the action if the defendant is not liable based on the above-described exemptions.

Adds to the list of parties eligible for de minimis final settlements certain persons and businesses that demonstrate an inability or limited ability to pay response costs.

Revises conditions of eligibility for such settlements for de minimis parties, including waiver of all claims that the party may have against other potentially responsible parties for response costs incurred with respect to the facility, unless the President determines that requiring a waiver would be unjust.

Recorded votes 1

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll call	Question	Result	Date
House 134	On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass	Passed419–0	May 22, 2001

Cosponsors 81

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 15, 2001 to May 21, 2001; 63 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

Seat	Cosponsor		Signed on
D-TN	Bart Gordon	Original	May 15, 2001
D-MI	Bart Stupak	Original	May 15, 2001
D-NJ	Bill Pascrell, Jr.	Original	May 15, 2001
D-CA	Bob Filner	Original	May 15, 2001
R-ID	C. L. (Butch) Otter	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NH	Charles F. Bass	Original	May 15, 2001
D-LA	Christopher John	Original	May 15, 2001
R-PA	Don Sherwood	Original	May 15, 2001
R-AK	Don Young	Original	May 15, 2001
D-OR	Earl Blumenauer	Original	May 15, 2001
D-NY	Edolphus Towns	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NJ	Frank A. LoBiondo	Original	May 15, 2001
D-PA	Frank Mascara	Original	May 15, 2001
D-NJ	Frank Pallone, Jr.	Original	May 15, 2001
R-CA	Gary G. Miller	Original	May 15, 2001
R-OR	Greg Walden	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NM	Heather Wilson	Original	May 15, 2001
D-MI	James A. Barcia	Original	May 15, 2001
R-PA	James C. Greenwood	Original	May 15, 2001
D-MN	James L. Oberstar	Original	May 15, 2001
R-LA	John Cooksey	Original	May 15, 2001
D-MI	John D. Dingell	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NY	John E. Sweeney	Original	May 15, 2001
R-TN	John J. Duncan, Jr.	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NY	John M. McHugh	Original	May 15, 2001
D-SC	John M. Spratt, Jr.	Original	May 15, 2001
R-IL	John Shimkus	Original	May 15, 2001
R-SD	John Thune	Original	May 15, 2001
D-IL	Lane Evans	Original	May 15, 2001
D-CA	Lois Capps	Original	May 15, 2001
D-AR	Marion Berry	Original	May 15, 2001
R-CA	Mary Bono	Original	May 15, 2001
D-TX	Max Sandlin	Original	May 15, 2001
R-FL	Michael Bilirakis	Original	May 15, 2001
D-PA	Michael F. Doyle	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NJ	Mike Ferguson	Original	May 15, 2001
D-WV	Nick J. Rahall II	Original	May 15, 2001
D-OR	Peter A. DeFazio	Original	May 15, 2001
D-FL	Peter Deutsch	Original	May 15, 2001
R-LA	Richard H. Baker	Original	May 15, 2001
R-CT	Rob Simmons	Original	May 15, 2001
D-AL	Robert E. (Bud) Cramer Jr.	Original	May 15, 2001
R-MD	Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.	Original	May 15, 2001
D-WI	Ron Kind	Original	May 15, 2001
D-MS	Ronnie Shows	Original	May 15, 2001
R-MO	Roy Blunt	Original	May 15, 2001
D-OH	Sherrod Brown	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NY	Sherwood Boehlert	Original	May 15, 2001
R-AL	Spencer Bachus	Original	May 15, 2001
R-CA	Stephen Horn	Original	May 15, 2001
R-IN	Steve Buyer	Original	May 15, 2001
R-OK	Steve Largent	Original	May 15, 2001
D-OH	Ted Strickland	Original	May 15, 2001
R-WI	Thomas E. Petri	Original	May 15, 2001
D-WI	Thomas M. Barrett	Original	May 15, 2001
R-NY	Thomas M. Reynolds	Original	May 15, 2001
D-PA	Tim Holden	Original	May 15, 2001
R-IL	Timothy V. Johnson	Original	May 15, 2001
D-OH	Tom Sawyer	Original	May 15, 2001
R-MI	Vernon J. Ehlers	Original	May 15, 2001
D-LA	W. J. (Billy) Tauzin	Original	May 15, 2001
R-MD	Wayne T. Gilchrest	Original	May 15, 2001
D-IL	William O. Lipinski	Original	May 15, 2001
D-WA	Brian Baird		May 16, 2001
R-MS	Charles W. "Chip" Pickering		May 16, 2001
R-CA	George Radanovich		May 16, 2001
R-IA	Greg Ganske		May 16, 2001
D-IL	Jerry F. Costello		May 16, 2001
D-MO	Karen McCarthy		May 16, 2001
R-TX	Kevin Brady		May 16, 2001
R-OH	Michael G. Oxley		May 16, 2001
D-PA	Robert A. Borski		May 16, 2001
D-MN	Bill Luther		May 17, 2001
R-MI	Fred Upton		May 17, 2001
D-TX	Gene Green		May 17, 2001
R-TX	Ralph M. Hall		May 17, 2001
R-NC	Richard Burr		May 17, 2001
R-FL	Cliff Stearns		May 21, 2001
D-CA	Gary A. Condit		May 21, 2001
D-TX	Jim Turner		May 21, 2001
R-NJ	Marge Roukema		May 21, 2001

Committees 3

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

Chamber	Committee	What it did
House	Energy and Commerce Committee	Referred May 15, 2001Markup May 17, 2001Reported May 21, 2001
	Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee	Referred May 16, 2001Markup May 16, 2001Reported May 16, 2001
House	Transportation and Infrastructure Committee	Referred May 15, 2001Reported May 21, 2001
Senate	Environment and Public Works Committee	Referred Jun 13, 2001

Actions 19

Everything that happened, newest first.

Jun 13, 2001Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
May 22, 2001Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2542-2543)
May 22, 2001Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 419 - 0 (Roll no. 134). (text of measure as reported: 5/21/2001 CR H2348-2349)
May 22, 2001Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
May 21, 2001Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 107-70, Part I.

Show all 19 actions

In the Congressional Record 4

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

Where	In the Record	Members	Date
Senate	Debate and remarks S14064	James M. Jeffords R-VT	Dec 20, 2001
House	Recorded votes H2542enact	—	May 22, 2001
House	Debate and remarks H2348–H2354Text printed H2348	C. L. (Butch) Otter R-ID, Don Young R-AK, Edolphus Towns D-NY, Frank Pallone, Jr. D-NJ, Jerry F. Costello D-IL, John J. Duncan, Jr. R-TN, John Shimkus R-IL, Karen McCarthy D-MO, Michael F. Doyle D-PA, Michael G. Oxley R-OH, Paul E. Gillmor R-OH, Peter Deutsch D-FL, Sherwood Boehlert R-NY, W. J. (Billy) Tauzin D-LA	May 21, 2001
Extensions	Debate and remarks E797	Paul E. Gillmor R-OH	May 15, 2001

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Committee reports

Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 4

May 17, 2001H.R. 1831, Small Business Liability Protection Act<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on May 16, 2001</p>
May 17, 2001H.R. 1831, Small Business Liability Protection Act<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on May 17, 2001</p>
May 17, 2001H.R. 1831, Small Business Liability Protection ActCost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on May 16, 2001
May 17, 2001H.R. 1831, Small Business Liability Protection ActCost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on May 17, 2001

Printed hearings 3

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

Number	Hearing	Committee	Held
Serial No. 107-43	BROWNFIELDS LEGISLATION: ``THE BROWN- FIELDS REVITALIZATION AND EVIRON- MENTAL RESTORATION ACT OF 2001,'' AND ``GILLMOR DISCUSSION DRAFT,'' AND ``DEMOCRATIC DISCUSSION DRAFT''130 pages	Energy and Commerce Committee	Jun 28, 2001
—	SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY ISSUES141 pages	Small Business Committee	Jun 21, 2001
S. Hrg. 107-324	NOMINATIONS OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION430 pages	Environment and Public Works Committee	May 17, 2001–Oct 17, 2001

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Bill	Title	Relationship	Latest action
S 1064	Small Business Liability Protection Act	Identical bill	Jun 19, 2001
HR 2869	Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act	Related bill	Jan 11, 2002

Titles 3

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced: To provide certain relief for small businesses from liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.
Short Titles as Introduced: Small Business Liability Protection Act
Short Titles as Passed House: Small Business Liability Protection Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.

Text 4

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

Jun 13, 2001Referred in Senate
May 22, 2001Engrossed in House
May 21, 2001Reported in House
May 15, 2001Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.