S 1735 · 109th Congress 2005–2007, ended

Energy Emergency Consumer Protection Act of 2005

Introduced Sep 20, 2005 Originated Senate Sponsor Maria Cantwell D-WA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Sep 20, 2005 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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.

  1. IntroducedSep 20, 2005
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Energy Emergency Consumer Protection Act of 2005 - States that during any presidentially-declared energy emergency it is unlawful to sell crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates in, or for use in, the area involved at a price that: (1) is unconscionably excessive; or (2) indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage of the circumstances to increase prices unreasonably.

Makes it unlawful to: (1) report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) false or misleading data and information regarding the wholesale price of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates; or (2) use or employ, in connection with the purchase or sale of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates at wholesale, any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance, in contravention of FTC-prescribed rules and regulations.

Authorizes the President to declare a federal energy emergency if the health, safety, welfare, or economic well-being of American citizens is at risk because there exists either: (1) an actual or imminent shortage of adequate supplies of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates due to a disruption in the national distribution system; or (2) significant pricing anomalies in national energy markets for such products.

Empowers the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce this Act.

Prescribes maximum civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.

Instructs the FTC to: (1) facilitate price transparency in wholesale crude oil and petroleum product markets; and (2) conclude a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and other appropriate agencies relating to information sharing.

Instructs the Comptroller General to investigate periodically the extent to which major oil companies and automobile manufacturers have invested in alternative fuels production, infrastructure, and technology development.

Directs the National Academy of Sciences to review expenditures and activities by major U.S. companies to protect the energy supply system from terrorist attacks, international supply disruptions, and natural disasters, and ensure a stable and reasonably priced supply of such products to consumers.

Cosponsors 31

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 20, 2005 to Apr 26, 2006; 20 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-MDBarbara A. MikulskiOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-CABarbara BoxerOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-NDByron L. DorganOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-NYCharles E. SchumerOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-HIDaniel K. InouyeOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-MIDebbie StabenowOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-CADianne FeinsteinOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-NVHarry ReidOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-WIHerb KohlOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-NYHillary Rodham ClintonOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-RIJack ReedOriginalSep 20, 2005
R-VTJames M. JeffordsOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-MAJohn F. KerryOriginalSep 20, 2005
I-CTJoseph I. LiebermanOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-DEJoseph R. Biden Jr.OriginalSep 20, 2005
D-COKen SalazarOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-ILRichard J. DurbinOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-ORRon WydenOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-WIRussell D. FeingoldOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-IATom HarkinOriginalSep 20, 2005
D-INEvan BayhSep 21, 2005
D-NJJon S. CorzineSep 21, 2005
D-WAPatty MurraySep 21, 2005
D-MDPaul S. SarbanesSep 21, 2005
D-DEThomas R. CarperSep 26, 2005
D-HIDaniel K. AkakaSep 28, 2005
D-SDTim JohnsonOct 19, 2005
D-MNMark DaytonOct 28, 2005
D-MAEdward M. KennedyNov 10, 2005
D-CTChristopher J. DoddApr 26, 2006
D-VTPatrick J. LeahyApr 26, 2006

Committees 1

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

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
SenateCommerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Referred Sep 20, 2005

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Sep 20, 2005Introduced in Senate
  2. Sep 20, 2005Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10238-10239)
  3. Sep 20, 2005Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

In the Congressional Record 6

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
SenateDebate and remarks S5446Harry Reid D-NVJun 6, 2006
SenateDebate and remarks S3782Jeff Bingaman D-NMMay 1, 2006
SenateDebate and remarks S3483, S3484Maria Cantwell D-WAApr 25, 2006
SenateDebate and remarks S11094Jack Reed D-RIOct 5, 2005
SenateDebate and remarks S10364Jack Reed D-RISep 22, 2005
Show all 6 days

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.

Printed hearings 3

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

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 109-410FISCAL YEAR 2007 BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY111 pagesEnergy and Natural Resources CommitteeFeb 9, 2006
S. Hrg. 109-307ENERGY PRICES AND PROFITS363 pagesCommerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Energy and Natural Resources CommitteeNov 9, 2005
S. Hrg. 109-279HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA187 pagesEnergy and Natural Resources CommitteeOct 6, 2005–Oct 27, 2005

Titles 3

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

Official Title as Introduced
A bill to improve the Federal Trade Commission's ability to protect consumers from price-gouging during energy emergencies, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Energy Emergency Consumer Protection Act of 2005
Popular Titles
Price Gouging bill

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Commerce.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Sep 20, 2005Introduced in Senate

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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.