Empower States Act of 2012
Latest action · Sep 19, 2012 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.
- IntroducedSep 19, 2012
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Empower States Act of 2012 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act, with respect to enforcement of drinking water regulations, to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from taking any enforcement action against a state with primary enforcement responsibility for public water systems or a company or individual within the state, unless: (1) the Administrator determines that there is an imminent and substantial danger to the public health or environment, and (2) the state failed to take corrective action.
Prohibits the Administrator from amending or revoking any program of a state with partial or total primary enforcement responsibility unless the Administrator determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the program fails to effectively protect drinking water in the state.
Requires the head of a federal department or agency, before issuing or promulgating any guideline or regulation relating to oil and gas exploration and production on federal, state, tribal, or fee land pursuant to federal law or executive order, to seek comments from and consult with the head of each affected state, state agency, and Indian tribe at a location within their jurisdiction.
Requires federal departments and agencies to develop Statements of Energy and Economic Impact that detail and analyze: (1) adverse effects of an action on energy supply, distribution, or use; and (2) impact on the domestic economy if the action is taken.
Prohibits imposition of any new or modified oil and gas regulation unless the head of the applicable department or agency determines: (1) that the rule is necessary to prevent immediate harm to human health or the environment, and (2) by clear and convincing evidence that the state or tribe does not have an existing reasonable alternative to the proposed regulation.
Requires any regulation promulgated after enactment of this Act that requires disclosure of hydraulic fracturing chemicals to refer to the database managed by the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.
Sets forth procedures for judicial review of such regulations.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 19, 2012 to Nov 13, 2012; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AK | Lisa Murkowski | Original | Sep 19, 2012 |
| R-KY | Mitch McConnell | Nov 13, 2012 | |
| R-OH | Rob Portman | Nov 13, 2012 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Environment and Public Works Committee | Referred Sep 19, 2012 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 19, 2012Introduced in Senate
- Sep 19, 2012Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to recognize the primacy of States, provide for the consideration of the economic impact of additional regulations, and provide for standards and requirements relating to certain guidelines and regulations relating to health and the environment.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Empower States Act of 2012
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Civil actions and liability
- Economic performance and conditions
- Education programs funding
- Energy prices
- Energy revenues and royalties
- Energy storage, supplies, demand
- Environmental Protection
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Environmental regulatory procedures
- Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
- Indian lands and resources rights
- Intergovernmental relations
- Judicial review and appeals
- Land use and conservation
- Oil and gas
- State and local government operations
- Unemployment
- Water quality
- Water use and supply
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 19, 2012Introduced in Senate
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.
