EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2014
Latest action · Nov 19, 2014 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.
- IntroducedApr 9, 2013
- Passed HouseNov 18, 2014
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise requirements for the Science Advisory Board, which gives scientific advice to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and address public disclosure of scientific and technical information that the EPA uses as a basis for agency actions.
Emphasizes that the Board provides such advice independently.
Revises the process of selecting members of the Board. Requires at least 10% of Board membership to represent state, local, or tribal governments. Excludes from membership any federally registered lobbyists.
Directs the Board to ensure that:
- the points of view represented on the Board are fairly balanced among the members,
- persons with substantial and relevant expertise are not excluded from the Board because of affiliation with or representation of entities that might have a potential interest in the Board's advisory activities, and
- members do not participate in advisory activities that involve review or application of their own work.
Revises Board terms of office.
Revises the procedures for providing advice and comments to the EPA by: (1) including draft risk or hazard assessments in the regulatory proposals and documents made available to the Board, and (2) requiring advice and comments to be included in the record regarding any such proposal and published in the Federal Register.
Revises the operation of Board member committees and investigative panels to: (1) require that they operate in accordance with the membership, participation, and policy requirements (including new requirements for public participation in advisory activities of the Board) contained in this Act; (2) deny them authority to make decisions on behalf of the Board; and (3) prohibit direct reporting to EPA.
Revises requirements for public participation and transparency. Requires the EPA and the Board to make all reports and relevant scientific information available to the public concurrently when that information is made available to the Board.
Adds guidelines for the conduct of Board advisory activities, including: (1) avoidance of making policy determinations or recommendations, (2) communication of uncertainties, (3) dissenting members' views, and (4) periodic reviews to ensure that such activities address the most important scientific issues affecting EPA.
(Sec. 3) Prohibits this Act from being construed as supplanting the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act or the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
Recorded votes 3
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 525 | On Passage | Passed229–191 | Nov 18, 2014 |
| House 524 | On Motion to Recommit with Instructions | Failed195–225 | Nov 18, 2014 |
| House 523 | On Agreeing to the Amendment | Agreed to232–184 | Nov 18, 2014 |
Cosponsors 21
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 9, 2013 to Jun 27, 2013, with 5 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-MD | Andy Harris | Original | Apr 9, 2013 |
| R-MI | Dan Benishek | Original | Apr 9, 2013 |
| R-CA | Dana Rohrabacher | Original | Apr 9, 2013 |
| R-TX | Lamar Smith | Original | Apr 9, 2013 |
| D-TX | Ralph M. Hall | Original | Apr 9, 2013 |
| R-TX | Joe Barton | May 22, 2013 | |
| R-TX | Louie Gohmert | May 22, 2013 | |
| R-GA | Lynn A. Westmoreland | May 22, 2013 | |
| R-UT | Rob Bishop | May 22, 2013 | |
| R-MT | Steve Daines | May 22, 2013 | |
| R-TX | Steve Stockman | May 22, 2013 | |
| R-GA | Tom Price | May 22, 2013 | |
| R-WY | Cynthia M. Lummis | Jun 27, 2013 | |
| R-AZ | David Schweikert | Jun 27, 2013 | |
| R-AK | Don Young | Jun 27, 2013 |
Actions 21
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Nov 19, 2014Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Nov 18, 2014Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8060-8064)
- Nov 18, 2014Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 756. (consideration: CR H8050-8064; text of measure as reported in the House: CR H8050-8051)
- Nov 18, 2014DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 756, the House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Stewart Part A amendment No. 1.
- Nov 18, 2014DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Sean Maloney motion to recommit with instructions, pending reservation of a point of order. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to prohibit people from serving on the Science Advisory Board if they represent a corporation or a trade association with a financial interest in the outcome of the Boards decisions. The reservation of the point of order was subsequently withdrawn.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRES 756 | Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1422) to amend the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to provide for Scientific Advisory Board member qualifications, public participation, and for other purposes; | Related bill | Nov 18, 2014 |
| S 1853 | EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013 | Related bill | Dec 18, 2013 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Nov 19, 2014Referred in Senate
- Nov 18, 2014Engrossed in House
- Jul 22, 2013Reported in House
- Apr 9, 2013Introduced in House
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.