Secret Science Reform Act of 2015
Latest action · Mar 19, 2015 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.
- IntroducedFeb 24, 2015
- Passed HouseMar 18, 2015
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 2, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Secret Science Reform Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating a covered action unless all scientific and technical information relied on to support such action is the best available science, specifically identified, and publicly available in a manner sufficient for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of research results. A covered action includes a risk, exposure, or hazard assessment, criteria document, standard, limitation, regulation, regulatory impact analysis, or guidance. Scientific and technical information includes: (1) materials, data, and associated protocols necessary to understand, assess, and extend conclusions; (2) computer codes and models involved in the creation and analysis of the information; (3) recorded factual materials; and (4) detailed descriptions of how to access and use the information.
This Act may not be construed as requiring the EPA to disseminate scientific and technical information, or superseding any nondiscretionary statutory requirement.
The EPA may not spend more than $1 million per fiscal year on carrying out this Act.
Recorded votes 4
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 125 | On Passage | Passed241–175 | Mar 18, 2015 |
| House 124 | On Motion to Recommit with Instructions | Failed181–239 | Mar 18, 2015 |
| House 123 | On Agreeing to the Amendment | Failed184–231 | Mar 18, 2015 |
| House 122 | On Agreeing to the Amendment | Failed164–254 | Mar 18, 2015 |
Cosponsors 28
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 24, 2015 to Feb 27, 2015, with 21 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-MD | Andy Harris | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-VA | Barbara Comstock | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-TX | Blake Farenthold | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-TX | Brian Babin | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-AR | Bruce Westerman | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-WY | Cynthia M. Lummis | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-WA | Dan Newhouse | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-AZ | David Schweikert | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-AK | Don Young | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-AR | Eric A. "Rick" Crawford | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-OK | Frank D. Lucas | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-OK | Jim Bridenstine | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-AL | Mo Brooks | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-AZ | Paul A. Gosar | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
Actions 28
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 19, 2015Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Mar 18, 2015Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 138. (consideration: CR H1733-1748)
- Mar 18, 2015DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 138, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Edwards Part B amendment No. 1.
- Mar 18, 2015DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 138, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Kennedy Part B amendment No. 2.
- Mar 18, 2015DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Takai motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add a new section at the end of the bill pertaining to protecting taxpayers from science promoted by polluting companies, pending a reservation of a point of order. Subsequently, the reservation was removed.
Amendments 2
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAmdt 78 | Amendment sought to increase the authorization level in the bill for Data Transparency from $1 million to $250 million per year from 2016 through 2019. | Donna F. Edwards D-MD | On agreeing to the Edwards amendment (A001) Failed by recorded vote: 164 - 254 (Roll no. 122). |
| HAmdt 79 | An amendment numbered 2 printed in Part B of House Report 114-37 to allow the EPA to use all peer-reviewed scientific publications. | Joseph P. Kennedy III D-MA | On agreeing to the Kennedy amendment (A002) Failed by recorded vote: 184 - 231 (Roll no. 123). |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRES 138 | Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1029) 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, | Procedurally related | Mar 17, 2015 |
| S 544 | Secret Science Reform Act of 2015 | Identical bill | Jun 22, 2015 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 19, 2015Referred in Senate
- Mar 18, 2015Engrossed in House
- Mar 2, 2015Reported in House
- Feb 24, 2015Introduced 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.