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; 21 are original cosponsors, there from 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 |
| R-TX | Pete Sessions | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-IL | Randy Hultgren | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-TX | Randy Neugebauer | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-NM | Stevan Pearce | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-MS | Steven M. Palazzo | Original | Feb 24, 2015 |
| R-VA | Bob Goodlatte | Feb 26, 2015 | |
| R-CA | Dana Rohrabacher | Feb 27, 2015 | |
| R-GA | Doug Collins | Feb 27, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Joe Barton | Feb 27, 2015 | |
| R-GA | Lynn A. Westmoreland | Feb 27, 2015 | |
| R-PA | Mike Kelly | Feb 27, 2015 | |
| R-CO | Scott R. Tipton | Feb 27, 2015 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Science, Space, and Technology Committee | Referred Feb 24, 2015Markup Feb 25, 2015Reported Mar 2, 2015 |
| Senate | Environment and Public Works Committee | Referred Mar 19, 2015 |
Actions 27
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, 2015For each measure, resolution provides one hour of general debate; makes specified amendments in order; and allows a motion to recommit, with or without instructions.
- Mar 18, 2015House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 138 and Rule XVIII.
- Mar 18, 2015The Speaker designated the Honorable Garret Graves to act as Chairman of the Committee.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E375 | David Schweikert R-AZ | Mar 23, 2015 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1733–H1748Text printed H1742Amendments H1742, H1743Motions H1746Recorded votes H1745, H1747, H1748Edwards amendment (ensure adequate funding for collection and dissemination of data used for EPA regulations or assessments based upon transparent and reproducible science)enactTakai motion to recommit (prevent EPA use of science promoted by polluting companies when developing regulations or assessments) | Barry Loudermilk R-GA, Bill Foster D-IL, Brian Babin R-TX, David Schweikert R-AZ, Donna F. Edwards D-MD (amendment), Eddie Bernice Johnson D-TX, James P. McGovern D-MA, Jim Bridenstine R-OK, Joseph P. Kennedy III D-MA (amendment), Katherine M. Clark D-MA, Lamar Smith R-TX, Mark Takai D-HI (motion), Randy K. Weber, Sr. R-TX, Suzanne Bonamici D-OR | Mar 18, 2015 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1670–H1677Text printed H1670Amendments H1675Recorded votes H1676, H1677consideration (H. Res. 138), previous question | Alcee L. Hastings D-FL (amendment), Denny Heck D-WA, Doug Collins R-GA, Maxine Waters D-CA, Michael C. Burgess R-TX | Mar 17, 2015 |
| House | Declaratory Statements H1568 | — | Mar 3, 2015 |
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 report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Mar 12, 2015H.R. 1030, Secret Science Reform Act of 2015As ordered reported by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on March 3, 2015
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 31, February 24, 2015, page H1115.
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. 114-85 | ENSURING SOUND SCIENCE AT EPA353 pages | Science, Space, and Technology Committee | Jun 22, 2016 |
| Serial No. 114-29 | EXAMINING EPA'S REGULATORY OVERREACH349 pages | Science, Space, and Technology Committee | Jul 9, 2015 |
| S. Hrg. 114-225 | BUSINESS MEETING395 pages | Environment and Public Works Committee | Apr 28, 2015–Apr 29, 2015 |
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R41561 | EPA Regulations: Too Much, Too Little, or On Track? Archived | Report | Dec 30, 2016 |
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.
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Secret Science Reform Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Secret Science Reform Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Secret Science Reform Act of 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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
