SENSE Act
Latest action · Mar 16, 2016 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.
- IntroducedOct 22, 2015
- Passed HouseMar 15, 2016
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act or the SENSE Act
(Sec. 2) This bill modifies the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule as it applies to certain electric utility steam generating units (electric power plants) that convert coal refuse into energy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must maintain the existing limits for sulfur dioxide emissions from coal refuse utilities under the cap-and-trade system, instead of applying the more restrictive limits that are scheduled to go into effect in 2017. (Under the current system, a cap sets a limit on emissions. The cap is lowered over time to reduce the amount of pollutants released. Utilities may only emit as much carbon as permitted under their allowances, which may be traded with others.) Thus, the EPA must allocate to coal refuse utilities in 2017 and subsequent years the same number of emissions allowances for sulfur dioxide that have been previously allocated to coal refuse utilities, instead of reducing allowances.
After January 1, 2017, a coal refuse utility may not trade any unused sulfur dioxide allowances. Those allowances may be saved by the coal refuse utilities for use in future compliance periods.
The EPA may not increase the total number of allowances for sulfur dioxide emissions from all sources that are allocated to each state.
The bill eases emission limits for hazardous air pollutants from coal refuse utilities. The EPA must allow the utilities to meet compliance requirements by meeting the maximum achievable control technology standards for either hydrogen chloride or sulfur dioxide.
Recorded votes 6
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
Cosponsors 6
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 22, 2015 to Mar 7, 2016; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-PA | Glenn Thompson | Original | Oct 22, 2015 |
| R-PA | Lou Barletta | Original | Oct 22, 2015 |
| R-PA | Mike Kelly | Original | Oct 22, 2015 |
| R-WV | David B. McKinley | Oct 23, 2015 | |
| R-PA | Tim Murphy | Feb 2, 2016 | |
| R-TX | Pete Sessions | Mar 7, 2016 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Oct 22, 2015Markup Feb 25, 2016Reported Mar 7, 2016 |
| Energy Subcommittee | Referred Oct 23, 2015Hearings Feb 3, 2016Markup Feb 11, 2016Reported Feb 11, 2016 | |
| Senate | Environment and Public Works Committee | Referred Mar 16, 2016 |
Actions 39
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 16, 2016Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Mar 15, 2016Rule H. Res. 640 passed House.
- Mar 15, 2016Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 640. (consideration: CR H1365-1381)
- Mar 15, 2016Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4596 and H.R. 3797.
- Mar 15, 2016House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 640 and Rule XVIII.
In the Congressional Record 3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H1355–H1362, H1365–H1381Text printed H1355, H1371Amendments H1362, H1371, H1372, H1374, H1375Motions H1379Recorded votes H1363, H1376, H1377, H1378, H1380, H1381Adams motion to recommit (ensure emissions from electric steam generating units that convert coal refuse into energy will not harm brain development or water)Bera amendment (GAO report on emissions effect on health by making limits inapplicable for electric steam generating units that convert coal refuse into energy)consideration (H. Res. 640), previous questionenactPallone amendment (strike emission allowances under EPA Cross-State Air Pollution Rule for electric steam generating units that convert coal refuse into energy)Veasey amendment (take public health into account before waiving certain emission limits for electric steam generating units that convert coal refuse into energy) | Alma S. Adams D-NC (motion), Ami Bera D-CA (amendment), Earl L. "Buddy" Carter R-GA, Ed Whitfield R-KY, Frank Pallone, Jr. D-NJ (amendment), Fred Upton R-MI, Jared Polis D-CO (amendment), Keith J. Rothfus R-PA, Lou Barletta R-PA, Marc A. Veasey D-TX (amendment), Michael F. Doyle D-PA, Rob Woodall R-GA, Scott H. Peters D-CA (amendment), Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Steve Stivers R-OH | Mar 15, 2016 |
| House | Declaratory Statements H1346 | — | Mar 14, 2016 |
| House | Debate and remarks H7094Lists H7138H.R. 3797–3814 | Keith J. Rothfus R-PA | Oct 22, 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 7, 2016H.R. 3797, SENSE ActAs ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on February 25, 2016
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 155, October 22, 2015, page H7138.
Printed hearings 1
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. 114-113 | H.R. 3797, THE SATISFYING ENERGY NEEDS AND SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT (SENSE) ACT; AND H.R., THE BLOCKING REGULATORY INTERFERENCE FROM CLOSING KILNS (BRICK) ACT109 pages | Energy and Commerce Committee | Feb 3, 2016 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| R43851 | Clean Air Issues in the 114th Congress Archived | Report | Dec 21, 2016 |
Amendments 5
Amendments offered to this bill.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To establish the bases by which the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall issue, implement, and enforce certain emission limitations and allocations for existing electric utility steam generating units that convert coal refuse into energy.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- SENSE Act
- Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- SENSE Act
- Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment
- SENSE Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 16, 2016Referred in Senate
- Mar 15, 2016Engrossed in House
- Mar 7, 2016Reported in House
- Oct 22, 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.
