HR10255Referred to Committee

Penalties for Polluters Act

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-09-03
Introduced
19
Cosponsors
HR
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Maxine Dexter
Maxine Dexter
Democrat · OR · Representative
Votes with party: 97.3% (664 recorded votes)
Top industries funding sponsor:
  • Climate & Environment$110k

Full profile: /officials/D000635

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (19)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

2026-09-03

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Plain-English Summary

Plain-English summary pending. Introduced on 2026-09-03. Check back soon — summaries are generated as bills progress through Congress.

Subjects

Energy

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10255 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10255 To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to increase certain penalties for violations of the Act, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 3, 2026 Ms. Dexter (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Norton, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Min, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Simon, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Randall, Ms. Ansari, Mr. Cohen, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Salinas, Mr. Mullin, Mrs. Grijalva, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Liccardo) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to increase certain penalties for violations of the Act, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Penalties for Polluters Act''. SEC. 2. PENALTIES RELATING TO VIOLATIONS OF CERTAIN MINERAL LEASING ACTS. (a) Penalties Under Mineral Leasing Act.--Section 41 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 195) is amended-- (1) in subsection (b)-- (A) by striking ``Any person'' and inserting the following: ``(1) In general.--Any person''; (B) by striking ``$500,000'' and inserting ``$2,700,000''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(2) Inflation adjustment.--The Secretary of the Interior shall annually adjust the maximum penalty specified in paragraph (1) to reflect any increases in the Consumer Price Index (all items, United States city average) as prepared by the Department of Labor.''; and (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting ``$500,000''. (b) Penalties Under Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982.--The Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) is amended-- (1) in section 109-- (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``$500'' and inserting ``$3,000''; (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``$5,000'' and inserting ``$30,000''; (C) in subsection (c), by striking ``$10,000'' and inserting ``$65,000''; and (D) in subsection (d), by striking ``$25,000'' and inserting ``$160,000''; and (2) in section 110-- (A) by striking ``Any person'' and inserting the following: ``(a) In General.--Any person''; (B) by striking ``$50,000'' and inserting ``$320,000''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(b) Inflation Adjustment.--The Secretary shall annually adjust the maximum penalty specified in this section to reflect any increases in the Consumer Price Index (all items, United States city average) as prepared by the Department of Labor.''. (c) Penalties Under Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.--Section 24 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1350) is amended-- (1) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows: ``(b) Civil Penalties.-- ``(1) In general.--Any person who fails to comply with any provision of this Act, any regulation or order issued under this Act, or any term of a lease, license, or permit issued pursuant to this Act shall be liable, subject to paragraph (3), for a civil penalty of not more than $100,000, except as provided in paragraph (4), for each day of the continuance of such failure. ``(2) Assessment.--The Secretary may assess, collect, and compromise any such penalty. ``(3) Opportunity for a hearing.--The Secretary may not assess a penalty against a person described in paragraph (1) until such person has been given an opportunity for a hearing. ``(4) Threat of harm.--If a…
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failure described in paragraph (1) constitutes or constituted a threat of harm or damage to life (including fish and other aquatic life), property, any mineral deposit, or the marine, coastal, or human environment, a civil penalty of not more than $360,000 may be assessed for each day of the continuance of such failure.''; and (2) in subsection (c)-- (A) by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting ``$1,000,000''; and (B) by inserting ``The Secretary shall annually adjust the maximum penalty specified in this subsection to reflect any increases in the Consumer Price Index (all items, United States city average) as prepared by the Department of Labor.'' after the period at the end. (d) Penalties Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.--Section 4303 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2716a) is amended by striking ``$25,000'' and inserting ``$120,000''. (e) Penalty Revenue Reinvestment Fund.-- (1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the United States a separate account, to be known as the Penalty Revenue Reinvestment Fund (referred to in this subsection as the ``Fund''). (2) Source of funds.--Any amounts collected by the Secretary that are excess revenue shall be deposited into the Fund. (3) Use of funds.--Amounts deposited into the Fund in accordance with paragraph (2) shall be available to the Secretary without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation to be allocated as follows: (A) 50 percent to States, Indian Tribes, and local governments that the Secretary determines to have been harmed by a violation with respect to which excess revenue is collected by the Secretary. (B) 50 percent to the Office of Natural Resources Revenue, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Bureau of Land Management for continued enforcement and compliance activities under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.). (4) Definitions.--In this subsection: (A) Excess revenue.--The term ``excess revenue'' means the portion of any penalty assessed for a violation under section 41 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 195), section 109 or 110 of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1719; 30 U.S.C. 1720), or section 24 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1350) on or after the date of enactment of this Act that exceeds the maximum civil penalty amount that could have been assessed for the same violation under the applicable provision of law as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act. (B) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). (C) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior. (D) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States. <all>
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