PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 4260: Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2004

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 4260: Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2004-05-04 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2004-05-04 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI-2] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2004

Plain summary

Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2004 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program for projects to: (1) reduce free-flowing elemental mercury and mercury-added products from the environment; (2) safely dispose of or recycle mercury; (3) educate communities and citizens about mercury's harmful effects; (4) develop and carry out a plan for eliminating free-flowing mercury and instruments containing mercury from K-12 public and private schools; or (5) carry out a mercury thermometer exchange program. Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) prohibit the sale or supplying of mercury fever thermometers to consumers except by prescription; and (2) require manufacturers of such prescribed thermometers to provide instructions on careful handling to avoid breakage and proper cleanup in the event of breakage. Requires contractors who replace building thermostats in residential or commercial buildings to dispose of replaced thermometers through recycling programs established or participated in by building thermostat manufacturers as required by this Act. Requires the Administrator to publish guidance to assist State and local governments in removing elemental free-flowing mercury and mercury-added instruments from public and private schools. Directs the Administrator to issue regulations requiring dentists to install a device that captures 90 percent or more of mercury-laden amalgam on every chair or office structure in which mercury amalgam is administered to patients.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Safe Communities and Safe Schools Mercury Reduction Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI-2] · 17 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ed Case (D-HI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI-2] reported raising $3.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hr4260 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108