H.R. 5698: To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect employees from retaliation for notifying government officials of violations of those Acts, and for other purposes.

H.R. 5698: To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect employees from retaliation for notifying government officials of violations of those Acts, and for other purposes.

111th Congress · introduced 2010-07-01 · Energy · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-07-01 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Melancon, Charlie [D-LA-3] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect employees from retaliation for notifying government officials of violations of those Acts, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit any person or employer from discharging any employee or discriminating against any employee with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or other employment privileges because the employee (or any person acting for the employee): (1) notified the appropriate federal official, a federal or state law enforcement or regulatory agency, or the employee's employer of an alleged violation of such Acts; (2) refused to participate in any conduct that the employee reasonably believed to be in noncompliance with requirements of such Acts if the employee identified the alleged noncompliance to the employer; (3) testified before or otherwise provided information relevant for Congress or for any federal or state proceeding regarding any provision of such Acts; (4) commenced or testified in a proceeding under such Acts; or (5) assisted or participated in any manner in such a proceeding or or in any other action to carry out such Acts. Authorizes an employee who alleges discrimination by an employer in violation of this Act to seek relief by filing a complaint with the Secretary of Labor.

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

To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect employees from retaliation for notifying government officials of violations of those Acts, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Melancon, Charlie [D-LA-3] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

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)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hr5698.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr5698 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111