H.R. 5863: Oil Pollution Wildlife Protection Act

111th Congress · introduced 2010-07-26 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-07-26 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife. 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

Oil Pollution Wildlife Protection Act

Plain summary

Oil Pollution Wildlife Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to publish in the Federal Register and make electronically available to the public the Secretary's decision to approve, deny, or modify any geological and geophysical exploration, development, or production plans. Repeals the exemption of the Gulf of Mexico from oil and gas development and production requirements for the outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Prohibits the Secretary from approving any geological and geophysical exploration, development, or production plan, or any significant plan revision, or from granting any license or permit unless the Secretary certifies that: (1) such plan is in compliance with specified statutes, regulations, and legal authorities; and (2) all requisite authorizations have been issued for activities to be conducted under the plan. Requires the Secretary to consult with the Secretaries of Commerce or of the Interior regarding any endangered species or fisheries that occur in the proposed area of activity. Requires the Secretaries of Commerce or of the Interior to incorporate in environmental studies of areas or regions included in an oil and gas lease sale or other lease any takings of marine mammal species or stock from any other reasonably foreseeable activities when determining whether takings from specified OCSLA activities will have a negligible impact on a marine mammal species or stock, and not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of such species or stock for taking for subsistence uses. Permits citizen suits against the United States and any other subject instrumentality or agency that is alleged to have approved a leasing program, lease sale, exploration plan or permit, or development and production plan, without having prepared an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment, or without having complied with other related requirements. Authorizes a person to commence a civil action on the person's own behalf to enjoin any person alleged to have failed to obtain proper authorization pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

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

Oil Pollution Wildlife Protection Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

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 (5)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Federal Register: The official daily publication of the U.S. government for agency rules, proposed rules, public notices and presidential documents.
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.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

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-111hr5863.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr5863 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111