S. 3542: Oil Spill Compensation Act of 2010

111th Congress · introduced 2010-06-28 · Energy · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-06-28 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. 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 Spill Compensation Act of 2010

Plain summary

Oil Spill Compensation Act of 2010 - Establishes within the Department of the Interior the Office of Deepwater Horizon Claims Compensation (ODHCC) to provide timely, fair compensation, on a no-fault basis and in a nonadversarial manner, to persons and state or local governments that have incurred economic damages as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident. Directs the ODHCC Administrator to establish: (1) a comprehensive claimant assistance program, which shall establish resource centers in areas with large concentrations of potential claimants; and (2) an Advisory Committee on Deepwater Horizon Compensation. Prescribes requirements for Deepwater Horizon compensation and related claims procedures. Declares that a claimant shall not be required to demonstrate that the damages for which the claim is being made resulted from the negligence or other fault of any other person (general rule of no-fault compensation). Specifies kinds of covered damages. Requires payment of damages by the responsible parties via the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. National Commission on Outer Continental Shelf Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2010 - Establishes in the Legislative branch the National Commission on Outer Continental Shelf Oil Spill Prevention, which shall examine and report to the President and Congress on the facts and causes relating to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill of 2010. Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to direct the President to: (1) establish a set of limits for strict liability for damages for incidents occurring from offshore facilities (other than deepwater ports) covered by Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leases issued after enactment of the Oil Spill Compensation Act of 2010; and (2) promulgate regulations that allow advance payments from the Fund to state and local governments for actions taken to prepare for and mitigate substantial threats from the discharge of oil. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set a Fund financing rate of: (1) 60 cents per barrel for any petroleum product entered into the United States from a non-World Trade Organization (WTO) country; and (2) 20 cents per barrel in any other case. Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to direct the Interagency Committee to establish: (1) a regional subcommittee for each of the Gulf of Mexico and Arctic regions of the United States; and (2) other regional subcommittees as necessary. Directs the Interagency Committee to coordinate a comprehensive federal oil spill research and development program, including grants to institutions of higher education or other research institutions. Authorizes the Incident Commander of the Coast Guard to authorize the use of dispersants in response to a spill of oil from any facility or vessel located in, on, or under any U.S. navigable waters, and any facility of any kind subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to prescribe requirements for revenue sharing from OCS areas in certain coastal states and from areas in the Alaska Adjacent zone. Amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to revise requirements for revenue sharing to promote coastal resiliency among Gulf of Mexico producing states. Amends OCSLA to direct the Secretary of the Interior to require oil produced from federal leases in certain Arctic waters, except in preproduction phases (including explorations), to be transported by pipeline to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens' Advisory Council Act of 2010 - Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to establish a Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens' Advisory Council.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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 Spill Compensation Act of 2010

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] reported raising $1.4 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 (4)

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.
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
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.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s3542.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s3542 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111