S. 3746: A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to improve the loan guarantee program of the Department of Energy under title XVII of that Act.

111th Congress · introduced 2010-08-05 · Energy · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6899-6900)

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-08-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM] · 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 Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6899-6900) 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

A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to improve the loan guarantee program of the Department of Energy under title XVII of that Act.

Plain summary

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPA) to prohibit federal loan guarantees for innovative technologies unless: (1) an appropriation for the cost of the guarantee has been made; (2) the Secretary of Energy (DOE) has received and deposited into the Treasury payment in full from the borrower for the cost of the guarantee; or (3) a combination of appropriations or payments from the borrower has been made that is sufficient to cover the cost of the guarantee. Authorizes the Secretary to waive requirements to provide a third-party credit report if: (1) such report, in the Secretary's opinion, is not relevant to the determination of the credit risk of a project; (2) the project costs are not projected to exceed $100 million; and (3) the applicant agrees to accept the credit rating the Secretary assigns. Authorizes the head of the loan guarantee program, if there is either a severe shortage of candidates or a severe hiring need for particular positions, to recruit and directly appoint into the competitive service highly qualified critical personnel with specialized knowledge important to program functions (direct hire authority). Amends the EPA and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to authorize the Secretary to: (1) retain agents and professional advisors in connection with guarantees and related activities; and (2) require loan guarantee applicants and recipients to pay all fees and expenses of such agents and advisors. Authorizes the Secretary to make energy efficiency loan guarantees for projects starting construction by September 30, 2011, to retrofit residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, facilities, and equipment.

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

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to improve the loan guarantee program of the Department of Energy under title XVII of that Act.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

Agencies named in this bill

Department of Energy: its federal spending and other bills that name it

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

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)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
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.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
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-111s3746.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s3746 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111