H.R. 1568: Oil Pollution Research and Development Program Reauthorization Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-04-14 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-04-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Woolsey, Lynn C. [D-CA-6] · 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 Environment. 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 Research and Development Program Reauthorization Act of 2011

Plain summary

Oil Pollution Research and Development Program Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to revise provisions concerning the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research. Revises Committee membership. Requires the Committee, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to: (1) develop a national information clearinghouse on oil discharge; and (2) submit a plan for the implementation of the oil pollution research, development, and demonstration program at least every five years. Requires oil pollution research and technology plans to identify: (1) regional oil pollution research needs ; (2) information needed to conduct risk assessment and risk analysis research to effectively prevent oil discharges; and (3) a methodology for the solicitation, evaluation, preapproval, funding, and utilization of technologies and research projects in advance of oil discharges. Requires the oil pollution research, development, and demonstration program to provide for research, development, and demonstration of new or improved technologies which are effective in preventing, detecting, containing, recovering, or mitigating (currently preventing or mitigating) oil discharges and which protect the environment. Revises provisions concerning the evaluation of such technologies. Requires the Committee, in establishing a research program to monitor and scientifically evaluate the environmental effects of oil discharge (including long-term effects), to act through the Administrator of NOAA. Revises requirements for program elements. Requires the Committee, acting through the Administrator of NOAA (currently the Department of Commerce), to monitor and scientifically evaluate the long-term environmental effects of oil discharges under certain circumstances. Removes requirements that the Coast Guard conduct port oil pollution minimization demonstration projects with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana. Requires oil pollution technology testing and evaluations to be given priority over all other activities performed at the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank Research Center in New Jersey. Requires the Committee to engage in international cooperation on oil pollution research, development, and demonstration activities. Requires the Committee Chair to establish the Oil Pollution Research Advisory Committee to: (1) review, advise, and comment on Interagency Committee activities; and (2) submit biennial reports to Congress on the Interagency Committee's function, activities, and progress. Increases the maximum amount that may be authorized for the oil pollution research, development, and demonstration program from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Requires any entity that receives federal funding for research, the methodologies or results of which may be useful for response activities in the event of an oil discharge incident, to make such methodologies or results of such research available to the Interagency Committee and the Federal On-Scene Coordinator of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act).

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 Research and Development Program Reauthorization Act of 2011

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. Woolsey, Lynn C. [D-CA-6] · 15 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), William R. Keating (D-MA)

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)

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.

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-112hr1568.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr1568 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112