H.R. 4993: To clarify the effect of State statutes of repose on the required commencement date for actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.

113th Congress · introduced 2014-06-26 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

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Where it came from: introduced 2014-06-26 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. 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 clarify the effect of State statutes of repose on the required commencement date for actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.

Plain summary

Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to preempt a state statute of repose for actions brought under state law for personal injury or property damages caused from or contributed to by exposure to any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, if the state statute provides a commencement date that is earlier than the federally required commencement date. (Currently, CERCLA preempts state statutes of limitations, which limit the amount of time a lawsuit can commence from the time the contamination is discovered. The Supreme Court ruled in CTS Corp. v. Waldburger that North Carolina's statute of repose was not preempted by CERCLA. That statute of repose limits the amount of time a lawsuit can commence to 10 years from the defendant's last action, regardless of when the contamination is discovered.)

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

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To clarify the effect of State statutes of repose on the required commencement date for actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Paul Tonko (D-NY)

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)

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-113hr4993.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr4993 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113