H.R. 5609: Vessel Incidental Discharge Act

113th Congress · introduced 2014-09-18 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2014-09-18 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Hunter, Duncan D. [R-CA-50] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. 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

Vessel Incidental Discharge Act

Plain summary

Vessel Incidental Discharge Act - Sets forth provisions concerning standards for waste water discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, including discharges of ballast water (water taken into the ship's ballast to maintain stability). Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish and implement enforceable uniform national standards for the regulation of discharges from vessels into navigable waters and best management practices for discharges other than ballast water. Sets as the national standard the Coast Guard's 2012 "Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters." Requires DHS to revise the ballast water performance standard so that those discharges will contain less than specified concentrations of living organisms, indicator microbes, and viruses if DHS finds that the standard would be feasible. Requires ballast water treatment technology to be certified by DHS. Prohibits DHS from certifying a technology that uses certain biocides (substances or organisms introduced into or produced by the technology to reduce or eliminate aquatic nuisance species). Sets forth exemptions from permit requirements, prohibitions of any other law, and discharge standards under this Act for specified discharges and vessels. Authorizes DHS to establish alternative programs for compliance with ballast water discharge regulations for specified vessels. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate standards for the reception of ballast water from a vessel into a reception facility and the disposal or treatment of the ballast water. Establishes this Act as the exclusive statutory authority for federal regulation of discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel to which this Act applies.

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

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A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Vessel Incidental Discharge Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Hunter, Duncan D. [R-CA-50] · 14 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

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)

Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
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.
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-113hr5609.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr5609 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113