H.R. 6345: Ensuring Meaningful Petition Outreach While Enhancing Rights of States Act of 2018

115th Congress · introduced 2018-07-12 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 818.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2018-07-12 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 818. 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

Ensuring Meaningful Petition Outreach While Enhancing Rights of States Act of 2018

Plain summary

Ensuring Meaningful Petition Outreach While Enhancing Rights of States Act of 2018 or the EMPOWERS Act of 2018 This bill amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to revise the process for listing, delisting, or reclassifying a species under the Act. Before submitting to the Department of the Interior or the Department of Commerce, as appropriate, a petition to list a species as a threatened or endangered species, the petitioner must notify each county and state in which the species is located of the intent to submit a petition. Upon finding that the petition may be warranted, the appropriate department must solicit advice from each county and state in which the species is located. If a state or county advises that the listing is not warranted, then the appropriate department may not proceed with the listing unless the department demonstrates that the information submitted in support of the advice is incorrect and that the listing is warranted. The bill expands requirements regarding providing notice of a proposed regulation that determines whether a species is endangered or threatened, including by requiring the appropriate department to provide notice to each person who requests a notice. The appropriate department must justify a final regulation that conflicts with the advice of a state or county.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House without amendment), 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

Ensuring Meaningful Petition Outreach While Enhancing Rights of States Act of 2018

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House without amendment)

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. Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2] · 31 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 6345, EMPOWERS Act of 2018 (2018-11-14)

Cosponsors on this site

Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Jason Smith (R-MO), Jim Banks (R-IN), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Ron Estes (R-KS), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Scott Perry (R-PA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Glenn Thompson (R-PA)

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 (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
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).
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.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House without amendment)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr6345.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr6345 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115