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S. 822: BUILD Act

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S. 822: BUILD Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-04-04 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 213.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-04-04 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 213. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

BUILD Act

Plain summary

Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2017 or the BUILD Act This bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to revise programs and funding regarding brownfields. (Brownfields are certain commercial properties that are hindered from reuse or redevelopment due to the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Owners or operators of such sites may be financially liable for cleanup costs.) (Sec. 2) The bill makes certain nonprofit organizations and community development entities eligible for brownfields revitalization funding. (Sec. 3) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must provide multipurpose grants to carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, or remediation activities at brownfield sites. (Sec. 4) The brownfield site characterization and assessment grant program is revised to authorize eligible governmental entities to receive grants for property that was acquired before January 11, 2002, even if the entities do not qualify as bona fide prospective purchasers. (Sec. 5) The bill increases the cap on the amount that may be given in grants and loans for each site to be remediated. (Sec. 7) The EPA must (currently, may) award grants for training, research, and technical assistance to facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation. The EPA may use up to a specified amount of the funding to assist small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, or disadvantaged areas. (Sec. 8) The EPA must give consideration to waterfront brownfield sites located adjacent to bodies of water or federally designated floodplains when providing brownfield grants. (Sec. 9) The EPA must award grants to: (1) carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, feasibility analysis, design, or remediation activities to locate a clean energy project at brownfield sites; and (2) capitalize a revolving loan fund for those purposes. A clean energy project means: (1) a facility that generates renewable electricity from wind, solar, or geothermal energy; and (2) any energy efficiency improvement project at a facility. (Sec. 11) The bill excludes state and local governments as owners or operators regarding property acquired through law enforcement activity, escheatment, and eminent domain. Alaska Native villages and corporations are excluded as owners or operators if they received contaminated property from the federal government. This exclusion does not apply to an entity that causes or contributes to a hazardous substance release. The bill allows tenants and lessees of a property to qualify as bona fide prospective purchasers. (Sec. 12) The bill: (1) reauthorizes through FY2020 and revises brownfields revitalization funding, and (2) reauthorizes through FY2020 state and tribal response programs (programs responding to brownfields).

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), 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

BUILD Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 822, Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2017 (2017-08-17)

Cosponsors on this site

Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (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 (2)
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).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-s822 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115