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H.R. 4636: PLASTICS Act

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H.R. 4636: PLASTICS Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-10-11 · International Affairs · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-10-11 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. 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

PLASTICS Act

Plain summary

Partnering and Leveraging Assistance to Stop Trash for International Cleaner Seas Act or the PLASTICS Act This bill authorizes the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to prioritize and advance global efforts to prevent and reduce marine debris and plastic waste. The State Department and the USAID are authorized to work with private-sector and nongovernmental entities to complement such efforts. The bill also authorizes the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to establish an initiative to pursue investment opportunities to address plastic waste pollution and support improved waste management systems in developing countries.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed 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

PLASTICS Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · 21 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4636, PLASTICS Act (2020-11-02)

Cosponsors on this site

Brian J. Mast (R-FL), John R. Curtis (R-UT), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Brad Sherman (D-CA), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), William R. Keating (D-MA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] reported raising $276,976 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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)
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.
Ballot initiative
A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
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-cong116-hr4636 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116