H.R. 5445: Critical Infrastructure Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-12-17 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-12-17 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. 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

Critical Infrastructure Act of 2019

Plain summary

Critical Infrastructure Act of 2019 This bill (1) requires specified power administrations to disclose all estimated costs and factors affecting total power costs, such as costs for complying with environmental laws impacting the conservation of fish and wildlife, (2) prohibits the Department of the Interior from designating critical habitat in certain water infrastructure areas, and (3) provides exemptions from environmental review requirements for certain electrical power projects or construction projects that may affect prairie dogs. Specifically, the bill requires the Bonneville Power Administration, the Western Area Power Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, and the Southeastern Power Administration to include in monthly billing statements sent to each customer estimates of all costs and factors affecting total power costs. The estimates must include the customer's share of such administration's costs for compliance with any relevant federal environmental laws impacting the conservation of fish and wildlife. Each administration must report each year on (1) all estimated costs and factors affecting total power costs, including estimates of its total compliance costs; and (2) sources of replacement power. The bill prohibits Interior from designating critical habitat for endangered or threatened species in certain water storage, diversion, or delivery facilities. In addition, the bill exempts projects to install or maintain electrical transmission poles or power lines from environmental review requirements. The bill also exempts from such review construction projects that include buffer areas if the projects would otherwise only require an environmental assessment because of the presence of prairie dogs in such buffer areas.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in 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.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Critical Infrastructure Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ)

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)

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).
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.

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-116hr5445.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr5445 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116