S. 865: Spill Response and Prevention Surety Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-25 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. 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

Spill Response and Prevention Surety Act

Plain summary

Spill Response and Prevention Surety Act This bill provides support for responding to oil spills. Specifically, it makes permanent and modifies the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which provides funds to pay removal costs and claims for damages resulting from oil spills into navigable waters of the United States. Under current law, the fund is financed primarily by an excise tax on domestic crude oil and imported petroleum products. The bill expands the definition of crude oil for purposes of such tax to include any bitumen or bituminous mixture as well as any oil derived from a bitumen or bituminous mixture. The bill revises requirements governing the use of the funds. For example, the bill doubles the limit placed on expenditures from the fund that may be used for (1) any single incident, or (2) natural resource damages. In addition, the bill allows the fund to be used for carrying out grant programs established by this bill. The Department of Homeland Security must biennially award grants to eligible institutions of higher education for oil spill response research and technology development activities and programs as well as oil spill prevention activities and programs. Grants may also be given to states for oil spill prevention activities and programs.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

Spill Response and Prevention Surety Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] reported raising $11.5 million (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 (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).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s865.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s865 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116