Congress·In Committee·H.R. 10255

Penalties for Polluters Act

Energy: Increasing Fines for Oil and Gas Violations

2 days ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

The Penalties for Polluters Act was sent to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on September 3, 2026. The bill has not moved since that date. It must receive a vote or approval from these committees before it can move forward in the House.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Very unlikely to pass

This bill only has Democratic sponsors and faces strong opposition from the energy industry, making it unlikely to pass in a divided Congress.

Key Points

This bill would significantly increase the fines that oil and gas companies pay when they break federal rules. For example, the maximum penalty for certain violations would jump from 500,000 dollars to 2.7 million dollars to better discourage companies from cutting corners.
The government would adjust these fines every year to keep up with the rising cost of living. This ensures that the penalties remain a strong deterrent even as the value of money changes over time.
A new fund would be created to hold the extra money collected from these higher fines. Half of this money would be given to states, local towns, and Native American tribes that were harmed by the company's actions.
The other half of the money would go back to the federal agencies that oversee drilling and mining. They would use the funds to pay for better enforcement and more frequent inspections to make sure companies are following environmental laws.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Sep 3, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Sep 3, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Penalties for Polluters Act

Bill NumberHR 10255

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(19)

D: 19

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.