Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act of 2025
Gold King Mine Spill: Compensation for Victims
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by the House Judiciary and Budget committees. It is actively moving forward as it waits for these committees to finish their initial work. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
This bill addresses a very specific local issue from a decade ago. While it has a clear purpose, bills that only benefit a small geographic area often struggle to gain national priority in Congress.
Key Points
- This bill provides money to people and businesses harmed by the 2015 Gold King Mine spill. That event happened when the EPA accidentally released 3 million gallons of toxic waste into rivers in Colorado and nearby areas.
- To get paid, a person or business must have already filed a claim with the government by August 2017. This bill is meant for those who were turned down or did not get enough money to cover their actual losses.
- The money covers specific damages like lost farm crops, the cost of moving livestock to find clean water, and lost business income from late 2015. It does not cover emotional distress or lost income from vacation rentals.
- The government would set aside up to $3.3 million to pay these claims. The EPA must review each request and decide on the payment amount within 180 days of the bill becoming law.
- If a person accepts a payment, they give up their right to sue the government for this spill in the future. However, anyone unhappy with the EPA's decision can ask a federal court in Colorado to review their case.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act of 2025
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.