Sen. Cantwell Introduces Bill to Double Penalties for Gas Price Manipulation
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Although gas prices are a major issue for voters, this bill faces a tough path because it lacks Republican support and increases regulations on the energy industry.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small fuel retailers and distributors face new survey and reporting requirements that could add compliance costs, though companies with a 'de minimis market presence' may be exempted. On the positive side, increased market transparency and crackdowns on manipulation by larger players could create a more level playing field for independent operators who have less market power.
“The Administrator shall exempt an energy company from participating in the surveys conducted under subparagraph (A) if the energy company has a de minimis market presence or impact, as determined by the Administrator.”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The bill establishes a new Transportation Fuel Monitoring and Enforcement Unit within the FTC and doubles maximum penalties for wholesale oil market manipulation to $2,000,000 per day per violation. It also directs the EIA to publish more granular data on fuel volumes and pricing.
As Californians face rising gas prices driven by the Trump Administration's ongoing war in Iran, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla joined colleagues in introducing the Transportation Fuel Market Transparency Act to crack down on petroleum market manipulation and protect consumers from price spikes.
The bill aims to protect consumers from fuel market anomalies by increasing transparency and penalizing bad actors up to $2 million per day. It would strengthen the FTC's authority to go after false market information designed to inflate fuel prices across gasoline, diesel, and biofuels markets.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Transportation Fuel Market Transparency Act
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.