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106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4913

To establish a system for the reimbursement of fines levied and collected

due to illegal practices engaged in by participants in the petroleum

industry to injured consumers based on the consumers’ distance from

Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 20, 2000

Mr. KIND introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on the Judiciary

A BILL

To establish a system for the reimbursement of fines levied

and collected due to illegal practices engaged in by participants in the petroleum industry to injured consumers

based on the consumers’ distance from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Got Gas? Act’’.

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

6 Congress finds the following:
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1 (1) Gasoline prices increased dramatically from

2 the beginning of June 2000, rising over eighty cents

3 per gallon to July 2000.

4 (2) During that time frame gasoline prices in

5 the Upper Midwestern region of the country in6 creased at twice the rate of the national average,

7 making consumers in this region the most adversely

8 affected by high gasoline prices.

9 (3) Due to the dramatic and unanticipated rise

10 in gas prices the Federal Trade Commission has un11 dertaken a formal investigation into possible price

12 gouging and other anti-competitive behaviors on the

13 part of the petroleum industry.

14 (4) If the Federal Trade Commission, during

15 the course of the investigation, uncovers anti-com16 petitive criminal violations, and if fines are levied

17 and collected, the money collected should be re18 turned to the consumers adversely affected, rather

19 than placed in the Federal Treasury.

20 (5) Efforts to identify and accurately indemnify

21 those consumers affected by anti-competitive prac22 tices are important and should be engaged.

23 (6) Being that the individual identification of

24 harmed consumers is extremely difficult in regard to

25 the purchase of gasoline, a national point based
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1 commodity reimbursement policy must be developed

2 to adequately reimburse injured consumers.

3 SEC. 3. REIMBURSING THE PARTIES INJURED DUE TO ILLE4 GAL PRACTICES ENGAGED IN BY THE PETRO5 LEUM INDUSTRY.

6 The Department of Justice shall have the authority

7 to develop a consumer reimbursement system of fines lev8 ied and collected as a result of any finding of anti-competi9 tive, collusive, or other illegal behavior on the part of par10 ticipants in the petroleum industry. Compensation shall be

11 distributed in a manner based upon injured consumers’

12 distance from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Such compensation

13 shall decrease proportionally with the injured consumers’

14 distance from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

15 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

16 For the purpose of this Act:

17 (1) the term ‘petroleum industry’ shall include

18 refiners, pipeline owners and operators, terminal

19 owners and operators, blend plant owners and opera20 tors, oil companies, and other petroleum market par21 ticipants.

22 (2) the term ‘fines levied and collected’ can in23 clude money recovered as a result of settlement of

24 any case.
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1 (3) the term ‘injured consumers’ means individ2 uals affected by any anti-competitive, collusive, price

3 fixing, price gouging, or other illegal behavior on the

4 part of participants in the petroleum industry.

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