STREAM Act

Bill: 114-hr-1644
Sponsor: Rep. Mooney, Alexander X. [R-WV-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-26 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Coal
Department of the Interior
Economic performance and conditions
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental regulatory procedures
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Lakes and rivers
Mining
Water quality
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-26
text: 

Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining Act or the STREAM Act

 
This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to direct the Department of the Interior to make publicly available, 90 days before publication, any draft, supplemental, final, or emergency rule, or any environmental analysis or economic assessment, and each scientific product upon which the Secretary has relied in developing the rule, the analysis, or the assessment.
 
 For scientific products receiving federal funds Interior must also make publicly available: (1) the raw data used for them, and (2) the background information of the authors of the scientific study.
 
If Interior withholds any scientific product for more than six months, it must withdraw the rule, environmental analysis, or economic assessment.
 
Interior shall contract with the National Academy of Sciences for its Board on Earth Sciences and Resources to conduct a detailed, comprehensive study of the effectiveness of the &quot;Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations Permanent Regulatory Program; Stream Buffer Zones and Fish, Wildlife, and Related Environmental Values&quot; Final Rule in protecting perennial and intermittent streams through the use of stream buffer zones. 
 
 Until one year after publication of the Board's report to Congress, Interior may not issue any proposed or final regulations under the Act that relate either to stream buffer zones or to stream protection. 
 
The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 is further amended to declare that nothing in it authorizes Interior to take any action that duplicates, enforces, or determines compliance with specified mining, environmental, or fish and wildlife law.

action_date: 2015-10-01
text: 

Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining Act or the STREAM Act

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to direct the Department of the Interior to make publicly available online and in the Federal Register, 90 days before publication, any draft, proposed, supplemental, final, or emergency rule, or any environmental analysis, economic assessment, policy, or guidance, and each scientific product upon which the Department has relied in developing the rule, the analysis, or the assessment.
 
A scientific product is any product that:
 
 
employs the scientific method for inventorying, monitoring, experimenting, studying, researching, or modeling purposes; and
 
is relied upon by Interior in developing any rule, environmental analysis, economic assessment, policy, or guidance. 
 
 
For scientific products receiving federal funds Interior must also make publicly available the raw data used for them (any computational process or quantitative or qualitative data not protected by copyright or containing personally identifiable information, sensitive intellectual property, trade secrets, or business-sensitive information).
 
If Interior fails to make publicly available any scientific product for longer than six months, it must withdraw the rule, environmental analysis, or economic assessment policy or guidance. This requirement shall not apply, however, if a delay in the publication of a rule will pose an imminent and severe threat to human life.
 
(Sec. 3) Interior shall arrange with the National Academy of Sciences for its Board on Earth Sciences and Resources to conduct a detailed, comprehensive study of the effectiveness of the &quot;Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations Permanent Regulatory Program; Stream Buffer Zones and Fish, Wildlife, and Related Environmental Values&quot; Final Rule in protecting perennial and intermittent streams through the use of stream buffer zones. The study shall include suggestions and recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of the rule if it finds regulatory inefficiencies.
 
Appropriations for the study are authorized for FY2016-FY2017.
 
 Until one year after publication of the Board's report to Congress, Interior may not issue any proposed or final regulations under the Act that relate either to stream buffer zones or to stream protection. 
 
(Sec. 4) The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 is further amended to declare that nothing in it authorizes Interior to take any action that duplicates, implements, interprets, enforces, or determines compliance with specified mining, environmental, or fish and wildlife law.

action_date: 2016-01-12
text: 

Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining Act or the STREAM Act

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to direct the Department of the Interior to make publicly available online and in the Federal Register, 90 days before publication, any draft, proposed, supplemental, final, or emergency rule, or any environmental analysis, economic assessment, policy, or guidance, and each scientific product upon which Interior has relied in developing the rule, the analysis, or the assessment.
 
A scientific product is any product that:
 
 
employs the scientific method for inventorying, monitoring, experimenting, studying, researching, or modeling purposes; 
 
is relied upon by Interior in developing any rule, environmental analysis, economic assessment, policy, or guidance; and
 
is not protected under copyright laws.
 
 
For scientific products receiving federal funds Interior must also make publicly available the raw data used for them (any computational process or quantitative or qualitative data not protected by copyright or containing personally identifiable information, sensitive intellectual property, trade secrets, or business-sensitive information).
 
If Interior fails to make publicly available any scientific product for longer than six months, it must withdraw the rule, environmental analysis, or economic assessment policy or guidance. This requirement shall not apply if a delay in the publication of a rule will pose an imminent and severe threat to human life.
 
(Sec. 3) Interior shall arrange with the National Academy of Sciences for its Board on Earth Sciences and Resources to conduct a detailed, comprehensive study of the effectiveness of the &quot;Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations Permanent Regulatory Program; Stream Buffer Zones and Fish, Wildlife, and Related Environmental Values&quot; Final Rule in protecting perennial and intermittent streams through the use of stream buffer zones. The study shall include suggestions and recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of the rule if it finds regulatory inefficiencies.
 
Appropriations for the study are authorized for FY2016-FY2017.
 
 Until one year after publication of the Board's report to Congress, Interior may not issue any proposed or final regulations under the Act that relate either to stream buffer zones or to stream protection. 
 
(Sec. 4) The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 is further amended to declare that nothing in it authorizes Interior to take any action that duplicates, implements, interprets, enforces, or determines compliance with specified mining, environmental, or fish and wildlife law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-01-19
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 235 - 188 (Roll no. 42).
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 235 - 188 (Roll no. 42).
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 186 - 237 (Roll no. 41).
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H322)
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Kildee motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to insert language stating that either an imminent or long-term threat to human life or increase the incidence or prevalence of lung cancer, heart or kidney disease, birth defects, or heavy metal contaimination in communities in the vicinities of mountaintop removal cola mining projects.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: Mr. Kildee moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Natural Resources. (consideration: CR H321-322; text: CR H321)
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H315-316)
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H321)
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 1644.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Sewell amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Ms. Sewell demanded a recorded voted and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 583, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Sewell amendment No. 4.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Cartwright amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Cartwright demanded a recorded voted and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 583, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cartwright amendment No. 3.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Kildee amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Kildee demanded a recorded voted and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 583, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Kildee amendment No. 2.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 583, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Lamborn amendment No. 1.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 1644.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: The Speaker designated the Honorable Erik Paulsen to act as Chairman of the Committee.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 583 and Rule XVIII.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1644, S.J. Res. 22 and H.R. 3662. The resolution also provides for proceedings during the period from January 14, 2016, through January 22, 2016.
action_date: 2016-01-12
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 583. (consideration: CR H308-323)
action_date: 2016-01-11
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 583 Reported to House. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1644, S.J. Res. 22 and H.R. 3662. The resolution also provides for proceedings during the period from January 14, 2016, through January 22, 2016.
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 209.
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 114-277.
action_date: 2015-10-01
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 114-277.
action_date: 2015-09-10
text: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged.
action_date: 2015-09-10
text: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 12.
action_date: 2015-09-10
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2015-09-09
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2015-05-14
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2015-04-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2015-03-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-03-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-26
text: Introduced in House