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119-hr-9663119th Congress

State Standing Committee Act

Sponsored By: Representative Baird, James R. [R-IN-4]

Introduced

Summary

State Standing Committee — this bill would create a new committee inside the Environmental Protection Agency to give each State, Federal district, Federal territory, and Federally recognized Tribe a formal channel to offer scientific and technical advice on federal environmental laws. It also would require annual reports to two specified congressional committees about the Board and the new committee's membership and activities.

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  • State, territorial, district, and tribal environmental agencies would get one designated seat each to offer advice on laws like the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. This seat must be filled by someone who lives in or represents the jurisdiction and is qualified by education, training, or experience.
  • Committee members would serve unpaid and on a voluntary, ad hoc basis and could include Federal employees only if they meet the bill's government-employment requirements. Vacancies would be filled within 90 days.
  • The Committee and its members could give majority and minority scientific or technical views and form Working Groups for issues affecting one or more jurisdictions. The Administrator would have to publish advice on EPA's website within 30 days of receiving it.
  • The bill removes the Federal Advisory Committee Act from applying to this panel and expands what matters the Board may consider. It also directs the Administrator to report to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works within one year and every year after on membership and activities of the Board, every committee and investigative panel, and the State Standing Committee.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Committee advice and public posting

If enacted, the bill would let the State Standing Committee give scientific and technical advice to the EPA Administrator and the Science Advisory Board. The Committee could send majority and minority views and individual members could give advice about their own jurisdiction, even without a formal referral. The Committee could form working groups for one or more jurisdictions. The Administrator would have to post any advice on an EPA website within 30 days. The Committee would be exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Expanded EPA advisory scope and reports

If enacted, the bill would let the new Committee advise EPA on many major environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, Superfund, pesticides law, chemical safety law, hazardous waste law, the Noise Control Act, the Pollution Prevention Act, and other EPA authorities. It would also update the Science Advisory Board's listed matters to include some of these laws. The bill would require the EPA Administrator to report to Congress not later than one year after enactment and annually after that. Reports would go to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and would cover membership and activities of the Science Advisory Board, its panels, and the State Standing Committee.

New state and Tribal EPA committee

If enacted, the bill would create a State Standing Committee inside the EPA. Each State, Federal district, territory, and Federally recognized Tribe would have one member. Members would need to live in or belong to the place they represent and work for a local or Tribal government agency that handles environmental rules. The Administrator and the Science Advisory Board would pick members through an open, competitive process. Members would serve without pay, and any vacancy must be filled within 90 days.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Baird, James R. [R-IN-4]

IN • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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