Federal Coal-Fired Powerplant Siting Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Federal Coal-Fired Powerplant Siting Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to coordinate the planning and scheduling of Federal, State, and local agency proceedings relating to the siting of coal-fired powerplants (any stationary electric generating unit which uses coal as a fuel to produce electric power). States that the Secretary may, with respect to the siting of such a powerplant, require one environmental impact statement to be used by all the Federal agencies involved. Authorizes the Secretary to require Federal agencies to conduct consolidated proceedings with respect to any coal-fired powerplant matters over which there is concurrent jurisdiction. Requires the Secretary, with the concurrence of State agencies, to prescribe consolidated proceedings procedures for matters over which Federal and State agencies have concurrent jurisdiction. Directs the Secretary to establish a reasonable deadline for Federal agency decisions on the siting of coal-fired powerplants. Directs the Secretary to provide Federal assistance to State programs for coordinating and improving decision procedures for the construction and operation of coal-fired powerplants. Sets forth the criteria for such programs. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to eliminate duplicative application and reporting form requirements for any person proposing a coal-fired powerplant project. Requires an applicant for a license, permit, or approval from any Federal agency for construction or operation of a new coal-fired powerplant which is not proximately sited to explain in the application why proximate siting is infeasible. States that the Secretary may, by rule, pay the costs of participating in a Federal proceeding with respect to a coal-fired powerplant to any intervenor who is unable to pay such costs.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on May 29, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on May 29, 1980: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
DONALD PEASE (D-OH) introduced it on May 29, 1980. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 29, 1980, 16905 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16905 days ago, on May 29, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers