Petroleum Moratorium Act
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary.
Petroleum Moratorium Act - States that no person directly or indirectly engaged in the production of crude petroleum who possesses a major market share shall (1) control either directly or indirectly any pipeline or refinery which, on the effective date of this Act is controlled by any person who does not possess a major market share; or (2) operate either directly or indirectly any out- let which, on the effective date of this Act, is not operated by such person, or any subsidiary corporation or salaried employee of such person. States that a knowing violation of this provision shall be punished by a fine of not exceeding $100,000 or by imprisonment for not exceeding ten years, or both. Directs the Federal Trade Commission, the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Federal Energy Office (or any successor office), the Secretary of Commerce, the Comptroller General, and the Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs to each undertake a study of the actions which may be required to preserve and enhance competition in the production, refining, transportation, and marketing of petroleum and petroleum products in the United States.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on May 6, 1974. 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 6, 1974: Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 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?
WALTER MONDALE (D-MN) introduced it on May 6, 1974, and 8 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 7 Democrats, 1 Republican.
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 6, 1974, 19120 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19120 days ago, on May 6, 1974.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers