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To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to increase certain criminal fines, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill increases criminal penalties for violations of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act). It raises the maximum fine for certain violations from $5,000 to $25,000 for first offenses, from $50,000 to $250,000 for second offenses, and from $100,000 to $500,000 for third or subsequent offenses. The bill establishes an automatic annual adjustment mechanism for these penalties based on the Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers, with the Environmental Protection Agency required to publish updated penalty amounts in the Federal Register each year. These adjusted penalties apply only to violations committed after the adjustment is published.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
Actions (3)
- Feb 2, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. · house
- Dec 11, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Dec 11, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 11, 2025
Ms. Barragan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to increase certain criminal fines, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Clean Water Justice Act”.
SEC. 2. CRIMINAL PENALTIES.
Section 309(c)(2) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(2)) is amended, in the matter following subparagraph
(B)—
(1) by striking “$5,000” and inserting “$25,000 (subject to adjustments under this paragraph)”;
(2) by striking “$50,000” and inserting “$250,000 (subject to adjustments under this paragraph)”;
(3) by striking “$100,000” and inserting “$500,000 (subject to adjustments under this paragraph)”; and
(4) by adding at the end the following: “The Administrator shall annually adjust the maximum penalties under this paragraph by the percentage (if any) by which the Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers published by the Department of Labor for the month of October preceding the date of the adjustment exceeds such Consumer Price Index for the month of October in the preceding year, and shall publish each such adjustment in the Federal Register. An adjustment shall apply only with regard to a violation committed after the date of such publication.”. <all>
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