POLISCOPE
Back to feed
Part ofenergy
S4406FEDERALin_committee
High Impact

End Polluter Welfare Act of 2024

April 28, 2026

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.May 23, 2024
Lead sponsor

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If passed, this legislation would increase the cost of doing business for fossil fuel companies by raising royalty payments to the federal government and eliminating specific tax deductions, while simultaneously removing legal limits on financial liability for oil spill damages.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Fossil fuel production companies

These companies would face higher royalty payments, the loss of specific tax deductions, and increased financial liability for environmental damages.

Black Lung Disability Trust Fund beneficiaries

This group may see increased funding for the trust fund due to the proposed increase in coal excise taxes.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill proposes to eliminate a wide range of federal tax breaks, programs, and financial subsidies currently available to the coal, oil, and natural gas industries. It also seeks to increase royalty rates for fossil fuel extraction on federal lands and remove liability caps for offshore oil and gas operators.

Key Facts

  • Increases royalty rates for coal, oil, and natural gas leases on federal lands from 12.5% or 16.6% to 18.75%.
  • Removes existing liability caps for offshore facilities and pipeline operators regarding oil spill damages.
  • Repeals specific royalty relief programs for deep-water and shallow-water oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Eliminates the ability for fossil fuel companies to receive interest payments on royalty overpayments.
  • Terminates various tax deductions and credits, including percentage depletion for coal and hard minerals.
  • Repeals the corporate income tax exemption for publicly traded partnerships involved in fossil fuel activities.
  • Increases the excise tax rate used to fund the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.
  • Eliminates the 'last-in, first-out' (LIFO) inventory accounting method for oil, natural gas, and coal companies.
  • Requires geological and geophysical expenditures to be amortized over seven years.
  • Denies tax deductions for removal costs and damages associated with certain oil spills.
  • Prohibits international financial institutions and the Export-Import Bank from using appropriated funds for fossil fuel projects.
  • Repeals specific provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Inflation Reduction Act related to fossil fuel subsidies.

Why It Matters

If passed, this legislation would increase the cost of doing business for fossil fuel companies by raising royalty payments to the federal government and eliminating specific tax deductions, while simultaneously removing legal limits on financial liability for oil spill damages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill ban fossil fuel production?
No, the bill does not ban production; it removes federal subsidies, tax breaks, and programs that currently lower the costs for these companies.
How does this affect oil spill liability?
The bill removes the current financial caps on liability for offshore facilities and pipeline operators, meaning companies could be held responsible for the full cost of damages from spills.
What happens to the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund?
The bill increases the excise tax rate on coal production to provide more funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Direct Repeal of Recent Acts

The bill explicitly targets and seeks to repeal sections of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, signaling a direct legislative challenge to recent energy policy compromises.

Connected Entities

personChris Van HollenCo-sponsor.Map →
personEd MarkeyCo-sponsor.Map →
personBernie SandersLead sponsor of the bill in the U.S. Senate.Map →
personElizabeth WarrenCo-sponsor.Map →
personCory BookerCo-sponsor.Map →
personJeff MerkleyCo-sponsor.Map →
personPeter WelchCo-sponsor.Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy80
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz60
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record