,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hddj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bb1 #bjbf,mr4
 ,carter of ,louisiana 7for himself and 
,mrs4 ,fletcher7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1
 and in addition to the ,committees on  
,transportation and ,infrastructure1    
,agriculture1 ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology1 and ,rules1 for a period to
 be subsequently determined by the      
,speaker1 in each case for consideration
 of such provisions as fall within the  
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,administrator
 of the ,environmental ,protection      
,agency to seek congressional approval  
prior to dismissing lawsuits1 or        
withdrawing referrals to the ,department
 of ,justice of claims1 relating to the 
release of certain carcinogens1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,zealously    
,eliminating ,legal ,decisions of       

,ineptitude and ,negligence ,act or the 
,,zeldin ,act4  #b4 ,congressional      
approval procedure for dismissal of     
lawsuits or withdrawal of referral of   
claims relating to release of           
carcinogens  7a7 ,conditions for        
dismissal or withdrawal ,the            
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency may only dismiss a  
lawsuit filed by the ,environmental     
,protection ,agency relating to a       
covered claim1 or withdraw a referral to
 the ,department of ,justice of a       
covered claim1 if-- 7#a7 the            
,administrator provides notice of such  
dismissal or withdrawal under subsection
 7b72 and  7#b7 a joint resolution of   
approval with respect to such dismissal 
or withdrawal is enacted pursuant to    
subsection 7c74  7b7 ,notice ,the       
,administrator shall notify both ,houses
 of ,congress if the ,administrator     
seeks to--  7#a7 dismiss a lawsuit filed
 by the ,environmental ,protection      
,agency relating to a covered claim2 or 

7#b7 withdraw a referral to the         
,department of ,justice of a covered    
claim4  7c7 ,congressional approval     
7#a7 ,consideration in the ,house of    
,representatives  7,a7 ,reporting and   
discharge ,any committee of the ,house  
of ,representatives to which a joint    
resolution of approval is referred shall
 report it to the ,house without        
amendment not later than #c legislative 
days after the date of introduction     
thereof4 ,if a committee fails to report
 the joint resolution of approval within
 that period1 the committee shall be    
discharged from further consideration of
 the joint resolution of approval4  7,b7
 ,proceeding to consideration ,it shall 
be in order1 at any time after the first
 legislative day after each committee   
authorized to consider a joint          
resolution of approval has reported or  
has been discharged from consideration  
of a joint resolution of approval1 to   
move to proceed to consider the joint   
resolution of approval in the ,house4   

,all points of order against the motion 
are waived4 ,such a motion shall not be 
in order after the ,house has disposed  
of a motion to proceed on a joint       
resolution of approval addressing a     
particular submission4 ,the previous    
question shall be considered as ordered 
on the motion to its adoption without   
intervening motion4 ,the motion shall   
not be debatable4 ,a motion to          
reconsider the vote by which the motion 
is disposed of shall not be in order4   
7,c7 ,consideration ,the joint          
resolution of approval shall be         
considered as read4 ,all points of order
 against the joint resolution of        
approval and against its consideration  
are waived4 ,the previous question shall
 be considered as ordered on the joint  
resolution of approval to its passage   
without intervening motion except #b    
hours of debate equally divided and     
controlled by the proponent and an      
opponent4 ,a motion to reconsider the   
vote on passage of the joint resolution 

of approval shall not be in order4  7#b7
 ,consideration in the ,senate  7,a7    
,reporting and discharge ,any committee 
of the ,senate to which a joint         
resolution of approval is referred shall
 report it to the ,senate without       
amendment not later than #c session days
 after the date of introduction thereof4
 ,if a committee fails to report the    
joint resolution of approval within that
 period1 the committee shall be         
discharged from further consideration of
 the joint resolution of approval1 and  
the joint resolution of approval shall  
be placed on the calendar4  7,b7 ,floor 
consideration  7i7 ,in general          
,notwithstanding ,rule ,,xxii of the    
,standing ,rules of the ,senate1 it is  
in order1 at any time after the third   
session day on which a ,committee has   
reported or has been discharged from    
consideration of a joint resolution of  
approval 7even though a previous motion 
to the same effect has been disagreed   
to71 to move to proceed to the          

consideration of the joint resolution of
 approval1 and all points of order      
against the joint resolution of approval
 7and against consideration of the joint
 resolution of approval7 are waived4    
,the motion to proceed is not debatable4
 ,the motion is not subject to a motion 
to postpone4 ,a motion to reconsider the
 vote by which the motion is agreed to  
or disagreed to shall not be in order4  
,if a motion to proceed to the          
consideration of the joint resolution of
 approval is agreed to1 the joint       
resolution of approval shall remain the 
unfinished business until disposed of4  
7ii7 ,consideration ,consideration of   
the joint resolution of approval1 and on
 all debatable motions and appeals in   
connection therewith1 shall be limited  
to not more than #b hours1 which shall  
be divided equally between the majority 
and minority leaders or their designees4
 ,a motion to further limit debate is in
 order and not debatable4 ,an amendment 
to1 or a motion to postpone1 or a motion

 to proceed to the consideration of     
other business1 or a motion to recommit 
the joint resolution of approval is not 
in order4  7iii7 ,vote on passage ,if   
the ,senate has voted to proceed to a   
joint resolution of approval1 the vote  
on passage of the joint resolution of   
approval shall occur immediately        
following the conclusion of             
consideration of the joint resolution of
 approval1 and a single quorum call at  
the conclusion of the debate if         
requested in accordance with the rules  
of the ,senate4  7iv7 ,rulings of the   
,chair on procedure ,appeals from the   
decisions of the ,chair relating to the 
application of the rules of the ,senate1
 as the case may be1 to the procedure   
relating to a joint resolution of       
approval shall be decided without       
debate4  7#c7 ,amendment not in order ,a
 joint resolution of approval considered
 pursuant to this subsection shall not  
be subject to amendment in either the   
,house of ,representatives or the       

,senate4  7#d7 ,coordination with action
 by other ,house  7,a7 ,in general ,if1 
before the passage by one ,house of the 
joint resolution of approval of that    
,house1 that ,house receives the joint  
resolution of approval from the other   
,house1 then the following procedures   
shall apply3  7i7 ,the joint resolution 
of approval of the other ,house shall   
not be referred to a committee4  7ii7   
,with respect to the joint resolution of
 approval of the ,house receiving the   
joint resolution of approval--  7,i7 the
 procedure in that ,house shall be the  
same as if no joint resolution of       
approval had been received from the     
other ,house2 and  7,,ii7 the vote on   
passage shall be on the joint resolution
 of approval of the other ,house4  7,b7 
,treatment of joint resolution of       
approval of other ,house ,if the ,senate
 fails to introduce or consider a joint 
resolution of approval under this       
subsection1 the joint resolution of     
approval of the ,house shall be entitled

 to expedited floor procedures under    
this subsection4  7,c7 ,treatment of    
companion measures ,if1 following       
passage of the joint resolution of      
approval in the ,senate1 the ,senate    
then receives the companion measure from
 the ,house of ,representatives1 the    
companion measure shall not be          
debatable4  7#e7 ,rules of the ,house of
 ,representatives and ,senate ,this     
subsection is enacted by ,congress--    
7,a7 as an exercise of the rulemaking   
power of the ,senate and ,house of      
,representatives1 respectively1 and as  
such it is deemed a part of the rules of
 each ,house1 respectively1 but         
applicable only with respect to the     
procedure to be followed in that ,house 
in the case of a joint resolution1 and  
it supersedes other rules only to the   
extent that it is inconsistent with such
 rules2 and  7,b7 with full recognition 
of the constitutional right of either   
,house to change the rules 7so far as   
relating to the procedure of that       

,house7 at any time1 in the same manner1
 and to the same extent as in the case  
of any other rule of that ,house4  7d7  
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,covered claim ,the term covered claim  
means a claim in which a person is      
accused of releasing into the           
environment a chemical that the         
,environmental ,protection ,agency has  
determined through an ,integrated ,risk 
,information ,system assessment to be a 
likely or known human carcinogen4  7#b7 
,joint resolution of approval ,the term 
joint resolution of approval means only 
a joint resolution which is introduced  
in the period beginning on the date on  
which notice provided under subsection  
7b7 is received by each ,house of       
,congress and ending #cj days thereafter
 7excluding days either ,house of       
,congress is adjourned for more than #c 
days during a session of ,congress7     
and--  7,a7 which does not have a       
preamble2  7,b7 the matter after the    
resolving clause of which is as follows3

 ,that ,congress approves the dismissal 
or withdrawal relating to the notice    
submitted by the ,administrator under   
section #b7;b7 of the ,,zeldin ,act on  
41 the blank space being filled with the
 appropriate date2 and  7,c7 the title  
of which is as follows3 ,joint          
resolution approving the dismissal or   
withdrawal relating to the notice       
submitted by the ,administrator under   
section #b7;b7 of the ,,zeldin ,act on  
41 the blank space being filled with the
 appropriate date4  #c4 ,consultation   
prior to termination of grants  7a7     
,consultation ,the ,administrator shall 
consult with the ,office of ,general    
,counsel of the ,environmental          
,protection ,agency to determine whether
 a termination by the ,administrator of 
any grant or cooperative agreement      
issued or entered into by the           
,administrator is in compliance with--  
7#a7 the rules and regulations of the   
,office of ,management and ,budget and  
the ,environmental ,protection ,agency  

in effect on the date on which the grant
 or cooperative agreement was issued or 
entered into2 and  7#b7 the terms and   
conditions that govern the grant or     
cooperative agreement4  7b7             
,determination ,the ,office of ,general 
,counsel of the ,environmental          
,protection ,agency shall determine     
whether a termination by the            
,administrator of any grant or          
cooperative agreement issued or entered 
into by the ,administrator is in        
compliance with-- 7#a7 the rules and    
regulations of the ,office of           
,management and ,budget and the         
,environmental ,protection ,agency in   
effect on the date on which the grant or
 cooperative agreement was issued or    
entered into2 and  7#b7 the terms and   
conditions that govern the grant or     
cooperative agreement4  7c7 ,prohibition
 on certain terminations ,the           
,administrator may terminate a grant or 
cooperative agreement only if the       
,office of ,general ,counsel of the     

,environmental ,protection ,agency      
determines that such termination is in  
compliance with--  7#a7 the rules and   
regulations of the ,office of           
,management and ,budget and the         
,environmental ,protection ,agency in   
effect on the date on which the grant or
 cooperative agreement was issued or    
entered into2 and  7#b7 the terms and   
conditions that govern the grant or     
cooperative agreement4  #d4             
,preservation of obligations of grants  
and cooperative agreements  7a7         
,prohibition on untimely deobligation   
,any amounts awarded in the form of a   
grant or cooperative agreement issued or
 entered into by the ,administrator--   
7#a7 may not1 other than by the         
expenditure of such amounts or the      
termination of such grant or agreement1 
be deemed or otherwise considered to be 
unobligated2 and  7#b7 may not be       
deobligated or returned to the ,treasury
 upon such termination of the grant or  
agreement until any civil action that is

 either pending on the date of enactment
 of this ,act or filed on or after the  
date of enactment of this ,act1 and all 
administrative processes1 have been     
completed with respect to such amounts4 
7b7 ,effect on future applications  7#a7
 ,in general ,in determining whether to 
award a grant or cooperative agreement  
to a recipient1 a head of a ,federal    
agency may not consider any failure by  
such recipient to close out a grant or  
cooperative agreement issued or entered 
into by the ,administrator during the   
pendency of any judicial proceeding     
contesting the termination of such grant
 or cooperative agreement4  7#b7        
,failure to close out ,the head of a    
,federal agency may not include in any  
,federal reporting system information   
regarding the failure of a recipient of 
a grant or cooperative agreement issued 
or entered into by the ,administrator to
 close out such grant or cooperative    
agreement during the pendency of a      
judicial proceeding contesting the      

termination of such grant or agreement4 
#e4 ,judicial relief ,a person harmed by
 a violation of this ,act may bring an  
action against the ,administrator in an 
appropriate district court of the       
,united ,states seeking any of the      
following3  7#a7 ,injunctive relief4    
7#b7 ,damages in amount equal to--  7,a7
 the greater of-- 7i7 the sum of        
compensatory and punitive damages2 and  
7ii7 #a1jjj per violation2 or  7,b7 in  
the case of a violation that occurred as
 a result of bad faith1 #c times the    
amount described in subparagraph 7,a74  
7#c7 ,costs1 including reasonable       
attorney's fees4  #f4 ,penalty ,if an   
appropriate district court of the       
,united ,states finds that the          
,administrator violated section #b or   
#c1 such court may reduce the annual    
rate of basic pay for the ,administrator
 to #a beginning on the first day of the
 first applicable pay period beginning  
after such a finding4  #g4 ,codification
 of ,,epa rulemaking processes  7a7     

,significant regulatory actions  ,in    
carrying out a significant regulatory   
action 7as such term is defined in      
,executive ,order #abhff 7#eh ,fed4     
,reg4 #eagce71 including a significant  
regulatory action to quantify and       
monetize public health benefits71 the   
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency shall implement the 
regulatory analysis guidance in         
,circular ,no4 ,a-#d issued by the      
,office of ,management and ,budget in   
#bjbc4  7b7 ,economic analyses ,the     
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency shall prepare each  
economic analysis in accordance with the
 ,guidelines for ,preparing ,economic   
,analyses 7#crd edition7 issued by the  
,environmental ,protection ,agency in   
#bjbd4  #h4 ,sunset ,this ,act shall    
sunset on ,january #bj1 #bjbi4