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Bills/119th Congress · House

H.R. 6616

Introduced

Clean Water Justice Act

Sponsor
DNanette Diaz Barragán· California
Introduced
December 11, 2025
Policy area
Environmental Protection
Latest action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.February 2, 2026
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6616 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6616

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to increase certain 
criminal fines, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

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.''.
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