An original bill to address immediate problems affecting environmental cleanup activities.
Public Law 101-584 · S. 3187 · 101st Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Nov 15, 1990 · Environmental Protection
Sponsor: Sen. Quentin Burdick (D-ND)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to include within the definition of "response action contractor" any surety who, between October 17, 1990, and December 31, 1992, provides a bid, performance, or payment bond to a response action contractor and begins activities to meet obligations under such bond.
Provides that surety bonds required for direct Federal procurement of response action contracts under the Miller Act shall be issued in accordance with such Act. Provides that, if under any Federal law surety bonds are required for direct Federal procurement of response action contracts: (1) no right of action shall accrue on the performance bond issued on such contract to or for the use of any person other than the obligee named in the bond; and (2) in the event of a default, the surety's liability on a bond shall be only for the cost of completion of the contract work in accordance with the plans less the balance of funds remaining to be paid under the contract, up to the penal sum of the bond.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Nov 15, 1990Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-584.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 6, 1990PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 26, 1990FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Thomas A. Luken moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Oct 20, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Oct 19, 1990FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Oct 11, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported original measure by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
- Oct 4, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.