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Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act

Public Law 102-426 · H.R. 4016 · 102nd Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Oct 19, 1992 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Leon Panetta (D-CA-16)

Cosponsors (23): Rep. Ben Blaz,

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to require Federal agencies that plan to terminate operations on real property owned by the United States or on property on which the United States plans to close or realign military operations to identify property on which neither hazardous substances nor petroleum products or derivatives were stored for one year or more, released, or disposed. Requires the identification to be based on an investigation of the property to determine the presence of hazardous substances or petroleum products. Sets forth minimum requirements for the identification. Requires identifications to be made: (1) at least six months before the termination of operations on the property (18 months after this Act's enactment date for real property on which operations have been closed or realigned pursuant to a base closure law or 18 months after disposition of a resolution of disapproval for property scheduled for closure or realignment after this Act's enactment date); and (2) with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the appropriate State official.

Provides that, in the case of the sale or transfer of an identified property, the deed entered into for the sale or transfer of the property by the United States to any other person shall contain: (1) a covenant warranting that any response or corrective action found to be necessary after the date of such sale or transfer shall be conducted by the United States; and (2) a clause granting the United States access to the property in any case in which a response or corrective action is necessary at the property or on adjoining property.

Declares that, in the case of a covenant required in deeds for the transfer of U.S. property on which a hazardous substance was stored or released, remedial action has been taken if the construction and installation of an approved remedial design has been completed and the remedy is operating properly. Requires such covenants to contain a clause granting the United States access to the property in any case in which remedial or corrective action is found to be necessary after the date of such transfer.

Directs Federal agencies that plan to terminate operations on U.S. property on which hazardous substances or petroleum products were stored for one year or more, released, or disposed of to notify the State in which the property is located of any lease that will encumber the property beyond the date of termination of operations.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 37 actions.

  1. Oct 19, 1992Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-426.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 9, 1992PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 6, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the conference report Agreed to by voice vote.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the conference report Agreed to by voice vote.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Swift moved to suspend the rules and agree to the conference report, H. Rept. 102-986.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the conference report.
  9. Oct 5, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  10. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  11. Oct 3, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report H. Rept. 102-986 filed.
  12. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report H. Rept. 102-986 filed.
  13. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: Senate report and managers' statement and official papers held at the desk in Senate.
  14. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  15. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  16. Sep 25, 1992FloorFloor · SPEAKER'S APPOINTMENT - Pursuant to the authority granted on September 23, 1992, the Chair announced the following modification in the appointment of conferees on the bill (H.R. 4016): As an additional conferee from the Committee on Armed Services, for consideration of Senate am…
  17. Sep 23, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  18. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The Speaker appointed additional conferees - from the Committee on Armed Services for consideration of Senate amendments Nos. 1 through 4, and modifications committed to conference: Aspin, Ray, and Saxton.
  19. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The Speaker appointed additional conferees - from the Committee on Public Works and Transportation for consideration of the House bill and Senate amendments, and modifications committed to conference: Roe, Nowak, and Hammerschmidt.
  20. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The Speaker appointed conferees - from the Committee on Energy and Commerce for consideration of the House bill and Senate amendments, and modifications committed to conference: Dingell, Swift, Eckart, Slattery, Sikorski, Lent, Ritter, and Rinaldo.
  21. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House disagree to the Senate amendments, and agree to a conference Agreed to without objection.
  22. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Swift asked unanimous consent that the House disagree to the Senate amendments, and agree to a conference.
  23. FloorFloor · By unanimous consent, the Speaker reserved the authority to make additional appointments and to specify particular portions of the House bill and Senate amendments as the subjects of the various appointments.
  24. Sep 18, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendment, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Moynihan; Mitchell; Lautenberg; Chafee; Warner.
  25. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  26. FloorFloor · Amendment SP 3087 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
  27. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  28. Aug 10, 1992FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  29. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  30. FloorFloor · Mr. Swift moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.