A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify Federal responsibility for stormwater pollution.
Public Law 111-378 · S. 3481 · 111th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jan 4, 2011 · Environmental Protection
Sponsor: Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)
Cosponsors (3): Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. George Voinovich,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
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 Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to provide that reasonable service charges applicable to federal entities for water pollution include any reasonable nondiscriminatory fee, charge, or assessment that is: (1) based on some fair approximation of the proportionate contribution of the property or facility to stormwater pollution; and (2) used to pay or reimburse the costs associated with any stormwater management program (whether associated with a separate storm sewer system or a system that manages a combination of stormwater and sanitary waste), including the full range of costs attributable to collecting stormwater, reducing pollutants in stormwater, and reducing the volume and rate of stormwater discharge, regardless of whether that charge is denominated a tax.
Limits payments of such charges so that: (1) they shall not be made using funds from any permanent authorization account in the Treasury; and (2) federal entities shall not be obligated to pay or reimburse any such charge, except to the extent and in an amount provided in advance by any appropriations Act to pay or reimburse the charge.
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 5724Identical bill
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify Federal responsibility for stormwater pollution.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Jan 4, 2011Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-378.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 28, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 22, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Perriello asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Dec 21, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Dec 17, 2010CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 715.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. Without written report.
- Jun 30, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jun 10, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4855-4856)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4917SenateSen. Benjamin CardinD-MD· offered Dec 21, 2010Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 21, 2010: Amendment SA 4917 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.