Bills · S 4239
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
Senate BillS 4239Oil and gasAdministrative law and regulatory procedures
Plug Offshore Wells Act
This bill requires the government to publish annual public reports on whether oil and gas companies are properly cleaning up and removing old offshore wells and pipelines.AI-written
INTRO MAR 26· LAST ACTION JUL 15
READING
3MIN
COSPONSORS
3
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
tl;dr
AI-writtenCreates a public 'report card' for offshore oil and gas cleanup, forcing the government to reveal which companies are missing deadlines to plug old wells and remove abandoned equipment from the ocean.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenVoters should care because 'zombie' wells and aging pipelines that aren't properly closed can leak oil or methane, damaging marine ecosystems and contributing to climate change. Currently, it is difficult for the public to know if companies are following the rules or if the government is letting them off the hook for cleanup delays. By making this data public, the bill creates pressure on both companies and regulators to ensure that the ocean floor isn't littered with permanent industrial waste that could cause future environmental disasters.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Requires a public annual report on the status of decommissioning offshore wells, platforms, and pipelines.
It moves data that is often hard to find into a central, public location for accountability.
PROVISION 02
Tracks the number of wells and pipelines where decommissioning deadlines were missed.
This highlights exactly where companies are failing to meet their legal obligations to clean up.
PROVISION 03
Mandates reporting on how much equipment was allowed to be left in the ocean rather than removed.
It reveals how often the government grants exceptions that allow industrial waste to remain on the seafloor.
PROVISION 04
Requires a summary of enforcement actions like fines, citations, and disqualifications.
Voters can see if the government is actually punishing companies that break environmental rules.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 3
D· Vermont
YRS IN OFFICE
19
BILLS LED
83
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 3 REP 0 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
4 EVENTSJUL 15
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
MAR 26
Introduced in Senate
MAR 26
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
MAR 26
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
BILL INFO
TypeSenate Bill
NumberS 4239
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedMar 26, 2026
Last actionJul 15, 2026
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED MAR 26, 2026
Senate BillS 4239Oil and gasAdministrative law and regulatory procedures
Plug Offshore Wells Act
This bill requires the government to publish annual public reports on whether oil and gas companies are properly cleaning up and removing old offshore wells and pipelines.AI-written
INTRODUCED MAR 26, 2026· LAST ACTION JUL 15, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
3 min
COSPONSORS
3
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
