Requires bankrupt fossil fuel companies to pay for environmental cleanup first, protecting taxpayers.
This bill would make sure that when oil, gas, and coal companies go bankrupt, they pay for environmental cleanup and employee wages before other debts. Today, these cleanup costs often fall to taxpayers. This bill would shift that responsibility back to the companies and their investors.
Today, when oil, gas, and coal companies go bankrupt, environmental cleanup costs and employee wages may not be prioritized, often leaving taxpayers to pay for pollution. Companies can also sometimes abandon polluted assets or discharge these debts. This bill would change that by making environmental cleanup costs and non-executive employee wages top priorities in bankruptcy. It would also prevent companies from abandoning polluted sites and make these environmental debts permanent. Additionally, it would allow courts to recover executive pay or hold investors responsible if the company can't pay.
HR 9035 · 119th Congress · May 26, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 10/10
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