Bill · H.R. 1315· House(119-HR-1315)
Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 2/13/2025
- Last activity
- 2/13/2025 — Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Jeff Hurd
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act of 2025," aims to authorize compensation for people and businesses affected by the 2015 Gold King Mine wastewater spill. It targets injured persons who submitted claims to the EPA on or before August 5, 2017, but were not fully compensated or were denied. The Act defines specific types of damages, such as injury, lost business income, and agricultural losses. The Administrator of the EPA is tasked with investigating and settling these claims within 180 days of the Act's enactment. Payments are limited to actual compensatory damages and cannot include interest or punitive damages. Finally, the bill appropriates up to $3,300,000 for these payments.
Yes· 3 of 11
Would farmers be better off under this?+6
The bill specifically compensates for diminished crop yields and livestock relocation expenses.
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
The bill allows qualifying businesses to recover lost income and other covered damages.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+5
The bill provides compensation for lost business income and agricultural losses to qualifying entities.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill appropriates up to $3,300,000 for compensation claims, which increases federal spending.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Compensation for specific losses: Injured persons, including homeowners, farmers, and livestock grazers, can receive money for documented damages such as physical injury, lost business income, livestock relocation expenses, and diminished agricultural yields (Section 2, Section 3).
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Legal recourse for denied claims: Individuals who had their initial claims denied or underpaid by the Administrator can receive compensation under this Act (Section 2).
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Right to judicial review: If a claimant is unhappy with the Administrator's final decision, they have the right to bring a civil action in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado to modify or set aside that decision (Section 3).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Strict limitations on damages: Compensation is strictly limited to actual compensatory damages and specifically excludes interest (before or after settlement) and punitive damages (Section 3).
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Exclusion of certain costs and types of distress: The bill explicitly excludes costs related to response efforts and does not allow for compensation for emotional distress (Section 2).
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Loss of future legal rights: Accepting a payment under this Act is considered final and constitutes a complete release of all claims against the United States regarding the subject matter of the claim (Section 3).
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Restricted eligibility for businesses: To be considered an "injured person," a business must still be in operation at the time of payment and cannot be involved in any mine-related business (Section 2).
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Strict time limits on business income: Lost business income compensation is limited to the specific window between August 5, 2015, and December 31, 2015, and specifically excludes lost income from vacation rentals (Section 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Farmers+6Good For Business Owners+5Good For Rural Residents+4Good For Low Income Households+3Good For Middle Class Households+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+3Improves Environmental Protections+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+3Improves Government Transparency+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+5Reduces Government Spending-1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 2/13/2025
- Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.