Comprehensive Economic and Environmental Recovery Act of 1995
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Apr 3, 1995
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Voluntary Environmental Cleanup Title II: National Environmental Business Development Program Title III: National Environmental Response, Remediation, and Restoration Training Programs Subtitle A: National Environmental Response Training Program Subtitle B: National Environmental Remediation and Restoration Training Program Title IV: National Environment-Related Employment Program Comprehensive Economic and Environmental Recovery Act of 1995 - Title I: Voluntary Environmental Cleanup - Authorizes innocent landowners or responsible owners to submit cleanup plans for affected sites to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Defines: (1) an "affected site" as a facility that has environmental contamination that could prevent its use, development, reuse, or redevelopment and is limited in scope and can be comprehensively characterized and readily analyzed; (2) an "innocent landowner" as a person who intends to own or who owns an affected site and did not contribute to any contamination or the release of hazardous substances; and (3) a "responsible owner" as a person who owns an affected site on which industrial activities take place. Establishes a Cleanup Loan Fund to provide funding to persons undertaking the development and implementation of approved cleanup plans. Requires liens in favor of the United States to arise on contaminated property subject to a loan. Authorizes civil actions to enforce loan agreements. Provides for the annual transfer of a specified amount of funds from the Hazardous Substance Superfund to the Cleanup Loan Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include within the tax deduction allowed for trade and business expenses all amounts paid or incurred in preparing and implementing cleanup plans. Title II: National Environmental Business Development Program - Exempts wages paid to an owner-employee (any employee who is a principal shareholder) of an employer which is a new environmental business from social security taxes. Makes such exemption inapplicable to amounts after the first $100,000 paid to such employee. Defines a "new environmental business" as any corporation which: (1) is a small business concern; (2) meets requirements similar to those under the Internal Revenue Code for targeted urban areas; (3) is a new business for the calendar year; and (4) during such year, trains and certifies environmental response employees and emergency responders, employs such individuals, or performs environmental assessments, remediation, or restoration. Provides for a similar exemption from social security taxes for self-employed new environmental businesses. Terminates such exemptions after 2000. Title III: National Environmental Response, Remediation, and Restoration Training Programs - Subtitle A: National Environmental Response Training Program - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a National Environmental Response Training Program for purposes of: (1) training and certifying targeted urban area residents who are unemployed and underemployed to become environmental response employees and emergency responders; and (2) providing grants to environmental training providers. Requires the Secretaries of Labor and Education to develop an academic or work-site experience curriculum cooperatively with local educational agencies to enable 11th and 12th grade students to become environmental response employees or emergency responders. Provides for grants to communities for purposes of implementing such curriculum. Subtitle B: National Environmental Remediation and Restoration Training Program - Directs the Administrator to establish an education and training program in qualified institutions of higher education to enable qualified individuals to acquire career training in environmental engineering, environmental sciences, or environmental project management as it relates to hazardous waste response, cleanup, and restoration. Makes eligible for such program persons who have a high school diploma or its equivalence, are enrolled in or accepted into a qualified institution of higher education, and reside in targeted areas. Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Energy and the Administrator to provide grants to qualified institutions of higher education, subject to certain conditions. Requires such institutions to use such funds for purposes of establishing consortium programs to provide education and training in environmental restoration to qualified individuals. Title IV: National Environment-Related Employment Program - Requires Federal agencies authorized to award contracts to carry out environmental or emergency response to give preference to firms that: (1) meet the requirements of the contract; (2) are located in a targeted urban area; and (3) have a payroll in which at least 25 percent of their certified environmental response employees and responders reside in a targeted urban area or, in cases where availability of certified environmental response employees and responders does not allow firms to comply, actively participate in a youth apprenticeship program.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Executive Comment Requested from DOD, DOE.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Hazardous Materials, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4109-4110)
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, Economic and Educational Opportunities, National Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, Economic and Educational Opportunities, National Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, Economic and Educational Opportunities, National Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, Economic and Educational Opportunities, National Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, Economic and Educational Opportunities, National Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, Economic and Educational Opportunities, National Security, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Bill text & related measures
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jun 3, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Explore the bill from different angles
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Neutral evidence review
Objective
Analyze H.R.1381 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact
Progressive lens
Examine H.R.1381 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope
Conservative lens
Examine H.R.1381 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power
Liberty lens
Examine H.R.1381 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.