PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Congressional Research Service
Version 53 · Passed House · Nov 18, 2020
Partnering and Leveraging Assistance to Stop Trash for International Cleaner Seas Act or the PLASTICS Act
This bill authorizes the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to prioritize and advance global efforts to prevent and reduce marine debris and plastic waste. The State Department and the USAID are authorized to work with private-sector and nongovernmental entities to complement such efforts.
The bill also authorizes the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to establish an initiative to pursue investment opportunities to address plastic waste pollution and support improved waste management systems in developing countries.
People & committees
Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · R–TX
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5911-5912)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5911-5912)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4636.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5911-5913)
Mr. Espaillat moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: May 28, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze H.R.4636 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.
Examine H.R.4636 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.
Examine H.R.4636 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.
Examine H.R.4636 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.