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This bill would prohibit the EPA from proposing, finalizing, disseminating regulations, or assessments based on science that is not transparent or reproducible.

All scientific and technical information relied upon to support regulations must be specifically identified. It must also be made publicly available in a way that it is suitable for independent analysis and reproduction of research results.

Other covered actions would include a risk, exposure, or hazard assessment, criteria document, standard, limitation, regulation, regulatory impact analysis, or guidance.

","official_title":"To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible.","short_title":"Secret Science Reform Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 2, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nSecret Science Reform Act of 2015\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating a covered action unless all scientific and technical information relied on to support such action is the best available science, specifically identified, and publicly available in a manner sufficient for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of research results. A covered action includes a risk, exposure, or hazard assessment, criteria document, standard, limitation, regulation, regulatory impact analysis, or guidance. Scientific and technical information includes: (1) materials, data, and associated protocols necessary to understand, assess, and extend conclusions; (2) computer codes and models invol...","summarized":true,"cost":250000000,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable. However, a CBO estimate of a previous version of this bill found that the bill would cost about $250 million annually for the next few years, with costs declining gradually from that level thereafter. The CBO does, however, admit that there is a very high degree of uncertainty, and the $250 million estimate represents the middle of a wide range of outcomes.","impact":"Scientific entities contracted for research studies by the EPA, the subjects of those research studies, EPA employees, and the EPA.","argument_for":"This bill would make EPA operations more transparent, especially around how they create regulations. It seems obvious that the EPA should be making its scientific studies publicly available.","argument_against":"The requirements put forth by this bill could be very costly if the EPA tries to use the same number of scientific studies that it has in the past. If it doesn’t, the quality of its work in protecting the environment may be undermined.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr1030-114","bill_id":"hr1030-114","formal_id":"H.R. 1030","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-03-19T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2015-03-18T18:40:07.000Z","debated_on":"2015-03-16T00:00:00.000Z","congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/1030","plain_text_url":"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr1030rfs/html/BILLS-114hr1030rfs.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr1030-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/1030/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-02-24","related_bill_ids":["hres138-114","s544-114"],"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":166,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Science, Space, and Technology","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSSY","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Environment and Public Works","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSEV","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr1030-114","details":"/api/bills/hr1030-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr1030-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr1030-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr1030-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":28,"slug":"hr1030-114-secret-science-reform-act-of-2015","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr1030-114","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":3820,"yea_vote_count":3199,"nay_vote_count":617,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["environment"],"issue_ids":["environment"],"sponsor_id":227}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"environment","name":"Environment","slug":"environment","description":"Congressional legislation related to research and regulation of the Environment, including: Air and water quality, Pollution, Climate Change, Recycling, Radioactive Waste, Hazardous Wastes and Toxic Substances. 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Without such information, we US CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS are subject to the whims and fancies of politically-biased government dictators.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":1,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/bdbb9378-f6b6-4006-9829-ecd14a09499b"},"body":"Hey, if I am paying for their studies and have to suffer the consequences of their decisions, I have a right to know the bases for all government scientists' and bureaucrats' actions and decisions. Without such information, we US CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS are subject to the whims and fancies of politically-biased government dictators.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2015-03-03T14:18:22.669Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/bdbb9378-f6b6-4006-9829-ecd14a09499b.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr1030-114","user_id":"OWlR51mJ","endorser_ids":["BZenwlmY"]}}

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Should EPA Science Reports Be More Transparent And Publicly Available?