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Countries that could be subject to penalties would be those that:

Fail to effectively enforce environmental laws;
Waive or stray from environmental laws of or weaken protections afforded by such laws;
Don't hold judicial or administrative proceedings over violations of environmental laws;
Fail to effectively punish violations of environmental laws;
Fail to effectively enforce environmental commitments in agreements to which a foreign country and the United States are involved.

The bill also directs the USTR to find out which foreign countries are doing things that damage the environment of the U.S., the foreign country, or other countries.

","official_title":"To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the United States Trade Representative to take discretionary action if a foreign country is engaging in unreasonable acts, policies, or practices relating to the environment, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Green 301 Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Trade and Environment Enforcement Act or the Green 301 Act\n\n Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to take certain discretionary trade action against foreign countries that engage in unreasonable acts, policies, or practices that fail to enforce their environmental laws effectively.\n\nDirects the USTR to identify foreign country trade practices that affect negatively the environment of the United States, the foreign country, a third country, or internationally.","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable. ","impact":"Foreign countries that violate environmental law; the USTR.","argument_for":"Levels the playing field between U.S. and foreign companies and incentivizes foreign companies to protect the environment.","argument_against":"Could lead to an increase in the cost of goods made overseas and damage the U.S.'s relations with foreign countries.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr1946-114","bill_id":"hr1946-114","formal_id":"H.R. 1946","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-05-06T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/1946","plain_text_url":"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr1946ih/html/BILLS-114hr1946ih.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr1946-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/1946/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-04-22","related_bill_ids":[],"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":32,"committees":[{"name":"Trade","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM04","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Ways and Means","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr1946-114","details":"/api/bills/hr1946-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr1946-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr1946-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr1946-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":10,"slug":"hr1946-114-green-301-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":800,"yea_vote_count":662,"nay_vote_count":136,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["international-trade-and-affairs"],"issue_ids":["international-trade-and-affairs"],"sponsor_id":493}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"international-trade-and-affairs","name":"International Trade & Affairs","slug":"international-trade-and-affairs","description":"U.S. Congressional Legislation encompassing arms control treaties, human rights, international law, sanctions, and foreign aid. 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Am nearly 70 years old but I think for myself and use facts, not fluff nor spin nor half truths to make up my mind. Like being outdoors and being active. Distrust police officers and the government. Married, retired and supporting a granddaughter. Like to speed and take chances to put a little zest into life.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"james.r.stringer","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jrs333","issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":3480,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":16,"following_count":0,"position_count":1037,"id":"NZa6RYm6","partner_id":null},{"name":"John ","vote_count":1078,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/Om64pO4W/following","followers":"/api/users/Om64pO4W/followers"},"about_me":"","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":1,"is_following":null,"influence_score":190,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":4,"following_count":6,"position_count":300,"id":"Om64pO4W","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"e4439dd3-1b87-4020-8d6d-e9c34430f38f","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"Just think of China. Think of how much this country has destroyed the world, its people, its natural beauty. Think about the lack of purity in their foods that they export to us. A ban should be imposed.","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":2,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":2,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/e4439dd3-1b87-4020-8d6d-e9c34430f38f"},"body":"Just think of China. Think of how much this country has destroyed the world, its people, its natural beauty. Think about the lack of purity in their foods that they export to us. A ban should be imposed.","stance":"nay","created_at":"2015-06-17T22:03:16.767Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/e4439dd3-1b87-4020-8d6d-e9c34430f38f.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr1946-114","user_id":"7905d2WE","endorser_ids":["NZa6RYm6","Om64pO4W"]}}

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Increased Penalties for Overseas Companies That Ignore Environmental Laws