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HR 4877118th CongressFailed / ExpiredHouse

Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act

Policy Area: Environmental Protection
View on Congress.gov
Origin Chamber
House
Last Updated
Mar 24, 2026
Latest Action Date
May 1, 2024

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Official Summary

Official summary has not been imported yet.

GovScope Watchdog™

AI Government Intelligence™
Executive Summary

The Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act (H.R. 4877) is a legislative proposal from the 118th Congress aimed at addressing environmental issues related to abandoned wells. Although the official bill summary and full text are not available, the bill's title and policy area indicate a focus on research and development efforts to remediate abandoned wells, which are often environmental hazards due to potential contamination and safety risks. The bill was introduced in the House, received in the Senate, read twice, and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The bill ultimately failed or expired without becoming law.

Bottom Line

H.R. 4877 sought to promote research and development for cleaning up abandoned wells to protect the environment but did not advance beyond committee referral and expired without enactment.

Policy Risk Level
🟡 Medium
Neutral Risk Assessment
Key Points
  • The bill targets abandoned wells, which can pose environmental and safety risks if not properly managed.
  • It focuses on research and development activities to find effective remediation solutions.
  • The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources but did not progress further and expired.
Who Benefits?

['Environmental protection agencies', 'Communities affected by abandoned wells', 'Research institutions focused on environmental remediation', 'Energy and natural resource sectors involved in well management']

Potential Concerns

['Lack of available full bill text limits detailed understanding of implementation mechanisms and funding sources.', 'Potential costs associated with research and remediation efforts are not specified.', 'Oversight and enforcement provisions are unclear due to missing full text.', 'Authority for conducting or funding research and remediation is not detailed.']

Political Context

The bill was introduced in the House during the 118th Congress and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources after being read twice in the Senate. It falls within the environmental protection policy area, reflecting ongoing legislative interest in addressing environmental hazards related to abandoned wells. The bill ultimately failed or expired, indicating it did not receive sufficient legislative support or priority to become law during the session.

Hidden Impact Review

Hidden impact flags detected: 2

GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.

2 Detected
Detected Flags
Indirect Effects

['Advancement in remediation technologies could reduce long-term environmental and public health risks associated with abandoned wells.', 'Increased research activity may stimulate collaboration between government agencies and scientific institutions.', 'Potential future regulatory changes based on research findings could impact energy and natural resource industries.']

GovScope Watchdog Notes

Transparency is limited due to the absence of the full bill text and official summary, restricting comprehensive analysis of provisions, funding, and enforcement. Monitoring legislative progress and obtaining full documentation are essential for thorough oversight and public understanding.

Passage Likelihood: LowConfidence: 70%Model: gpt-4.1-mini

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