There is a congressional bill working its way through the legislative process titled the "Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026." The stated purpose of the bill is to "prohibit liability against those engaged in the mining, extraction, production, refinement, transportation, distribution, marketing, manufacture, or sale of energy for damages or injunctive or other relief."
In other words, whatever fossil fuel companies might do or say to carry on their business will have broad immunity from lawsuits stemming from that activity.
The bill in Congress is currently in committee and has a long way to go before becoming law. A Senate version of the bill has also been introduced. It is unclear whether these bills will make their way out of committee. However, it is also possible that some provisions of these bills might end up attached to other legislation that is essential to pass.
These bills introduced by representatives of major oil-producing states are a response to mounting lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry that have been filed by cities, states, and environmental groups. Among these is a lawsuit by 11 states, Washington DC, two tribal governments, and dozens of cities and counties charging that the oil and gas industries have been deceiving the public about their climate impacts.
The language of the bill says that linking fossil fuel emissions to climate-related disasters lacks scientific credibility, which is a statement that is contradicted by decades of scientific research published in more than 80,000 studies by tens of thousands of scientists across the globe.
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References:
Congressional Republicans Aim to Shield Fossil Fuel Companies From Climate Lawsuits
