Brownfield Revitalization and Remediation Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5472
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Taxation
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-18: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-16T17:05:04Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore and expand a tax deduction for certain environmental cleanup costs on contaminated sites, with the goal of encouraging remediation of brownfields and similar properties.
Key Provisions
- Restoration of expensing: Reinstates the ability to deduct qualified environmental remediation expenditures for periods beginning January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2029.
- Expansion of eligible expenses: Adds reasonable costs for assessing, investigating, and monitoring contaminated sites to the list of deductible items.
- Treatment of brownfield sites: Creates a special rule allowing expensing for depreciable property located on brownfield sites, as defined under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.
- Broadened definition of hazardous substances: Includes pollutants and contaminants (as defined in the same federal environmental law) as qualifying hazardous substances for the deduction.
- Effective date: Changes take effect on the date the bill becomes law.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- The deduction under Section 198 of the Internal Revenue Code had been unavailable for expenditures after 2011; this bill revives it starting in 2025.
- It broadens the scope of covered activities and substances beyond the prior limitations.
- It modifies rules that previously restricted expensing for certain depreciable assets on contaminated sites.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: May indirectly affect the Internal Revenue Service through increased tax filings related to remediation projects and could support federal environmental cleanup efforts by providing financial incentives.
- Citizens: Property owners and businesses involved in site cleanup could reduce their taxable income, potentially accelerating redevelopment of underused land.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Businesses and individuals conducting environmental remediation on qualified sites.
- Owners of brownfield or contaminated properties.
- Tax professionals and accountants handling related deductions.
- Federal environmental agencies responsible for site oversight.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The bill represents a tax policy adjustment to promote environmental goals without altering core constitutional authorities.
- It ties federal tax benefits to definitions from existing environmental statutes, maintaining consistency with prior law.
- No new regulatory mandates or enforcement mechanisms are created.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-18: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- 2025-09-18: Introduced in House
- 2025-09-18: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Brownfield Revitalization and Remediation Act — issued 2025-09-18 — PDF (3 pages)