Skip to main content
EnglishEspañol

All bills

Senate bill bars climate suits against fossil fuel firms

In committeeS. 4340Latest action

Sponsor: Ted Cruz · Senator · TX

AIDecoded by AI · checked against the record
Read the official text

Official title: Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026

119th Congress

Topics: Environment & energy

Introduced:

Read the official bill on Congress.gov

In plain words

The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.

This bill would ban all climate-change lawsuits against fossil fuel companies and cancel existing state laws meant to hold them accountable.

45-second read · 4 questions answered below

What does this do?

This bill would make it illegal to sue oil, gas, coal, and other fossil fuel companies over climate-related harms like flooding, wildfires, or extreme heat. Any lawsuits already underway would be immediately dismissed, and existing state or local laws meant to make energy companies pay for climate costs would be cancelled.

Who does it affect?

Fossil fuel companies would be shielded from these types of legal claims. States, cities, and individuals who have filed or planned to file climate-related lawsuits would lose the ability to do so.

Why does it matter?

The bill declares that only the federal government has authority over greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, removing that power from states, cities, and courts. As a result, people and communities seeking money or other relief for climate-related damages would no longer have a legal path to pursue those claims.

AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.

Read the official bill on Congress.gov

Make the call

Three steps: where you stand, your script, the call.

Where do you stand?

Where does it stand?

  1. IntroducedApr 16, 2026
  2. Senate committeeYou are here · Apr 16, 2026
  3. Senate vote
  4. House
  5. The president's desk

Right now: a Senate committee is reviewing it. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the president.

Latest action: — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Data as of October 9, 2026
See how a call works

Share this bill

Share on WhatsApp

How it's being covered

Coverage of this bill from across the press. Each outlet's political lean is labeled where AllSides has rated it, and marked "Not rated" where it has not.

Newest of these articles:

Coverage of this bill so far comes from one side of the spectrum. Read it with that in mind.

Lean labels describe the news outlet, not this bill or any party. Ratings by AllSides.