WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman introduced the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026 in Washington, D.C., a bill that would grant oil and gas companies broad legal immunity from policies and lawsuits aimed at holding the industry accountable for damages caused by its emissions. Republican lawmakers are advancing companion House and Senate measures modeled in part on a 2005 law that largely blocks lawsuits against the firearms industry over gun violence.

If passed, the federal legislation would dismiss pending climate accountability lawsuits, void all climate superfund laws and block similar future efforts. More than 70 state and local governments have sued oil companies for allegedly deceiving the public about the dangers of their products, and New York and Vermont have passed climate superfund laws requiring major polluters to pay for damages from past emissions.

Hageman said her bill would "affirm" that the federal government has exclusive authority and jurisdiction over the regulation of greenhouse gases.

Delta Merner, lead scientist at the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said, "The proposals attempt to undermine the very foundations of climate accountability measures." Merner said, "To try to legislate that science away is something that's really alarming."

The American Petroleum Institute said blocking "abusive" climate lawsuits was a top priority this year. Last year, both the American Petroleum Institute and ConocoPhillips pressed Congress on draft legislation to limit climate liability. In a joint statement, chief executives Mike Sommers and Chet Thompson said, "Congress should act decisively to reaffirm federal authority over national energy policy and end this activist-driven state overreach."

Sixteen Republican state attorneys general have asked the Justice Department for a liability shield for oil companies. Tennessee passed a measure blocking big oil accountability efforts last week, and Utah enacted a similar law earlier this month. Last week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from the Trump administration that aimed to pre-emptively block Hawaii from suing big oil.