---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 9672"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "9672"
heading: "State laws; scope of subchapter"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/9672"
units:
  - "Chapter 103 — Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability"
  - "Subchapter IV — Pollution Insurance"
---

# §9672. State laws; scope of subchapter

- (a) **State laws—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to affect either the tort law or the law governing the interpretation of [insurance](/usc/42/9671.md?p=1) contracts of any [State](/usc/42/9601.md?p=27). The definitions of [pollution liability](/usc/42/9671.md?p=2) and [pollution liability](/usc/42/9671.md?p=2) [insurance](/usc/42/9671.md?p=1) under any [State](/usc/42/9601.md?p=27) law shall not be applied for the purposes of this subchapter, including recognition or qualification of [risk retention groups](/usc/42/9671.md?p=3) or [purchasing groups](/usc/42/9671.md?p=4).
- (b) **Scope of subchapter—** The authority to offer or to provide [insurance](/usc/42/9671.md?p=1) under this subchapter shall be limited to coverage of [pollution liability](/usc/42/9671.md?p=2) risks and this subchapter does not authorize a [risk retention group](/usc/42/9671.md?p=3) or [purchasing group](/usc/42/9671.md?p=4) to provide coverage of any other line of [insurance](/usc/42/9671.md?p=1).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–510, title IV, § 402, as added Pub. L. 99–499, title II, § 210(a), formerly § 210, Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1716; renumbered § 210(a), Pub. L. 99–563, § 11(c)(1), Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3177.)