The Stop Ineffective Paper Straws (SIPS) Act, proposed by Rep. Darell Issa to the U.S. Congress in August 2025, would significantly limit the amount of plastic products available to consumers.

As a result, manufacturers, retailers, and local governments would have to adjust. There could be broader bans on single-use plastics, new national recycling regulations, and a greater focus on models for a circular economy and waste management.

Issa, who represents California’s 48th Congressional District, which includes parts of San Diego, introduced the bill, which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 

Although this is done with good intentions, the reality will likely mimic repeated failures to clean up the environment that have already been passed and stalled out due to a lack of action. To enforce rules against various sources of pollution, like workplaces, farms, and people’s actions, we need advanced methods for tracking and regulation. 

In that way, we don’t provide monitoring. This latest bill notes heavy enforcement, but will that actually happen?

Think about the complaints from authorities that should know.

In “Why Is Environmental Policy Enforcement Weak?” from May 2025 Sustainability Directory notes the weak enforcement involved in oversight and expresses concern for environmental well-being. 

The American Society of Safety Professionals said in its “EPA Announces Workforce Restructuring and Staff Reductions” in July 2025 that workforce reduction — a commonality in government these days — could make things even harder.

“While the EPA emphasizes its continued commitment to science, environmental and public health, observers note that a significant workforce reduction could affect the agency’s ability to respond to complex environmental challenges,” the article said.

In keeping with the issues, greater examination of systemic defects and the complicated structure of power is required to understand the reasons behind the poor enforcement of environmental policies. 

“Often, there’s a significant gap. This gap widens when the resources allocated for enforcement are insufficient, or when the political will to prioritize environmental concerns wanes in the face of economic pressures or other competing interests,” Sustainability Directory said. 

The environmental regulations enacted before the SIPS Act include the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act. 

Although these acts have different goals, they all have a common priority for protecting the environment:

The Clean Air Act establishes national air quality standards and mandates that states create plans for carrying out to satisfy them to protect the environment and public health.

The Clean Water Act is a primary federal law in the U.S. that protects the nation’s water quality by preventing, reducing, and eliminating water pollution.

All over the nation, environmental protection is still based on these established rules. Additionally, state laws and even common law concepts continue to be useful in addressing more localized problems and fixing any gaps that may exist between federal law and state law. 

“Powerful industries can exert considerable influence on political decision-making, sometimes prioritizing short-term economic gains over long-term environmental sustainability … The result is a system where the ‘rules of the game’ are not consistently applied, undermining the effectiveness of environmental policies,” said Sustainability Directory.

Actions are currently in place, but if there’s no change to the enforcement of laws related to sources of pollution, such as industries, agricultural difficulties, or individual activities, as well as monitoring and regulatory systems. Even with the other acts and mandates mentioned above, the government still wishes to enforce the SIPS Act. 

But will there be any sort of change?