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July 22, 2019
The climate and environment seemed to be a priority on the Hill in the last half of July. The Senate introduced 33 environment-related bills and held one hearing and the House introduced 26 and held six committee hearings before both chambers went into recess until September 9.
Highlights:
The Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis held its second hearing, titled “The Right Thing To Do: Conservatives for Climate Action”(check out our write-up of the first hearing here). The House Democrats’ Select Committee on the Climate Crisis also held a hearing, this one on the business perspectives of climate change.
House Committee on Energy and Commerce united major interest areas of climate change, infrastructure, and industry during its hearing on pathways to decarbonize the U.S. economy (see EESI’s summary here).
These issues may also gain prominence on the national stage, as Democrat presidential hopefuls Senators Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand sponsored bills related to environmental justice (S. 2236), climate change (S. 2239), and infrastructure (S. 2404), respectively.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved a $287 billion infrastructure plan (S. 2310) that includes a section titled “Climate Change.” The bill includes increasing the number of electric vehicle charging stations and various other carbon reduction programs.
Senate:
Committee Hearings
Special Committee on the Climate Crisis: Hearing entitled “The Right Thing To Do: Conservatives for Climate Action” featuring right-of-center leaders advocating climate action.
Bills Introduced
S. 2210. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to prohibit sewage dumping into the Great Lakes, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Committees: Senate - Environment and Public Works
S. 2236. A bill to require Federal agencies to address environmental justice, to require consideration of cumulative impacts in certain permitting decisions, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
S. 2239. A bill to codify an Executive order preparing the United States for the impacts of climate change, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
S. 2261 Clean Energy Victory Bond Act of 2019. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to issue Clean Energy Victory Bonds.
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM]
Committees: Senate - Finance
S. 2266 Group Flood Insurance Policy Extension Act of 2019. A bill to extend group flood insurance policy assistance for victims of the 2016 West Virginia floods, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]
Committees: Senate - Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
S. 2270. A bill to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration for geothermal resources under geothermal leases, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
Committees: Senate - Energy and Natural Resources
S. 2274 Wood Heaters Emissions Reduction Act of 2019. A bill to establish a voluntary program that strengthens the economy, public health, and environment of the United States by reducing emissions from wood heaters and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
S. 2277 Battery Storage Innovation Act of 2019. A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to make innovative technology loan guarantees available for battery storage technologies.
Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]
S. 2284. A bill to create a Climate Action Rebate Fund in order to efficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide a monthly rebate to the American people, encourage innovation of clean energy technologies and create new economic opportunities, ensure the resiliency of our infrastructure, assist with the transition to a clean energy economy, and leave a healthier, more stable, and more prosperous nation for future generations.
Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
S. 2288. A bill to amend title VI of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal energy efficiency resource standard for electricity and natural gas suppliers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
S. 2295 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
S. 2298 Restore Environmental Sustainability To Our Renewable Energy Act. A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to eliminate the corn ethanol mandate for renewable fuel.
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Pat [R-PA]
S. 2300. A bill to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to establish a program to incentivize innovation and to enhance the industrial competitiveness of the United States by developing technologies to reduce emissions of nonpower industrial sectors, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
S. 2301. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide disaster assistance to States, insular areas, units of general local government, and Indian tribes under a community development block grant disaster recovery program, and for other purposes.
S. 2310. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a competitive grant program to repair, improve, rehabilitate, or replace bridges to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridge crossings, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
S. 2302 America's Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Notable Action: 08/01/2019 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 170.
S. 2325. A bill to establish a task force to review policies and measures to promote, and to develop best practices for, reduction of short-lived climate pollutants, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
S. 2332. A bill to provide for the modernization of the electric grid, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
S. 2333. A bill to provide for enhanced energy grid security.
S. 2334. A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to establish the 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board, and for other purposes.
S. 2335. A bill to accelerate smart building development, and for other purposes.
S. 2344. A bill to establish a broadband infrastructure finance and innovation program to make available loans, loan guarantees, and lines of credit for the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation
S. 2368. A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to support licensing and relicensing of certain nuclear facilities and nuclear energy research, demonstration, and development, and for other purposes.
S. 2382. A bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish a program to provide loans to implement cost-effective energy efficiency measures, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
S. 2385. A bill to amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to improve access to broadband telecommunications services in rural areas, including by encouraging the provision of broadband loans and grants to increase broadband service in emerging harbor projects, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Committees: Senate - Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
S. 2393. A bill to promote a 21st century energy workforce, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
S. 2399. A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to improve State loan eligibility for projects for innovative technology.
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
S. 2404. A bill to establish an expansive infrastructure program to create local jobs and raise the quality of life in every community, to launch middle class career pathways in infrastructure, and to invest in high quality American jobs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
S. 2410. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to modify the requirements for permits for dredged or fill material, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]
S. 2415. A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to establish a grant program for training wind technicians, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
S. 2421. A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to improve accountability of disaster contracts, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Committees: Senate - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
S. 2422. A bill to advance the integration of clean distributed energy into electric grids, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
S. 2425. A bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish the CHP Technical Assistance Partnership Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
House
Committee Hearings:
Select Committee on the Climate Crisis: Full Committee held a hearing entitled “Creating a Climate Resilient America: Business Views on the Costs of the Climate Crisis”. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
Select Committee on the Climate Crisis: First field hearing, which was held in Boulder, Colorado, entitled “Colorado’s Roadmap for Clean Energy Action: Lessons from State and Local Leaders.”
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled “The Costs of Climate Change: From Coasts to Heartland, Health to Security.” Testimony was heard from Rear Admiral Lower Half Ann C. Phillips, Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, Office of the Governor, Virginia; and public witnesses.
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change held a hearing entitled “Building America's Clean Future: Pathways to Decarbonize the Economy.” Testimony was heard from public witnesses. Read EESI’s write up of the hearing here.
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held a hearing on H.R. 335, the “South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019”'; H.R. 729, the “Tribal Coastal Resiliency Act”; H.R. 2185, the “District of Columbia Flood Prevention Act of 2019”; H.R. 3115, the “Living Shorelines Act of 2019”; H.R. 3237, the “Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Extension Act”; H.R. 3510, the “Water Resources Research Amendments Act”; H.R. 3541, the “Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act”; H.R. 3596, the “Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act”; and H.R. 3723, the “Desalination Development Act”. Testimony was heard from Chairman Kilmer, and Representatives Levin of California, Neguse, Norton, Mast, Carbajal, and Pingree; Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Deputy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator, Department of Commerce; Karl Stock, Acting Director of Policy and Administration, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Rick Shintaku, General Manager, South Coast Water District, Laguna Beach, California; and public witnesses.
Committee on Natural Resources: House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on H.R. 3794 titled “Increasing Renewable Energy on Public Lands.” Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
H.R. 3872 National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019. A bill to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6]
Committees: House - Financial Services; Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R. 3894. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to prohibit sewage dumping into the Great Lakes, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R. 3919. A bill to require research in coastal sustainability and resilience, to ensure that the Federal Government continues to implement and advance coastal resiliency efforts, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Science, Space, and Technology
H.R. 3923. A bill to require Federal agencies to address environmental justice, to require consideration of cumulative impacts in certain permitting decisions, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources; Transportation and Infrastructure; Judiciary
H.R. 3944. A bill to amend the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 to modify the procedure for communicating certain emergency risks, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1]
H.R. 3945 Flood Water Relief Act of 2019. A bill making supplemental appropriations for the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control projects and storm damage reduction projects in areas affected by flooding in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]
Committees: House - Appropriations; Budget
H.R. 3961. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for an extension of the energy credit and the credit for residential energy efficient property.
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5]
Committees: House - Ways and Means
H.R. 3962 Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2019. A bill to promote energy savings in residential buildings and industry, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Welch, Peter [D-VT-At Large]
Committees: House - Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Budget, and Oversight and Reform
H.R. 3973. A bill to establish the Clean School Bus Grant Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce
H.R. 3978. A bill to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to establish a program to incentivize innovation and to enhance the industrial competitiveness of the United States by developing technologies to reduce emissions of nonpower industrial sectors, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6]
Committees: House - Science, Space, and Technology; Energy and Commerce
H.R. 4006. A bill to require regulation of wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8]
H.R. 4007. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study with respect to stormwater runoff from oil and gas operations, and for other purposes.
H.R. 4014. A bill to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing in the Safe Drinking Water Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
H.R. 4026. A bill to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote timely exploration for geothermal resources under geothermal leases, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1]
Committees: House - Natural Resources
H.R. 4031. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Sponsor: Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]
H.R. 4032. A bill to require the Corps of Engineers to carry out an assessment of the resiliency of the Great Lakes coastline, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]
H.R. 4041. A bill to promote the domestic development and deployment of clean energy technologies required for the 21st century.
Sponsor: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19]
Committees: House - Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Science, Space, and Technology
H.R. 4050. A bill to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for projects that are consistent with zero-waste practices, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sponsor: Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
H.R. 4051. A bill to create a Climate Action Rebate Fund in order to efficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide a monthly rebate to the American people, encourage innovation of clean energy technologies and create new economic opportunities, ensure the resiliency of our infrastructure, assist with the transition to a clean energy economy, and leave a healthier, more stable, and more prosperous nation for future generations.
Sponsor: Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-20]
Committees: House - Ways and Means; Transportation and Infrastructure; Agriculture; Energy and Commerce; Financial Services; Natural Resources; Veterans' Affairs; Education and Labor; Science, Space, and Technology; Foreign Affairs
H.R. 4058. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a tax on greenhouse gas emissions, accordingly reduce tax rates on payroll, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Rooney, Francis [R-FL-19]
H.R. 4087. A bill to amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to include certain landlocked releases of petroleum, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3]
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R. 4088. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the use of funds in the Hazardous Substance Superfund for the purposes for which they were collected, to ensure adequate resources for the cleanup of hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, and for other purposes.
Committees: House - Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R. 4093. A bill to improve the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8]
H.R. 4101. A bill to establish an expansive infrastructure program to create local jobs and raise the quality of life in every community, to launch middle class career pathways in infrastructure, and to invest in high quality American jobs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37]
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure; Education and Labor; Agriculture; Financial Services; Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources; Homeland Security; Small Business
H.R. 4127. A bill to establish a broadband infrastructure finance and innovation program to make available loans, loan guarantees, and lines of credit for the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3]
H.R. 4134. A bill to amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to provide for an additional goal of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA) to enhance the role of agriculture in innovative sustainability solutions.
Sponsor: Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
Committees: House - Agriculture
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