Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | April 24-28, 2023

Highlights:

In the Senate, the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (S.1194) passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee. The bipartisan bill, which would direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve recycling and composting programs through expanded data collection. The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023 (S.1189) also passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee. That bill would require the EPA to create a pilot grant program to support improved recycling accessibility.

Also in the Senate, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced the Forest Incentives Program Act (S.1366), a bill that would provide incentives for forest managers to adopt conservation practices that reduce emissions, and for commercial building owners to use less emissions-intensive building materials.

On the topic of forestry, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the Neighborhood Tree Act of 2023 (S.1380), a bill that would create a neighborhood tree fund for urban tree canopies, prioritizing underserved communities.

EESI’s resources for the 2023 Farm Bill, including our resources on forestry, can be found here.

To catch up on all of the recent environmental and energy legislation in Congress, read the PDF here.