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February 16, 2021
From February 1 to 12, Congress introduced a total of 87 bills, resolutions, and amendments involving environmental and energy topics. Twenty-seven of these were in the Senate and 60 in the House. Both chambers of Congress also held relevant hearings throughout this period, including two on global emissions and international climate strategy as well as several key nomination and confirmation hearings.
Highlights
Many of the bills introduced over the past two weeks deal with issues related to transportation, including H.R.512 which seeks to integrate zero-emissions buses within public transit systems and H.R.712 which proposes to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to assess the health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution.
Several bills classify climate change as a national emergency, such as S.280 and H.R.744 which direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to include threats of climate change in the agency’s strategic plan and H.R.794 which encourages President Biden to invoke the National Emergencies Act to declare a national climate emergency.
Two hearings, one in the House and one in the Senate, covered global climate trends, high emitting sectors, and the United States’ responsibility to become an international leader in climate change mitigation.
Senate
Bills referred to committee
S.283 - A bill to establish a National Climate Bank.
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (Introduced 02/08/2021)
Committees: Senate - Environment and Public Works
S.282 - A bill to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness.
S.280 - A bill to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to revise the policy of the Agency to address the threats of climate change, to include considerations of climate change in the strategic plan of the Agency, and for other purposes.
Committees: Senate - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
S.276 - A bill to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to include a prohibition on the listing of a living nonnative species as a threatened species or an endangered species, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (Introduced 02/08/2021)
S.273 - A bill to improve the management of driftnet fishing.
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] (Introduced 02/08/2021)
Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation
S.232 - A bill to amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to establish a discretionary spending limit for infrastructure spending.
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
Committees: Senate - Budget
S.231 - A bill to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop guidance for firefighters and other emergency response personnel on best practices to protect them from exposure to PFAS and to limit and prevent the release of PFAS into the environment, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
S.227 - A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to provide grants for deployment of renewable fuel infrastructure, to finalize proposed rules relating to requirements for E15 fuel dispenser labeling and underground storage tank compatibility, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
Committees: Senate - Energy and Natural Resources
S.218 - A bill to approve certain advanced biofuel registrations, to require the consideration of certain advanced biofuel pathways, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
S.216 - A bill to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to award grants to eligible entities to purchase and install, as applicable, zero emissions port equipment and technology, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
S.209 - A bill to provide for assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal systems affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
Committees: Senate - Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
S.196 - A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to establish an energy efficiency materials pilot program.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
S.193 - A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to update the modeling used for lifecycle greenhouse gas assessments for corn-based ethanol and biodiesel, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
S.192 - A bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain river segments in the State of Oregon as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
S.182 - A bill to withdraw certain Federal land in the Pecos Watershed area of the State of New Mexico from mineral entry, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
S.180 - A bill to withdraw certain Bureau of Land Management land from mineral development.
S.177 - A bill to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to establish the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and to modify the boundary of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.
S.173 - A bill to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
S.171 - A bill to authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
Resolutions referred to committee
S.Res.56 - An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (Introduced 02/12/2021)
Committees: Senate - Rules and Administration; Commerce, Science, and Transportation
S.Res.52 - An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] (Introduced 02/12/2021) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate - Rules and Administration; Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
S.Res.49 - An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE] (Introduced 02/12/2021) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate - Rules and Administration; Environment and Public Works
Amendments
S.Amdt.887 - Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting a Federal carbon tax and preventing American job losses and regressive household utility bill, home heating, and gasoline price increases.
Amends Bill: S.Con.Res.5
Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (Submitted 02/05/2021) (Proposed 02/05/2021)
S.Amdt.871 - Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to conventional biofuel credit cap during a pandemic.
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (Submitted 02/04/2021) (Proposed 02/05/2021)
S.Amdt.806 - Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting actions by the executive branch that would make the United States more reliant on countries with weaker environmental or labor standards for oil, gas, or hardrock mineral production.
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (Submitted 02/04/2021) (Proposed 02/05/2021)
S.Amdt.770 - Purpose: To let Federal revenues reflect continued leasing of oil and gas on Federal lands.
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (Submitted 02/04/2021) (Proposed 02/05/2021)
S.Amdt.461 - Purpose: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to expanding natural gas as a vital fuel source to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide reliable and affordable heat, electricity, and transportation fuel for consumers.
Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (Submitted 02/03/2021) (Proposed 02/05/2021)
Committee hearings
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of Michael Stanley Regan, of North Carolina, to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and an original resolution authorizing expenditures by the committee and adopted its rules of procedure for the 117th Congress.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of Jennifer Mulhern Granholm, of Michigan, to be Secretary of Energy.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to examine data and analysis by the United States' and world's leading authorities on global climate trends from energy related sectors, focusing on where and how progress has been made in addressing climate change, after receiving testimony from Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency, Paris, France; Angel Hsu, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Mark P. Mills, Manhattan Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland; Richard G. Newell, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.; and Scott W. Tinker, University of Texas, Austin.
NOMINATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of Michael Stanley Regan, of North Carolina, to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Tillis and Burr, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of Thomas J. Vilsack, of Iowa, to be Secretary of Agriculture, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Grassley, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
House
H.R.1019 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for the purchase of certain new electric bicycles.
Sponsor: Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-20] (Introduced 02/11/2021)
Committees: House - Ways and Means
H.R.1016 - To establish an Animal Cruelty Crimes Section within the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (Introduced 02/11/2021)
Committees: House - Judiciary
H.R.1015 - To establish a grant program for the funding of water recycling and reuse projects, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32] (Introduced 02/11/2021)
Committees: House - Natural Resources
H.R.999 - To designate certain lands in the State of Washington as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] (Introduced 02/11/2021)
H.R.964 - To amend title 5, United States Code, to require the Environmental Protection Agency to include in any notice of rule making a statement regarding the impact of the rule on jobs loss or creation, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19] (Introduced 02/11/2021)
H.R.939 - To exempt certain wildfire mitigation activities from certain environmental requirements, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1] (Introduced 02/08/2021)
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Agriculture
H.R.938 - To require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to create a classification that more accurately reflects the vital role of wildland firefighters.
Committees: House - Oversight and Reform
H.R.932 - To require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on national forest volunteers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9] (Introduced 02/08/2021)
Committees: House - Agriculture
H.R.930 - To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide that nonnative species in the United States shall not be treated as endangered species or threatened species for purposes of that Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1] (Introduced 02/08/2021)
H.R.895 - To provide for assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal systems affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7] (Introduced 02/05/2021)
H.R.878 - To provide for restoration, economic development, recreation, and conservation on Federal lands in Northern California, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (Introduced 02/05/2021)
H.R.867 - To reauthorize the high-speed rail corridor development program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-16] (Introduced 02/05/2021)
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R.866 - To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to vest in the Secretary of the Interior functions under that Act with respect to species of fish that spawn in fresh or estuarine waters and migrate to ocean waters, and species of fish that spawn in ocean waters and migrate to fresh waters.
Sponsor: Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42] (Introduced 02/05/2021)
H.R.862 - To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants to eligible entities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at ports, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE-At Large] (Introduced 02/05/2021)
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce
H.R.859 - To prohibit the President from issuing moratoria on leasing and permitting energy and minerals on certain Federal land, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-3] (Introduced 02/05/2021)
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Agriculture; Oversight and Reform; Transportation and Infrastructure; Energy and Commerce; Foreign Affairs; Financial Services; Intelligence (Permanent Select); Armed Services
H.R.848 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
H.R.817 - To extend the authorization for the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission.
Sponsor: Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
H.R.815 - To amend Public Law 115-97 (commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) to repeal the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas program, and to preserve the Arctic coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, as wilderness in recognition of its extraordinary natural ecosystems and for the permanent good of present and future generations of Americans.
Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
H.R.809 - To expand the payment of principal, interest, and fees for certain disaster loans under the CARES Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
Committees: House - Small Business
H.R.806 - To establish a Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Financial Services; Transportation and Infrastructure; Agriculture
H.R.803 - To designate certain lands in the State of Colorado as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Armed Services
H.R.794 - To require the President to declare a national climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] (Introduced 02/04/2021)
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure; Financial Services; Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources; Agriculture; Small Business
H.R.780 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the continued implementation of the Climate and Health program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sponsor: Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
H.R.757 - To exempt the State of New Mexico from certain provisions of certain orders related to oil and gas drilling.
Sponsor: Rep. Herrell, Yvette [R-NM-2] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
H.R.751 - To prohibit a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing.
Sponsor: Rep. Duncan, Jeff [R-SC-3] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Energy and Commerce
H.R.744 - To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to revise the policy of the Agency to address the threats of climate change, to include considerations of climate change in the strategic plan of the Agency, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
H.R.741 - To support the sustainable aviation fuel market, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (Introduced 02/03/2021)
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure; Armed Services; Science, Space, and Technology; Ways and Means
H.R.740 - To require the Secretary of Transportation to solicit a study on climate resilient transportation infrastructure, and for other purposes.
H.R.737 - To extend the authorities under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016 providing operational flexibility, drought relief, and other benefits to the State of California.
Sponsor: Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-21] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
H.R.712 - To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide for a report on the health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
H.R.698 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the alternative fuel refueling property credit.
Sponsor: Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
H.R.694 - To amend the Passenger Rail Investment Improvement Act of 2008 to prohibit certain funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority until certain conditions are met, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
H.R.693 - To establish as a unit of the National Park System the San Gabriel National Recreation Area in the State of California, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
H.R.692 - To amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to provide a rule to determine venue for a proceeding for judicial review of certain agency actions.
Sponsor: Rep. Cheney, Liz [R-WY-At Large] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Judiciary
H.R.684 - To authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Sponsor: Rep. Armstrong, Kelly [R-ND-At Large] (Introduced 02/02/2021)
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure; Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources
H.R.678 - To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for a moratorium on number reassignment after a disaster declaration, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] (Introduced 02/01/2021)
H.R.660 - To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a grant program to benefit coastal habitats, resiliency, and the economy, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large] (Introduced 02/01/2021)
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R.653 - To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (Introduced 02/01/2021)
H.R.644 - To amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to authorize assignment to States of Federal agency environmental review responsibilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42] (Introduced 02/01/2021)
H.R.632 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)
To provide limitations on maritime liens on fishing permits, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large] (Introduced 01/28/2021)
H.R.610 - To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a grant program to support the restoration of San Francisco Bay.
Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (Introduced 01/28/2021)
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure; Budget
H.R.587 - To modify permitting requirements with respect to the discharge of any pollutant from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in certain circumstances, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-52] (Introduced 01/28/2021)
H.R.539 - To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] (Introduced 01/28/2021)
H.R.512 - To require any bus purchased for use in public transportation with funds provided by the Federal Transit Administration to be a zero-emission bus, and for other purposes.
Sponsor:
Advancing science-based climate solutions
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity