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

Highlights:

The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA) (S.2226) last week. The Senate version of this annual “must-pass” legislation includes provisions promoting nuclear energy deployment, domestic mineral production, and public health. With the House NDAA (H.R.2670) having passed the week prior, the two bills are expected to be reconciled in the Conference Committee following the August Congressional recess. 

The REAP Modernization Act (S.2594/H.R.5051) was introduced in both the House and Senate last week with bipartisan support. The bill, introduced by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), aims to strengthen the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) by improving farmers’, rural electric cooperatives’, and small businesses’ access to funding to install renewable energy upgrades. 

Companion bills to address impacts of extreme heat have surfaced in both chambers of Congress. Re-introduced by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) in the House and by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) in the Senate, the Preventing Health Emergencies and Temperature-Related (HEAT) Illness and Deaths Act (H.R.4953/S.2645) would improve interagency efforts to address heat impacts and provide millions of dollars in financial assistance for communities to reduce heat exposure. EESI’s Living with Climate Change briefing series highlights federal and local efforts to adapt to extreme heat. 

Efforts to support young farmers cropped up in both the House and the Senate. The Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act (S.2458), introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), would make crop insurance more affordable for beginning farmers and ranchers. Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) introduced the Agriculture Skills Preparation for Industry Recruitment Efforts (ASPIRE) Act (H.R.4861), which would reauthorize training and outreach for agricultural workers in the 2023 Farm Bill. A companion bill (S.2341) was introduced in the Senate the week prior by Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.). Check out EESI’s article on policy solutions to roadblocks faced by young farmers. 

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing entitled Native Priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill Reauthorization. EESI’s final Farm Bill in Focus briefing, Conservation Practices from Farms to Forests and Wetlands, emphasized the importance of indigenous knowledge and expertise to the success of conservation efforts within the upcoming Farm BIll.

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