Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | July 8 - July 12, 2024

Highlights:

The House Committee on Appropriations passed appropriations bills for agriculture, rural development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies (H.R.9027), energy and water development and related agencies (H.R.8997), and the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies (H.R.8998). Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Appropriations passed its appropriations bill for agriculture, rural development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies (S.4690). These bills will now progress to the House and Senate floors, respectively, for consideration. 

Both the House and Senate passed water restoration reauthorization legislation last week. The House passed the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R.5441), which Reps. Nick Lalota (R-N.Y.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) reintroduced to reauthorize conservation programs under the Environmental Protection Agency for the next five years.

The Senate passed the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act (S.612), which Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) reintroduced to extend authorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act for the next 10 years. The bill supports forest health, wildfire protections, water quality initiatives, invasive species control, and other projects throughout the Lake Tahoe watershed. 

The House passed the Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act (H.R.897), introduced by Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.) and bipartisan cosponsors. The bill would protect an ancient underwater cypress forest off Alabama’s coast by designating it as a national marine sanctuary. 

Reps. John Curtis (R-Utah) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.) introduced the Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act (H.R. 8957). The bill would require the Department of Energy to conduct a comparative study of carbon emissions from certain U.S.-manufactured products versus those of other countries, ultimately boosting accountability for emission reductions. Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced similar legislation in the Senate, and passed it through the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

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