Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | June 17 - June 21, 2024

Highlights:

The Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S.870), led by Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). In addition to reauthorizing fire and emergency response programs, the bill includes the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, which would accelerate the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors. Reps. Tom Kean (R-N.J.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) introduced the companion bill (H.R.4090) to the Fire Grants and Safety Act last year.

Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.) introduced the Fix Our Forest Act (H.R.8790), which would expedite regulatory review processes for forest management projects that curtail wildfire risk, such as forest thinning and prescribed burns. EESI’s wildfire-focused Living with Climate Change briefing discusses policy solutions for reducing wildfire risk in forests.

Reps. Robert Wittman (R-Va.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) introduced the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act (H.R.8811). The bill reauthorizes wildlife conservation efforts across the country and increases protections from new and emerging threats, such as from invasive species and disease. EESI’s podcast, The Climate Conversation, discusses how Congress can leverage scientific research to bolster legislative conservation solutions. The Senate passed their version of the bill (S.3791) in May, led by Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and bipartisan cosponsors introduced the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act (S.4576) to extend the life of the System Conservation Pilot Program to 2026. The program tests water conservation strategies in the Colorado River Basin to alleviate the impacts of severe drought. For more on Colorado River conservation, check out EESI’s article on how farmers in the region are responding to water shortages. 

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