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June 23, 2020
From June 8 to 22, 2020, 7 bills were referred to committees in the Senate and 12 in the House to address environmental and energy issues. One bill related to energy and environmental issues was reported out of committee in the House and one bill passed the Senate.
Highlights
On June 17, the Senate voted 73-25 to pass the Great American Outdoors Act (S.3422), which will permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and address the maintenance backlog in federal land areas, including national parks.
Congress also focused on infrastructure during this time period. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act (H.R.2). The INVEST in America Act would authorize funds to federal highways, transit programs, and safety programs. Also the following bills were introduced:
H.R.7160 and H.R.7205 would expand installation of broadband infrastructure.
S.3976 would amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act.
Be sure to read through the rest of the round-up. EESI has curated bills most relevant to energy, environment, and climate topics. The bill list belows is drawn directly from congress.gov.
Senate
Bills Referred to Committee:
S.3906 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
A bill to amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to eliminate the cap on qualified outer Continental Shelf revenues that may be received by Gulf producing States under that Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (Introduced 06/08/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate - Energy and Natural Resources
S.3939 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
A bill to establish the Interagency Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation
S.3944 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
A bill to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to reduce the production and use of certain single-use plastic products and packaging, to improve the responsibility of producers in the design, collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal of their consumer products and packaging, to prevent pollution from consumer products and packaging from entering into animal and human food chains and waterways, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate - Environment and Public Works
S.3970 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
A bill to amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to promote an American agriculture first agenda and establish the position of Domestic Agriculture Supply Chain Administrator in the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture to connect United States farmers with foodbanks, grocers, and nonprofit food distributors during periods of food scarcity, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Loeffler, Kelly [R-GA] (Introduced 06/16/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate - Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
S.3971 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
A bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to make modifications to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] (Introduced 06/17/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
S.3976 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
A bill to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Lead Exposure Registry, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] (Introduced 06/17/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
S.3986 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
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 06/17/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
Bills Passed Senate:
H.R.1957 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
Great American Outdoors Act
Sponsor: Rep. Lewis, John [D-GA-5] (Introduced 03/28/2019) Cosponsors: (28)
Committees: House - Ways and Means; Financial Services
House
H.R.7130 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To amend title 23, United States Code, to streamline the environmental review process for major projects, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13] (Introduced 06/08/2020) Cosponsors: (10)
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R.2 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
INVEST in America Act
Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
H.R.7160 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to promote broadband deployment by increasing participation in broadband support programs.
Sponsor: Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce
H.R.7167 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to add a pandemic as a potential cause of a fishery resource disaster.
Sponsor: Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House - Natural Resources
H.R.7173 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To protect the status of lands held in trust for the benefit of federally recognized Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
H.R.7186 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To amend the Federal Power Act to require the Electric Reliability Organization to propose a reliability standard that addresses the resilience of the bulk-power system, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (10)
H.R.7192 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To amend chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, to establish a program to provide public transportation agencies with grants to be used during a disaster declaration.
Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
H.R.7202 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To require the Secretary of the Interior to issue long-term leases on Federal lands under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management to companies that relocate production facilities from the People's Republic of China to the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1] (Introduced 06/15/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
H.R.7205 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To facilitate the installation of broadband infrastructure, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18] (Introduced 06/15/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
H.R.7214 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To authorize appropriations to the Department of Transportation for surface transportation research, development, and deployment, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30] (Introduced 06/15/2020) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House - Science, Space, and Technology; Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R.7220 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To require the Corps of Engineers to include study of the impacts of sea-level rise and low-frequency precipitation events in addition to the impacts of coastal hurricanes in certain studies, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] (Introduced 06/15/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
H.R.7228 — 116th Congress (2019-2020)
To provide for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate plastics waste reduction and support recycling research and development for the economic and national security of the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11] (Introduced 06/15/2020) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House - Science, Space, and Technology
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