Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | September 16 - September 20, 2024

Highlights:

The Senate passed the Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act (S.1871) by unanimous consent. The bill would establish an intergovernmental task force to identify and coordinate new avenues for domestic critical minerals production and recycling. Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced the original bill, which will move to the House for consideration. 

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2023 (S.3348). Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) penned the bill, which reauthorizes and strengthens federal programs that improve forecasting, monitoring, and mitigation of harmful algal blooms. The House companion bill (H.R.6235), introduced by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and David Joyce (R-Ohio), passed the House Natural Resources Committee in March. 

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation also passed the Fire Ready Nation Act of 2024 (S.4343), led by Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas). The bill would both codify the Incident Meteorologist Service under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and establish new programming to improve wildfire forecasting and risk communication.

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