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October 13, 2020
From 9/29 to 10/9, fifteen bills on environmental and energy issues were referred to committees, including two in the Senate and thirteen in the House. The House held three committee hearings on environmental and energy issues. The House also passed one bill.
Highlights
The two most important topics over the last two weeks were public lands and energy. The House passed America's Conservation Enhancement Act (S.3051), which will now go to the desk of the President. The America’s Conservation Enhancement Act has been supported by the recreational boating, fishing, and hunting communities as a way to restore habitat and protect hunting areas. H.R.8564 would establish the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness in the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico. H.R.8411, which would amend the United States tax code to repeal fossil fuel subsidies.
The House’s committee hearings included a hearing discussing the “Challenges and Successes of Conservation Programs in 2020,” and a markup hearing reviewing nearly 20 public lands bills.
Senate
Bills referred to committee
S.4786 - A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey to, and take into trust for the benefit of, the Burns Paiute Tribe certain land in the State of Oregon.
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (Introduced 10/01/2020)
Committees: Senate - Indian Affairs
S.4759 - A bill to establish the United States-India Clean Energy and Power Transmission Partnership to facilitate renewable energy cooperation with India, to enhance cooperation with India on climate resilience and adaptation, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 09/30/2020)
Committees: Senate - Foreign Relations
House
H.R.8564 - To amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to establish the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness in the Río Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico.
Sponsor: Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3] (Introduced 10/09/2020)
Committees: House - Natural Resources
H.R.8572 - To require the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, to conduct a study, and submit to Congress a report, on an auction process or other system for selecting and entering into contracts with non-Federal entities for consolidated interim storage facilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Rouda, Harley [D-CA-48] (Introduced 10/09/2020)
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce
H.R.8530 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for energy opportunity zones.
Sponsor: Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (Introduced 10/06/2020)
Committees: House - Ways and Means
H.R.8543 - To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to provide grants to improve power lines.
Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] (Introduced 10/06/2020)
H.R.8547 - To make permanent the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings.
Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25] (Introduced 10/06/2020)
H.R.8521 - To provide that the Secretary of the Interior may not enter into certain conservation easements with a term of more than 50 years, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7] (Introduced 10/02/2020)
H.R.8487 - To prevent energy poverty in at-risk communities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] (Introduced 10/01/2020)
Committees: House - Natural Resources; Agriculture; Energy and Commerce; Budget; Rules
H.R.8488 - To establish the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5] (Introduced 10/01/2020)
H.R.8447 - To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to provide loans for the acquisition of electric or fuel cell buses and related infrastructure.
Sponsor: Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8] (Introduced 09/30/2020)
Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure; Energy and Commerce
H.R.8446 - To provide greater conservation, recreation, economic development and local management of Federal lands in Garfield and Kane Counties, Utah.
Sponsor: Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2] (Introduced 09/30/2020)
H.R.8462 - To safeguard taxpayer resources and strengthen the Nation's resilience against severe storms and flooding.
Sponsor: Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4] (Introduced 09/30/2020)
Committees: House - Financial Services; Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R.8411 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal fossil fuel subsidies for oil companies, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] (Introduced 09/29/2020)
H.R.8432 - To require the establishment of an advanced energy technology research initiative and an advanced energy technology and modeling grant program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (Introduced 09/29/2020)
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Science, Space, and Technology
Bills passed
S.3051 - America's Conservation Enhancement Act
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] (Introduced 12/12/2019)
Committees: Senate - Environment and Public Works
Committee meetings
INTERIOR'S ROYALTY CUTS: THOUGHTFUL POLICY OR INDUSTRY GIVEAWAY? (10/6)
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing entitled ``Interior's Royalty Cuts: Thoughtful Policy or Industry Giveaway?''. Testimony was heard from Frank Rusco, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES OF CONSERVATION PROGRAMS IN 2020 (10/1)
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry held a hearing entitled ``Challenges and Successes of Conservation Programs in 2020''. Testimony was heard from Kevin D. Norton, Acting Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture; and public witnesses.
Committee on Natural Resources (9/30)
Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 244, the ``Advancing Conservation and Education Act''; H.R. 733, the ``Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act''; H.R. 970, the ``Robert E. Lee Statue Removal Act''; H.R. 1248 the ``York River Wild and Scenic River Act of 2019''; H.R. 1964, the ``Lumbee Recognition Act''; H.R. 3225, the ``Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2019''; H.R. 3651, to facilitate the use of certain land in Nebraska for public outdoor recreational opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 4135, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to remove the statue to the memory and in honor of Albert Pike erected near Judiciary Square in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes; H.R. 4139, to provide for the boundary of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park to be adjusted, to authorize the donation of land to the United States for addition to that historic park, and for other purposes; H.R. 4840, the ``Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boundary Modification Act of 2019''; H.R. 5153, the ``Indian Buffalo Management Act''; H.R. 5458, the ``Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Modification Act''; H.R. 5459, the ``Rocky Mountain National Park Ownership Correction Act''; H.R. 5472, the ``Jimmy Carter National Historical Park Redesignation Act''; H.R. 5598, the ``Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act''; H.R. 5852, the ``Weir Farm National Historical Park Redesignation Act''; H.R. 7098, the ``Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion and Study Act of 2020''; H.R. 7099, to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of Coconino National Forest land in the State of Arizona; and S. 212, the ``Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2019''. H.R. 1964, H.R. 3225, H.R. 3651, H.R. 4135, H.R. 970, H.R. 4840, H.R. 5153, H.R. 5598, H.R. 7098, and H.R. 7099 were ordered reported, as amended. H.R. 244, H.R. 733, H.R. 1248, H.R. 4139, H.R. 5458, H.R. 5459, H.R. 5472, H.R. 5852, and S. 212 were ordered reported, without amendment.
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