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April 27, 2021
From April 12-23, Congress introduced a total of 162 bills, resolutions, and amendments related to environmental and energy topics. Of these, 105 were in the House and 57 were in the Senate. Additionally, both chambers held several relevant hearings during this period.
Highlights
Much of the legislation introduced during the past two weeks in Congress focused on agriculture. For example, S.1337 and H.R.2803 seek to address climate impacts to the agricultural sector. Other bills propose the creation of new programs. S.1244 and H.R.2670 seek to establish a Civilian Conservation Corps with the amendment of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 with the goal of helping communities adapt to climate change while transitioning to clean economies.
Last week House Republicans held an Energy Innovation Agenda, highlighting dozens of bills in three priority areas: promoting innovation, investing in clean energy infrastructure, and natural solutions and conservation.
Many hearings held during this period handled topics relevant to energy and the environment. Among these, several centered jobs, including the House Committee on Natural Resources hearing entitled “Building Back Better: Reducing Pollution and Creating Jobs Through Offshore Wind” and the Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing to examine the American Jobs Plan.
Senate
Bills referred to committee
S.1359 - A bill to establish the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
Committees: Senate - Energy and Natural Resources
S.1356 - A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to create permanent payments within the environmental quality incentives program for soil health practices and carbon sequestration monitoring, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
Committees: Senate - Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
S.1352 - A bill to improve the quality and timeliness of Federal permitting and review processes with respect to critical mineral production on Federal land, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
S.1347 - A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to continue to carry out certain programs relating to environmental justice, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
Committees: Senate - Environment and Public Works
S.1345 - A bill to establish a national mercury monitoring program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
S.1341 - A bill to amend the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to reauthorize grants for and require applied water supply research regarding the water resources research and technology institutes established under that Act.
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
S.1337 - A bill to address the impact of climate change on agriculture, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
Committees: Senate - Finance
S.1335 - A bill to establish a Global Climate Change Resilience Strategy, to authorize the admission of climate-displaced persons, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
Committees: Senate - Foreign Relations
S.1334 - A bill to amend the Toxic Substance Control Act to codify a Federal cause of action and a type of remedy available for individuals significantly exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, to encourage research and accountability for irresponsible discharge of those substances, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
S.1326 - A bill to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing greenhouse gas emissions rules or regulations until China, India, and Russia adhere to the same emissions reduction targets as the United States under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
S.1322 - A bill to establish the Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing Program at the Department of Energy to provide financial assistance to promote energy efficiency and onsite renewable technologies in manufacturing facilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
S.1320 - A bill to establish the Chiricahua National Park in the State of Arizona as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (Introduced 04/22/2021)
S.1298 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for increased investment in clean energy.
S.1290 - A bill to assist communities affected by stranded nuclear waste, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1289 - A bill to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reauthorize and modify the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation
S.1284 - A bill to establish the Amache National Historic Site in the State of Colorado as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1283 - A bill to impose a tax on certain trading transactions to invest in our families and communities, improve our infrastructure and our environment, strengthen our financial security, expand opportunity and reduce market volatility.
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1282 - A bill to require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to identify a consistent, Federal set of best available forward-looking meteorological information and to require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to convene an effort to make such set available, with advice and technical assistance, to standards-developing organizations, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1276 - A bill to designate certain National Forest System land and certain public land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior in the States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, wildland recovery areas, and biological connecting corridors, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1269 - A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to complete an interagency report on the effects of special recreation permits on environmental justice communities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1266 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the renewable electricity production credit to include electricity produced from hydrogen.
Sponsor: Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1264 - A bill to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to improve the management of grazing permits and leases, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] (Introduced 04/21/2021)
S.1254 - A bill to improve the processes by which environmental documents are prepared and permits and applications are processed and regulated by Federal departments and agencies, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1251 - A bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a program to reduce barriers to entry for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in certain voluntary markets, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1248 - A bill to establish an Outdoor Restoration Fund for restoration and resilience projects, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1246 - A bill to amend the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to authorize pumped storage hydropower development utilizing multiple Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs.
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1244 - A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Civilian Climate Corps to help communities respond to climate change and transition to a clean economy, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1239 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an exclusion from gross income for certain waste water management subsidies.
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1236 - A bill to require the Secretary of Transportation to develop best practices for incorporating resilience into emergency relief projects, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1229 - A bill to modify the procedures for issuing special recreation permits for certain public land units, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1223 - A bill to revise the treatment of urbanized areas experiencing population changes following a major disaster.
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
Committees: Senate - Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
S.1222 - A bill to designate and adjust certain lands in the State of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Romney, Mitt [R-UT] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
S.1221 - A bill to require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to create a classification that more accurately reflects the vital role of wildland firefighters.
Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (Introduced 04/20/2021)
Committees: Senate - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
S.1217 - A bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require certain disclosures relating to climate change, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (Introduced 04/19/2021)
S.1214 - A bill to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into cooperative agreements with States to provide for State administration of allotment management plans.
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (Introduced 04/19/2021)
S.1210 - A bill to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, to further the conservation of certain wildlife species, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (Introduced 04/19/2021)
S.1208 - A bill to amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of Green Bonds and to establish the United States Green Bank, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (Introduced 04/19/2021)
S.1202 - A bill to establish a program to improve community connectivity by identifying and removing or mitigating infrastructural barriers that create obstacles to mobility or economic development or expose the community to pollution and other health and safety risks, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE] (Introduced 04/19/2021)
S.1201 - A bill to restore the United States' international leadership on climate change and clean energy, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 04/19/2021)
Committee hearings
S.1191 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include biomass heating appliances in the energy credit and to extend the credit for residential energy efficient property.
Sponsor: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (Introduced 04/15/2021)
S.1189 - A bill to amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary of Agriculture provides grants to land-grant colleges and universities to support agricultural producers in adopting conservation and innovative climate practices, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] (Introduced 04/15/2021)
S.1167 - A bill to eliminate subsidies for fossil-fuel production.
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (Introduced 04/15/2021)
S.1150 - A bill to authorize appropriations for the maritime environmental and technical assistance program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (Introduced 04/15/2021)
S.1145 - A bill to prohibit the placement in service or continued operation of certain natural gas compressor stations as part of a project that would lead to or facilitate natural gas exports.
S.1127 - A bill to require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make certain operational models available to the public, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] (Introduced 04/14/2021)
S.1121 - A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and maintain a registry for certain individuals who may have been exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances due to the environmental release of aqueous film-forming foam on military installations.
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (Introduced 04/14/2021)
Committees: Senate - Veterans' Affairs
S.1115 - A bill to prohibit drilling in the outer Continental Shelf, to prohibit coal leases on Federal land, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (Introduced 04/14/2021)
S.1110 - A bill to amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 with respect to preagreement costs of emergency watershed protection measures, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Romney, Mitt [R-UT] (Introduced 04/14/2021)
S.1107 - A bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to guarantee investments that will open new markets for forest owners in rural areas of the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] (Introduced 04/13/2021)
S.1106 - A bill to prohibit the sale of shark fins, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (Introduced 04/13/2021)
S.1076 - A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells and surrounding land, to provide funds to State and Tribal government to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells and surrounding land, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM] (Introduced 04/12/2021)
Committees: Senate - Energy and Natural Resource
S.1072 - A bill to provide incentives for agricultural producers to carry out climate stewardship practices, to provide for increased reforestation across the United States, to establish the Coastal and Estuary Resilience Grant Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (Introduced 04/12/2021)
S.1066 - A bill to free States to spend gas taxes on their transportation priorities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] (Introduced 04/12/2021)
S.1087 - A bill to provide a duplication of benefits fix for Sandy CDBG-DR recipients, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (Introduced 04/13/2021)
S.914 - Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021
Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (Introduced 03/23/2021)
Resolutions referred to committee
S.Con.Res.8 - A concurrent resolution recognizing that the climate crisis is disproportionately affecting the health, economic opportunity, and fundamental rights of children, expressing the sense of Congress that renewed leadership by the United States is needed to address the climate crisis, and recognizing the need of the United States to develop a national, comprehensive, and science-based climate recovery plan to phase out fossil fuel emissions, protect and enhance natural sequestration, and put the United States on a path toward stabilizing the climate system.
S.Res.166 - A resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
S.Res.159 - A resolution designating the week of April 17, 2021, through April 25, 2021, as "National Park Week".
21ST CENTURY COMMUNITIES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 21st century communities, focusing on capitalizing on opportunities in the clean energy economy, after receiving testimony from Ernest Moniz, former Secretary of Energy, Energy Futures Initiative; Khalil Shahyd, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, New York; Zoe Lipman, BlueGreen Alliance, and David W. Kreutzer, Institute for Energy Research, both of Washington, D.C.; and Neal Crabtree, Pipeliners Local Union 798, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
CARBON AND CARBON–DIOXIDE UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the opportunities and challenges that exist for advancing and deploying carbon and carbon-dioxide utilization technologies in the United States, after receiving testimony from Brian Anderson, Director, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy; Jason Begger, Wyoming Integrated Test Center, Cheyenne; Randall W. Atkins, Ramaco Coal, Sheridan, Wyoming; and Gaurav N. Sant, University of California Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Los Angeles.
AMERICAN JOBS PLAN
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the American Jobs Plan, focusing on infrastructure, climate change, and investing in our nation's future, after receiving testimony from Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation; Michael Regan, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce; and Marcia Fudge, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
FAST ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine public transportation infrastructure investment and FAST Act Reauthorization, including S. 940, to amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a National Transit Frontline Workforce Training Center, and S. 267, to increase the Federal share of operating costs for certain projects that receive grants under the Formula Grants to Rural Areas Program of the Federal Transit Administration, after receiving testimony from Darryl Haley, Southwest Ohio Regional Transportation Authority, Cincinnati; John Samuelsen, Transportation Workers Union of America, AFL–CIO, Beth Osborne, Transportation for America, and David Ditch, The Heritage Foundation, all of Washington, D.C.; and Baruch Feigenbaum, Reason Foundation, Los Angeles, California.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the cost of inaction on climate change, after receiving testimony from Robert B. Litterman, Chair, Climate-Related Market Risk Subcommittee, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; David Wallace-Wells, New York, and Joseph E. Stiglitz, Columbia University, both of New York, New York; George Oliver, Johnson Controls, Glendale, Wisconsin; and Richard J. Powell, ClearPath Inc., Washington, D.C.
AMERICAN ENERGY INNOVATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the leading role of the Department of Energy in American energy innovation and how its research, development, demonstration, and deployment programs may be enhanced to further boost the economic competitiveness of the United States, after receiving testimony from Thomas Mason, Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Energy; Paul M. Dabbar, Bohr Quantum Technologies, Scarsdale, New York; Sarah Ladislaw, RMI, U.S. Program, Washington, D.C.; and Lara M. Pierpoint, Actuate, Oakland, California.
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