The GREEN Hospitals Act authorizes $100 billion in Hill-Burton grants for the construction or modernization of medical facilities, with priority given to projects that incorporate climate resilience features such as renewable energy systems, air quality improvements, and flood protection. The bill also establishes a separate $5 billion Planning and Evaluation Grant Program to help states, tribal governments, and nonprofits develop sustainability plans for hospitals and clinics. To receive funding, applicants must demonstrate that their facilities serve vulnerable populations or environmental justice communities and certify that they respect employee labor rights by maintaining collective bargaining agreements or non-interference policies. Additionally, the legislation requires that at least 50 percent of planning grant funds be allocated to projects located in environmental justice communities and prohibits the use of training repayment agreements for employees and apprentices.
The Affordable Electricity Rates Act of 2026 amends the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to evaluate whether electricity rates are affordable for consumers when determining if they are "just and reasonable." The bill establishes a presumption that rates are unaffordable if they are likely to cause retail electricity prices to increase by 5 percent or more. If FERC determines that a rate is unaffordable under these criteria, it cannot be approved as just and reasonable. This legislation directly affects electric consumers by introducing affordability as a mandatory factor in federal rate-setting decisions for wholesale electricity markets.
The Affordable Power for the Northern Marianas Act directs that $15 million annually be allocated from existing federal capital improvement funds to support the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands starting in fiscal year 2027. Up to $3 million of this total is reserved for addressing immigration, labor, or law enforcement issues, while the remainder must be used for capital infrastructure projects that improve the affordability, reliability, and efficiency of the local electric energy system. The Secretary of the Interior is required to prioritize these power projects if they are expected to lower electricity rates or reduce fuel costs, and they must benefit the public utility serving the Commonwealth without requiring any local matching funds. This specific funding arrangement will remain in effect until a new multi-year funding agreement between the United States and the Northern Mariana Islands takes legal force.
The No Utility Junk Fees Act requires states to prohibit regulated electric utilities from charging residential customers fees that exceed the actual cost of processing payments or are applied to free payment methods like mail and in-person services. To enforce these consumer protections, the bill withholds 10 percent of federal energy program funding from any state that fails to adopt laws banning such "spurious charges" and requiring clear disclosure of all billing fees. States must also ensure at least one fee-free payment option is available without internet access and ban fees on automatic recurring payments and electronic fund transfers. The Secretary of Energy will monitor state compliance through annual documentation submissions, with a 90-day cure period provided before financial penalties are applied.
The Clean Transportation Jobs and Development Act of 2026 directs the Department of Energy to expand funding and oversight for battery manufacturing, critical mineral processing, and advanced vehicle technologies through 2031. A primary provision increases the authorized budget for battery processing grants to $6 billion for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, while also requiring applicants to include specific workforce safety and fire prevention plans. The bill establishes a new Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation to coordinate supply chain resilience and manages multiple research programs focused on extreme-fast charging, vehicle safety, and heavy-duty commercial vehicle electrification. Additionally, the legislation authorizes over $3 billion in total funding for these research and development activities across five fiscal years to support domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources.
This bill establishes the Green New Deal for Public Schools Act, which creates new funding streams to help U.S. public schools, including those run by the Bureau of Indian Education, become environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change. It directs billions of dollars toward retrofitting existing school buildings to be energy-efficient and zero-carbon, constructing new green schools, and hiring local educators and support staff to improve school environments and community partnerships. The legislation also mandates that a significant portion of funds be used in environmental justice communities to address inequities, while requiring contractors to pay prevailing wages and prioritize hiring from local and historically disadvantaged groups. Additionally, the bill sets up a new office within the Department of Education to coordinate these efforts and ensures that schools can serve as community centers during disasters by upgrading infrastructure for power, water, and internet access.
The Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act of 2026 directs the Department of Energy to remove specific quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year through 2036 and beyond, with targets increasing from 50,000 to 10 million metric tons annually. The bill defines eligible technologies as those that capture CO2 directly from the air or seawater and store it durably, while excluding methods like enhanced oil recovery or natural photosynthesis. To ensure accuracy, the law requires independent third parties to measure, monitor, and verify removals, with costs included in the price of removal, which must drop from $750 per ton in 2026 to $150 per ton by 2037. The Secretary of Energy must prioritize projects that create domestic jobs, source materials locally, and benefit communities historically dependent on fossil fuels, while reserving at least 20 percent of removals for smaller projects. Additionally, the act mandates regular reports to Congress on progress and authorizes funding to carry out these removal obligations.
The STRONG GRID Act of 2026 directs state regulators to develop rules for connecting microgrids and for measuring the value of investments in grid resilience, while exempting military installations from these new standards. To support these efforts, the bill creates a new grant program that provides up to $500 million over five years to help states deploy microgrids, with priority given to projects in rural areas, low-income communities, and those that improve energy reliability or cybersecurity. Additionally, the Department of Energy will offer technical assistance to utilities and regulators and launch a $200 million pilot program to fund innovative microgrid projects that test new technologies and management systems.
The Incentivizing Value Capture for Greener Transportation Act establishes a federal program to help states and local governments develop strategies for funding public transit through value capture, which involves collecting a portion of the increased economic value generated by government infrastructure investments. To receive grants under this program, recipients must demonstrate that their plans will increase transit ridership and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and traffic congestion while maintaining existing funding levels for these initiatives. The legislation also requires that construction projects funded by these grants adhere to prevailing wage standards and mandates an evaluation of the program's effectiveness three years after funding is received. Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to create voluntary best practices for value capture and publish a report on existing state and local laws that successfully promote affordable transit-oriented development.
The Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allocate at least $75 million annually toward developing new plant cultivars and animal breeds that are publicly funded and available for commercial use. This funding prioritizes research on climate-resilient crops, nutritionally improved varieties for local populations, and breeds adapted to specific regional conditions or dual-use energy systems. The bill also establishes a new coordinator role to oversee breeding research across the department and mandates that any public breed developed with federal funds must be produced substantially within the United States if sold under exclusive rights. Additionally, the legislation requires the implementation of strategic plans to assess and utilize national collections of plant and animal genetic resources, ensuring these materials remain accessible for future agricultural needs.
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