The Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act expands federal funding and support for water systems facing emergencies that threaten public health. It increases the annual budget for drinking water emergency situations from $35 million to $50 million and adds a new program to provide grants for treating sewage overflows and other water crises. These funds are specifically intended for activities that would be too costly for local ratepayers to handle alone and are authorized for use through fiscal year 2031. The legislation also allows the EPA Administrator to offer technical assistance for emergencies caused by issues like cybersecurity events.
This resolution designates July 2026 as "Plastic Pollution Action Month" to raise awareness about the environmental and health risks associated with plastic waste. The bill recognizes that plastic pollution harms marine life and human health, citing statistics on ocean contamination and the presence of microplastics in the human body. It encourages all individuals in the United States to participate in activities aimed at reducing plastic use and cleaning up litter during the designated month. The measure does not create new laws or regulations but serves to highlight the issue and promote voluntary action.
This bill directs the Department of Energy to create a competitive facility called the Critical Materials Processing Technology Testbed to develop and test new methods for processing essential raw materials. The Testbed will focus on improving technologies to reduce energy use, water consumption, pollution, and costs while enhancing worker safety and waste management. Funding of $150 million for 2027 and $25 million annually through 2031 is authorized to support the facility, which may be located at one or more sites involving national laboratories, universities, and private companies. The program includes requirements to transfer research results to industry and ensure that intellectual property remains within the United States.
The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct numerous feasibility studies and modify existing projects focused on flood risk management, coastal storm protection, navigation improvements, and ecosystem restoration across the United States. It establishes new grant programs and funding authorizations for the Environmental Protection Agency to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including specific provisions for small and disadvantaged communities, lead reduction, and cybersecurity resilience. The legislation also directs the EPA to create initiatives for water sector cybersecurity, combats plastic waste, and updates regulations regarding nonpotable aquifer use for industrial wells.
The EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026 directs the Environmental Protection Agency to create a program that investigates methods for finding and recovering critical materials from contaminated sites. This initiative allows the EPA to provide funding to states, local governments, tribes, nonprofits, and private entities to support these recovery efforts and monitor environmental cleanup. The program is limited to a total of $10 million per year, with no single recipient receiving more than $3 million, and grants are evaluated based on their potential to strengthen domestic supply chains and protect human health. The authority to run this program will end ten years after the bill is enacted.
This bill creates a new State Standing Committee within the Environmental Protection Agency to provide scientific and technical advice on major environmental laws. The committee will consist of unpaid, voluntary members from every state, federal district, territory, and federally recognized tribe, who must be employees of local environmental or natural resource agencies. Members will offer advice to the EPA Administrator and the Science Advisory Board on specific issues like air and water quality, with the Administrator required to publish these views online within 30 days. Additionally, the bill updates reporting requirements so the EPA must annually submit reports on the committee's activities to Congress. The Federal Advisory Committee Act will not apply to this new group, and the Science Advisory Board will also be required to report its activities to Congress.
The Bear Poaching Elimination Act prohibits the import, export, and interstate trade of bear internal organs and products, aiming to stop the commercial demand that drives poaching. This law specifically targets items like gallbladders used in traditional medicine and cosmetics, while explicitly excluding blood and brains from the ban. The legislation applies to individuals, businesses, and government entities, with exceptions only for wildlife law enforcement and specific Native American traditional rituals. Violations can result in criminal prison time, civil fines up to $25,000 per offense, and the seizure of the illegal items. The bill also requires the Secretary of the Interior to continue international discussions to reduce the global trade in bear parts.
The CHARM Act directs the Environmental Protection Agency to create a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy aimed at coordinating federal efforts to extract essential minerals from discarded materials and mining waste. This strategy requires the agency to identify existing programs, overcome legal and technological barriers, and ensure that recovery methods protect human health and the environment. The bill mandates that the EPA report its findings and actions to Congress every two years, including recommendations for future legislation to support these recovery efforts. Ultimately, the law seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains by systematically evaluating opportunities to reuse critical minerals found in waste streams.
The BRACE Act updates federal regulations to improve how lithium-ion batteries are managed and recycled in the United States. It requires facilities that store these batteries before recycling them to follow stricter safety and record-keeping rules similar to those for large industrial waste handlers. Additionally, the bill modernizes existing laws by replacing outdated references with current environmental protection standards. These changes directly impact businesses and organizations involved in the collection, storage, and recycling of lithium-ion batteries.
The Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act of 2026 prohibits the sale of food packaging that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals starting on January 1, 2027. This law directly impacts manufacturers and distributors by banning the introduction of such packaging into interstate commerce. The bill specifically defines PFAS as a group of fluorinated organic chemicals that include at least one fully fluorinated methyl or methylene carbon atom. By amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the legislation ensures that food containers sold across state lines will not include these specific substances.
