Environment

The Recycled Materials Attribution Act of 2026 allows companies to use mass balance accounting to support claims about recycled content in their products, provided they follow independent third-party certification rules. This method lets manufacturers mix recycled materials with conventional ones in the same supply chain while still crediting the final product with a specific amount of recycled content based on documented inputs. The Federal Trade Commission will update its existing environmental marketing guidelines to reflect these new standards and will enforce the rules against misleading recycled content claims. Additionally, the law prevents states from passing their own conflicting regulations on how recycled content claims are made or enforced.

This bill requires developers of artificial intelligence data centers to publicly disclose project details, such as location and environmental impact, at least 180 days before taking definitive construction steps. To ensure community awareness, the legislation mandates that developers engage local media, post on social media, send direct mail, place physical signs at the site, and provide materials in multiple languages. Additionally, the bill restricts the use of non-disclosure agreements with government entities and requires independent third-party environmental impact analyses funded by the developers. The Federal Trade Commission is designated as the enforcement agency, with violations treated as unfair or deceptive acts under existing federal law.

This resolution formally recognizes May 15, 2026, as Endangered Species Day to honor the success of conservation efforts under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The bill highlights how these laws have helped prevent the extinction of many species and supports the economic and cultural benefits of biodiversity. It acknowledges the role of indigenous communities in conservation and celebrates the recovery of various at-risk plants and wildlife. The measure is symbolic and does not create new laws or funding, but rather expresses support for existing conservation achievements.

This bill establishes a grant program to help vulnerable mothers and babies in areas with high climate-related health risks, such as extreme heat and air pollution. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to award up to $105 million over four years to community groups, healthcare providers, and local organizations for initiatives that provide cooling resources, health education, and support services. The program prioritizes areas with high rates of maternal and infant health disparities and requires grantees to address racial and ethnic inequities. Additionally, the bill creates a research consortium at the National Institutes of Health to study climate impacts on birth outcomes and funds training programs for health profession schools to better prepare providers for these risks.

This bill establishes a Climate Change Education Program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to increase climate literacy across the United States through formal and nonformal learning opportunities for all ages. The program will award grants to state and local educational agencies, universities, professional associations, and youth organizations to develop climate education curricula, train educators, and support community-based climate action projects. Funding allocations prioritize environmental justice communities and require that grants to local schools provide at least $1 million annually if total funding exceeds $5 million. The bill authorizes $50 million per year from 2027 through 2032 to carry out these educational initiatives and requires the NOAA Administrator to submit annual reports to Congress on program effectiveness.

This legislation modifies the Federal Power Act to restrict the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's ability to issue emergency orders for power generation facilities. It requires the Commission to consider alternatives that minimize environmental impacts and conduct public hearings before acting. The bill also prohibits orders that would delay the retirement or permanent closure of a facility unless a unique emergency exists and is formally requested. Furthermore, it mandates that utilities inform customers about the costs and impacts of any emergency orders issued under these rules.

This bill creates a new Geothermal Ombudsman and a Permitting Task Force within the Bureau of Land Management to improve how geothermal energy projects on public lands are approved. The Ombudsman will serve as a liaison between different BLM offices and project applicants, help resolve disputes, track permit processing times, and develop better practices for geothermal leasing. The Task Force, led by the Ombudsman, can temporarily assign specialized staff from other parts of the Department to assist with geothermal projects and may offer retention bonuses to keep experienced workers. The law also requires the Ombudsman to submit annual reports to Congress on the Task Force's activities and the effectiveness of geothermal permitting.

This bill, titled the "End Polluter Welfare for Enhanced Oil Recovery Act of 2026," eliminates federal tax credits related to enhanced oil recovery (EOR). It directly affects oil and gas companies that utilize or plan to utilize EOR methods. Specifically, the bill strikes Section 43 of the Internal Revenue Code, thereby ending the existing Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit. Furthermore, for new facilities constructed after the bill's enactment, it removes eligibility for the carbon capture tax credit (Section 45Q) when captured carbon oxide is used for enhanced oil recovery. These changes discontinue tax incentives that support specific oil extraction techniques.

This joint resolution aims to disapprove and nullify a specific rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It directly affects the EPA's ability to implement its recent changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The bill utilizes the Congressional Review Act to block the EPA's rule, which set biofuel blending standards for 2026 and 2027 and included a partial waiver for 2025 cellulosic biofuel volumes. If passed and signed into law, this resolution would prevent the EPA's new RFS program standards and related provisions from taking effect, thereby maintaining the prior regulatory framework.

This resolution provides for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 4690) to amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to repeal certain Federal building energy efficiency performance standards, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1182) expressing support for rural communities across the United States as stewards of the environment, major suppliers of United States energy resources, critical providers of food production and manufacturing capacity, and drivers of national economic stability, and recognizing the work of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress in support of those vital communities; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1897) to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to optimize conservation through resource prioritization, incentivize wildlife conservation on private lands, provide for greater incentives to recover listed species, create greater transparency and accountability in recovering listed species, streamline the permitting process, eliminate barriers to conservation, and restore congressional intent; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5587) to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to waive the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for certain activities, to exempt certain activities from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and for other purposes.