This bill repeals Section 136 of the Clean Air Act, which established an incentive program for reducing methane emissions and waste in natural gas and petroleum systems. It directly affects natural gas and petroleum companies that previously participated in this program by eliminating their eligibility for related incentives. The bill also rescinds any unobligated funds allocated under that program before its repeal. This is a direct policy change removing a specific federal incentive mechanism, not a tax change.
This joint resolution (SJRES 109) seeks to block a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. It requests Congress disapprove the BLM's "Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan" (issued January 2025) under the Congressional Review Act. If approved, this resolution would nullify the BLM rule, preventing it from taking effect. The measure directly affects how the monument is managed, including land use and conservation decisions, by stopping the implementation of the specific resource plan.
HJRES 46 is a congressional resolution seeking to block an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would regulate two specific chemicals - Decabromodiphenyl Ether and Phenol, Isopropylated Phosphate (3:1) - under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The resolution requests Congress disapprove the EPA’s rule (published in the Federal Register on November 19, 2024), which would have required new safety measures for these persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals. If approved, this disapproval resolution would prevent the EPA rule from taking effect, halting its implementation. The bill directly affects the EPA’s regulatory authority over these chemicals and the industries producing or using them.
HJRES 78 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that granted endangered species status to the San Francisco Bay-Delta population of the longfin smelt, a fish native to California's Bay-Delta region. If passed, this resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preventing the smelt from receiving federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. The rule, published in the Federal Register in July 2024, aimed to protect this specific fish population from threats like habitat loss and water management practices. This resolution does not create new policy but directly reverses an existing regulatory action affecting the smelt and its ecosystem.
The No IRIS Act of 2025 (HR 1415) prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using scientific assessments generated by its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program to develop environmental regulations, enforce laws, issue permits, or inform air toxics mapping tools. This bill directly restricts the EPA’s regulatory process by banning IRIS data from key decision-making steps in environmental rulemaking. The law requires the EPA to rely on alternative scientific data for these purposes, without altering the IRIS program itself. It does not change existing EPA authority but limits how specific assessments may be applied in regulatory actions.
The Ending Green Giveaways Act (HR 1066) repeals a Clean Air Act provision (Section 138) that authorized federal funding for environmental and climate justice initiatives. It also cancels any unspent funds previously allocated for these programs. This would terminate the funding stream, preventing future allocations for community-based environmental projects. As a result, the program would end without new resources for communities addressing environmental challenges.
HR 257, the SEC Act of 2025, prohibits the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from requiring public companies to disclose climate-related information that isn't directly relevant to investment decisions. This bill directly affects publicly traded companies by limiting the SEC's authority over mandatory climate disclosures. The key provision amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to state the SEC cannot mandate climate disclosures unless they are "material" to investors - meaning they significantly impact financial decisions. The bill focuses on restricting the scope of disclosure requirements, not on creating new regulations or addressing climate impacts.
The MERP Clarifications Act of 2025 clarifies the Methane Emissions Reduction Program under the Clean Air Act. It exempts small oil and gas producers (with annual emissions below 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and 2,500 or fewer employees) from reporting and fee requirements, and also exempts facilities complying with specific EPA regulations and state plans. The bill requires the EPA to delay imposing fees until after grants are fully disbursed and revised emissions factors are finalized, while mandating plain-language explanations of fee calculations. The program is set to end on December 31, 2034, with a dispute resolution process for fee-related appeals during its active period.
HR 3900, the Water Quality Technology Availability Act, amends a key provision of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require that pollution limits for industrial discharges be based only on technologies already commercially available in the U.S. This change directly affects industries subject to water quality regulations (like manufacturing and utilities) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when developing effluent guidelines. The bill modifies Section 304(b)(1)(B) to replace "technology in relation to" with "technology that is commercially available in the United States in relation to," ensuring standards reflect existing, practical solutions. It does not create new requirements but clarifies that regulatory standards must consider only currently available technologies, not hypothetical or undeveloped ones.
This joint resolution (SJRES 85) seeks congressional disapproval of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would have regulated temporary incinerators used for disaster recovery. The EPA rule (published August 26, 2025) addressed "Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units: Temporary-Use Incinerators and Air Curtain Incinerators Used in Disaster Recovery." If approved, the resolution would block the EPA rule from taking effect, meaning the rule would have no force or effect. The resolution directly affects the EPA's ability to implement this specific regulation for disaster waste management.
