Environment

This bill requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish new safety standards for side underride guards on trucks and trailers within 18 months, with full compliance required within two years. The standards mandate that these guards prevent passenger vehicles from sliding under trucks during collisions, improve safety for vulnerable road users like motorcyclists, and include aerodynamic features to aid fuel efficiency. The bill also creates an advisory committee to monitor underride safety and mandates studies to better understand and prevent these crashes. It aims to reduce the thousands of deaths and injuries from underride crashes that have occurred over the past 50 years, as documented by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations Act or the ACERO Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project. The ACERO project conducts research and development activities regarding aerial response to wildfires using uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and other advanced aviation technologies. It is administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  The bill directs the ACERO project to address airspace management and deconfliction during wildfire response efforts, including through real-time information sharing among response teams and the development of a platform to provide situational awareness of aerial assets. The bill also directs the ACERO project to establish a multiagency concept of operations to facilitate the coordination of aerial wildfire response among federal, state, and local government agencies. NASA must consult with other federal agencies and departments to avoid duplication of these efforts.  NASA generally may not procure UAS manufactured or assembled by specified foreign entities, including entities domiciled in or controlled by China, for use by the ACERO project.

This bill amends federal pay rules to provide hazard pay for specific federal firefighters. It requires that firefighters conducting prescribed burns (controlled fires for land management) and smokejumpers during training or operations receive the same hazard pay rate currently given to those fighting wildfires. The change applies to employees covered under Title 5 of U.S. Code, with implementation required within 90 days of enactment through Office of Personnel Management regulations. The policy directly affects federal wildfire management personnel performing these high-risk duties.

S 374 (Direct Property Acquisitions Act) establishes a 48-month pilot program allowing selected local governments to apply directly to FEMA for disaster mitigation funds - specifically for buying flood-prone properties or demolishing homes - instead of through their state governments. It affects only "covered communities" (local governments meeting FEMA criteria for self-sufficiency in hazard mitigation, with state approval and demonstrated need). The program requires FEMA to select no more than two communities per FEMA region (max one per state), provide written justification for selections, and submit annual reports to Congress evaluating the pilot’s impact on processing speed and potential long-term changes. The pilot expires 8 years after selection, with no guarantee of permanent adoption.

Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2025 This bill expands the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to give the Department of the Interior the authority to collect certain fees from applicants for, or holders of, geothermal leases through September 30, 2032. Specifically, Interior may direct those applicants or leaseholders to reimburse the United States for costs from (1) processing applications for geothermal leases on federal land, such as applications for geothermal drilling permits; and (2) inspecting and monitoring geothermal exploration and development activities, including reclamation activities. Interior may reduce the amount of the fee if it determines that (1) the full reimbursement would impose an economic hardship on the applicant, or (2) a less than full reimbursement is necessary to promote the greatest use of geothermal resources. Interior may use those fees only to the extent that they are provided in advance in appropriations acts for (1) processing applications for geothermal leases, and (2) inspecting and monitoring related exploration and development activities. Within five years of the bill's enactment, Interior must submit to Congress a report that includes an assessment of how the fees affect Interior's geothermal leasing program and any recommendations for updates to the fees and the program.

S 3091, the DISPOSAL Act, requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to sell or lease for up to 99 years six specific Washington, D.C., federal buildings (including the Frances Perkins and James V. Forrestal Buildings) at fair market value. The bill mandates that GSA may relocate federal agencies occupying these buildings to other facilities, prohibits foreign ownership in any sale or lease, and exempts disposal from certain environmental and historic preservation laws. Proceeds from sales must first cover relocation costs (deposited into the Federal Buildings Fund) with excess funds going to reduce the deficit. The law expires on December 31, 2028, and includes limited authority to add up to 20 more underutilized buildings annually.

The Complete Streets Act of 2025 requires states to establish programs that provide technical assistance and grants for local governments, transit agencies, and other eligible entities to develop and implement street projects accommodating all transportation modes. The bill mandates that these projects prioritize safety for pedestrians and cyclists, especially in underserved communities, and must follow new design standards including protected bike lanes, accessible sidewalks, and proper lighting. States must dedicate 5% of certain federal transportation funds to support these initiatives and report on progress to the federal government. The law establishes specific deadlines for implementing these standards on new road projects, with phased requirements for different types of projects and locations. This legislation aims to create streets that safely serve people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, including those who walk, bike, take transit, or drive.

HR 7568, the Hot Rock Act, funds research and development for "hot dry rock" geothermal energy - a next-generation technology that extracts heat from superhot (300°C+) rock formations with low natural permeability. It authorizes $16-30 million annually (2027-2031) for grant programs targeting high-temperature drilling, reservoir creation, and supercritical fluid research, plus a workforce training program to transition oil/gas workers into geothermal roles. The bill directly affects eligible entities (National Labs, universities, private companies) and covered individuals (U.S. oil/gas workers seeking geothermal careers), with provisions requiring seismic monitoring and risk research. Key mechanisms include milestone-based grants for achieving technical goals like drilling to supercritical temperatures and developing new well-casing methods.

HR 3661, the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act, requires FEMA to review and update how it defines "incident periods" (timeframes for disaster response) for extreme weather events. Within one year, FEMA must form an advisory panel with diverse emergency management representatives to assess current procedures, particularly for slow-onset, compound, or cascading disasters, and submit findings to Congress. The bill also mandates FEMA to issue new guidance on community cooling centers, resilience centers, and extreme heat/cold mitigation projects within a year, and conduct a study on impacts to vulnerable communities, infrastructure, and emergency alerts. These changes directly affect FEMA, state/local emergency managers, and communities facing extreme heat or cold events by modernizing response protocols and funding eligibility.

The Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025 establishes seven regional research centers at colleges and universities across specific U.S. regions (Alaska, California, Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Islands, Southeast, and Southwest) to advance wildland fire research. These centers will coordinate with federal fire management agencies, develop predictive tools for fire behavior and smoke impact, and create open data-sharing protocols following FAIR principles (findability, accessibility, interoperability, reusability). The law authorizes $60 million to $64 million annually for the centers from 2026-2030, plus $1 million yearly for a National Center Coordination Board that oversees research priorities and avoids duplication. It requires annual reports to Congress on research progress and establishes advisory boards with representation from tribal organizations, state agencies, and fire management professionals. This law directly affects land-grant universities, federal fire management agencies, Tribal organizations, and state wildfire management entities.