Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | May 6 - May 10, 2024

Highlights:

The Senate passed the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) of 2023 (S.2195/H.R.5444). The bill, led by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), reauthorizes $100 million annually for the DERA program, which finances the replacement and retrofitting of older diesel engines with lower-emission technologies. 

The Senate passed the America's Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S.3791). Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) co-authored the bill, which reauthorizes wildlife conservation efforts across the country and increases protections from new and emerging threats, such as from invasive species and disease. Check out EESI’s podcast on how Congress can leverage scientific research to bolster legislative conservation solutions.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations advanced the United States Foundation for International Conservation Act of 2023 (S.618/H.R.6727) to the Senate floor for debate. If enacted, the bill would support both federal and private financing for biodiversity conservation around the world, with a focus on supporting local communities’ capacity to manage biodiversity. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced the bill in the Senate, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) introduced the bill in the House.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development and Generating Renewable Energy to Electrify the Nation’s (BUILD GREEN) Infrastructure and Jobs Act (S.4277/H.R.8253). The bill would authorize $500 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act over 10 years to electrify existing public transportation and expand electric transportation infrastructure across the country.

To catch up on all of the recent environmental and energy legislation in Congress, read the PDF here.