Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | December 8 - December 12, 2025

Highlights:

The House passed the Electric Supply Chain Act (H.R.3638). Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), joined by Reps. Robert Wittman (R-Va.) and Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), introduced the bill to require the U.S. Department of Energy to study vulnerabilities and bottlenecks—from a shortage of electric transformers to a reliance on foreign critical mineral imports—in the U.S. electricity supply chain. To learn more about the challenges and solutions for U.S. electric grid reliability, check out our recent briefing. 

The House also passed the ePermit Act (H.R.4503), introduced by Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.). The bill aims to modernize and streamline the permitting process by transitioning to a fully-electronic permitting system. 

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure advanced the Enhancing Science, Treatment, and Upkeep of America’s Resilient and Important Estuarine Systems (ESTUARIES) Act (H.R.3962). Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) introduced the bipartisan bill to continue restoration and resilience efforts for 28 estuaries of national significance by reauthorizing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Estuaries Program through 2031. Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) colead the bill in the House, and Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) lead the Senate companion bill (S.2063). 

The House and Senate alike saw a slew of bill introductions last week to address harmful perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Reps. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) introduced the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act (H.R.6668/S.3457) to improve polluter accountability, establish PFAS limits under the Clean Water Act, and provide support to communities with contaminated water. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the PFAS Accountability Act (H.R.6626/S.3460) to support PFAS exposure victims. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced the PFAS Research and Development Reauthorization Act (H.R.6667) to reauthorize the EPA’s PFAS research and development authority. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced S.3445 to provide clean drinking water to communities harmed by PFAS and S.3446 to accelerate U.S. Department of Defense efforts on PFAS. To learn more about PFAS, check out EESI’s issue brief.

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