Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | July 21 - July 25, 2025

Highlights:

The House passed the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act (H.R.1043). Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) reintroduced the bill to permit the transfer of federal lands to Arizona’s La Paz County for solar energy development. The project would create more than 700 jobs, and the resulting solar park would have enough solar and battery storage capacity to power about 75,000 homes. Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) lead the bill’s Senate companion (S.909). 

The House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Appropriations passed the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.4754/S.2431) and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.4552/S.2465). The House Committee on Appropriations also passed the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.4553). Each of these bills will now progress to the floors of their respective chambers for votes.

Reps. Davis Rouzer (R-N.C.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) reintroduced the Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, or Healthy H2O Act (H.R.4721/S.2436). The bipartisan, bicameral bill would provide rural communities with grants for water testing and treatment to provide protection for water contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), lead, and nitrate.  

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) introduced the Columbia River Clean-Up Act (H.R.4675/S.2415) to reauthorize the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program, which aims to reduce toxins and pollution in the basin. Funding for the program, which was introduced by Sen. Merkley in 2016, is set to expire this year. The bill would extend funding through 2030. To learn more about climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation strategies in the Columbia River basin, watch EESI’s briefing on the topic.  

Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) introduced the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025 (H.R.4669) to strengthen the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Specifically, the bill proposes to promote FEMA to a cabinet-level agency and make programmatic reforms regarding  public assistance, individual assistance, mitigation, and transparency and accountability. Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) cosponsor the bill.

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