Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | January 12 - January 16, 2026

The Senate passed the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.6938). The consolidated appropriations bill, introduced by Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), funds federal agencies’ activities and programs related to commerce, law enforcement, science, energy and water development, public lands, and the environment for the 2026 fiscal year. It will now head to the President’s desk for his signature.

The House Committee on Financial Services reported on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Extension Act of 2026 (H.R.5577). Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) introduced the bipartisan bill to extend NFIP authorization through September 2026, as it is currently set to expire at the end of January. To learn more, check out EESI’s briefing, Insurance in the Era of Climate Change. 

The House Committee on Natural Resources agreed to the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R.2860). The bill, introduced by Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Emily Randall (D-Wash.), would permanently reauthorize the Northwest Straits Commission in the Puget Sound in Washington and fund it with $10 million per fiscal year through 2031. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) lead companion legislation (S.1433) in the Senate.

The House and Senate introduced the Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion (REAADI) for Disasters Act (H.R.7029/S.3628). Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) lead the bill, which builds accessibility, continuity of care, and civil rights for seniors and people with disabilities into the government’s disaster response.

Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) reintroduced the Advancing Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act (H.R.7142/S.3637) to strengthen innovative agricultural research in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Specifically, the bill would reauthorize the 2018 Farm Bill’s Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority, which was established under the USDA to prioritize and invest in high-risk, high-reward research and development in agriculture and food. To learn more, check out EESI’s Farm BIll resources.

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