Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | April 27 - May 1, 2026

The President enacted the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.7147). Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) introduced the bill, which funds national defense programs and initiatives, including disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for the 2026 fiscal year. To learn more, check out EESI’s rapid readout and article on the future of FEMA.  

The House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567), known as the Farm Bill. The legislative package, which Congress reauthorizes roughly every five years, governs key programs ranging from crop insurance and capacity-building support for beginning farmers to climate-smart farming practices, rural energy, and research and development. The last Farm Bill, passed in 2018, was set to expire in 2023 and has since been extended annually. To learn more, check out EESI’s Farm Bill resources. 

The Senate passed the Pipeline Integrity, Protection, and Enhancement for Leveraging Investments in the Nation’s Energy to assure Safety Act (PIPELINE Safety Act) of 2025 (S.2975). Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced the bill, which aims to improve the safety of domestic energy transportation. The bill would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s pipeline safety program for five years and authorize $1.65 billion to fund safety, education, and technology improvements.  

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act (H.R.7266). Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Ind.) introduced the bill to reauthorize and strengthen the Department of Energy’s Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program, which helps defend rural and municipal electric utilities against cybersecurity threats to U.S. grid.

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