Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | April 6 - April 10, 2026

Highlights: 

The House Committee on Energy Commerce advanced the Emergency Reporting Act (H.R.5200), which would strengthen the country’s emergency communications infrastructure for disasters. The bill, led by Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), would direct the Federal Communications Commission to address  instances where individuals were unable to reach 9-1-1 during natural disasters. To learn more about federal disaster response, check out EESI’s Rapid Readout on the future of FEMA.

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) introduced the Power for the People Act (H.R.8241) alongside 16 Democratic cosponsors. The bill aims to regulate data centers to lower utility bills for everyday ratepayers. Specifically, Power for the People would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to require data centers to pay for the local transmission upgrades they need. Sen. Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced companion legislation (S.3682) in the Senate in January. To learn more, check out EESI’s data center article series.

Reps. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.) introduced the Revitalization Efforts for Sustainable Transformation and Remediation for Thriving (RESTART) Communities Act of 2026 (H.R.8238). The bill aims to revitalize industrial communities that were affected by environmental contaminants through coordinated efforts with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill would also federalize the “RACER Trust” model used in Michigan.

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