Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | December 15 - December 19, 2025

The Senate passed the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act (H.R.1043), which the House passed in July. 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. The bill has since been sent to the president’s desk for his signature. 

The Senate passed the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act (S.861), reintroduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Tom Tillis (R-N.C.). The bipartisan bill aims to streamline the application process for federal disaster recovery assistance, reducing the burden on disaster survivors seeking immediate assistance. EESI’s latest article breaks down other proposed improvements to federal disaster assistance.

Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act (S.3503). The Wildlife Road Crossings Program supports wildlife crossing projects that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. The bill, if passed, would make the initiative permanent and reauthorize its funding through 2031. Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced companion legislation (H.R.6078) in the House in November. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), John Curtis (R-Utah), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) also introduced legislation (S.3556) to reauthorize the program.

The House passed the Enhancing Science, Treatment, and Upkeep of America’s Resilient and Important Estuarine Systems (ESTUARIES) Act (H.R.3962). The bill, introduced by Reps. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), and Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), reauthorizes the National Estuary Program, which supports local restoration efforts across 28 estuaries of national significance. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) lead the Senate companion bill (S.2063). Episode 8.1 of EESI’s podcast, the Climate Conversation, discusses estuary restoration with Restore America’s Estuaries President and CEO Daniel Hayden. 

The House passed the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025 (H.R.1045), led by Reps. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Blake Moore (R-Utah), and Celeste Maloy (R-Utah). The bill would create a federal wildfire research institute at Utah State University to study wildfire ecology and develop wildfire risk mitigation and resilience solutions, in collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies.

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