Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | February 23 - February 27, 2026

The Senate passed S.2245 to amend the Digital Coast Act. Specifically, Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the bill to extend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Digital Coast Program, which supports information, technology, and training needed to preserve and protect coastal communities from the growing threats of climate change. Reps. Dave Min (D-Calif.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.) lead the House version of the bill (H.R.4256), which is currently pending a vote on the House floor. 

The House passed the Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act (ASCEND Act) (H.R.2600), introduced by Reps. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.). The bill would permanently authorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition program. Data collected from this program’s commercial satellites can bolster research and forecasting on extreme weather. For more on how satellites can support climate research, check out EESI’s article, “Out-of-This-World Methane Detection: Using Satellites to Track Super Emitters.”

The House also passed the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) Act (H.R.390). The bill, introduced by Reps. Vince Fong (R-Calif.) and Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), authorizes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s ACERO project, which is focusing on the use of drones to combat wildfires, especially in low-visibility conditions in which manned aircrafts cannot be used. To learn more about federal responses to wildfires, check out EESI’s briefing, Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy.

The House Committee on Natural Resources advanced the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025 (H.R.755), reintroduced by Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) The bill would reconcile differences between the U.S. Department of Energy’s critical materials list and the U.S. Geological Survey’s critical minerals list, and increase the number of critical minerals and materials eligible for clean energy tax credits. Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) lead the Senate version of the bill (S.714). To learn more about these minerals—and their lists—matter, check out EESI’s issue brief.

The House Committee on Natural Resources also agreed to the Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans (MAPOceans) Act (H.R.3340), introduced by Reps. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.). The bill builds on the successful passage of the MAPLand Act (P.L. 117-114) in 2022 and the MAPWaters Act (P.L. 119-62) in 2025 to improve data collection and publication on the use of U.S. marine waterways. By requiring more accessible and accurate data, the bill aims to improve Americans’ recreational experience in U.S. waterways, promote safe and legal marinel activity, and boost coastal economies.

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