Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | March 22 - March 27, 2026

Highlights:

The Senate passed the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act (S.1092). Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) reintroduced the bill to improve labeling for non-flushable products, preventing expensive damage to sewage systems and reducing trash flow into rivers and the ocean. The bill’s House companion (H.R.2269), reintroduced by Reps. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), passed in June 2025.

The House passed the American Water Stewardship Act (H.R.6422) to improve water quality and restore ecosystems across the United States. The bill, introduced by Reps. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) and Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.), would reauthorize funding for several water quality programs, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Long Island Sound and Columbia River Basin Restoration programs, the National Estuary Program, and the BEACH Act program.

The House passed the Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act (H.R.6618) to bolster wildfire response efforts. Reps. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) introduced the bill to address the impacts of unauthorized drone activity on the safety and efficiency of wildfire response efforts. To learn more about federal wildfire policies, check out EESI’s briefing.

The Senate passed the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025 (S.629) to improve federal disaster relief for U.S. producers. The bill, introduced by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), would reform the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program by increasing the eligibility and timeframe for these programs and allowing producers the option of an increased, up-front cost-share.

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