Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | May 25 - May 29, 2026

Highlights:

Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) introduced the Community Flood Resilience Act (H.R.9056) to expedite recovery from extreme flooding events. Specifically, the bill would allow state and community beneficiaries of Flood Mitigation Assistance grants to use a portion of that funding to purchase private flood insurance, which delivers more immediate payouts. To learn about the state of the national flood insurance program, check out our recent article.

Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) reintroduced the American High Speed Rail Act of 2026 (H.R.9036) alongside 46 democratic cosponsors. The bill would authorize up to $41 billion annually for five years to build a high-speed passenger rail system. It would also establish national standards for high-speed rail, prioritize grants for projects that promote equity and deliver climate benefits, and leverage public-private partnerships, among other initiatives. EESI’s briefing about federal rail policy outlines other opportunities to support this mode of transit, including through the surface transportation reauthorization bill.

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and lead cosponsors Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), and Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) introduced the America Bikes Act (H.R.9041). The bill would establish expanding biking and walking infrastructure on federal lands, reauthorize federal funding for communities to develop this infrastructure, and create a grant program to bikeways to transit stations, among other initiatives.

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