Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | October 5 - October 9, 2026

Highlights:

The House Small Business Committee advanced the Disaster Loan Outreach Consistency Act (H.R.10355), led by Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.) and Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands). The bill would create standards for accurate and consistent information to be provided to small business owners in disaster recovery scenarios. 

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), alongside Reps. Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), and Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), introduced the RAISE Act of 2026 (H.R.10749). The bill allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide block grants to states to compensate for damage to high-value crops after extreme weather events and other disasters. 

Reps. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) introduced the Regional Ocean Partnership Reauthorization Act (H.R.10756) to continue the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Regional Ocean Partnerships program through 2031. These partnerships facilitate coordination across  coastal states, stakeholders, and the federal government on ocean and coastal conservation and adaptation. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) leads the bill’s bipartisan Senate counterpart (S.3971). 

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) introduced the Stop Orphaned Wells Act (H.R.10721), alongside five lead Democratic sponsors. The bill would amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require oil well operators to cap their own wells on federal and tribal lands, rather than abandoning them for governments to clean up. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced an identical bill (S.5630) at the end of September.

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