Hill Heat

The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a Full Committee markup on Monday, July 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (ET) in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, and subsequent days as necessary, to consider the following items:

Bills:

• H.R. 9340, Ratepayer Protection Act (Reps. Evans (CO) and Castor) (ANS)
• H.R. 9332, Load Forecasting Enhancement Act (Reps. Balderson and Menendez) (Tonko amendment to add an Electric Load Forecasting Technical Assistance Program)
• H.R. 9339, Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act (Reps. Harshbarger and Mullin)
• H.R. 9335, Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act (Rep. Goldman (TX))
• H.R. 6633, High-Capacity Grid Act (Rep. Fedorchak)
• H.R. 6529, Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act (Rep. Landsman)
• H.R. 9338, Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 (Rep. Weber) (ANS)
• H.R. 9617, Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act (Reps. Palmer and Tonko)
• H.R. 9616, Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Act of 2026 (Reps. Pfluger and Landsman)
• H.R. 1266, Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (Reps. Panetta and Pfluger)
• H.R. 2004, Tyler’s Law (Reps. Lieu and Latta)
• H.R. 7970, STOP Nitazenes Act (Rep. Latta)
• H.R. 1561, ALERT Communities Act (Reps. Crockett and Gooden)
• H.R. 7994, HERO Act (Rep. Ruiz)
• H.R. 8005, Stop Pills That Kill Act (Rep. Evans (CO))
• H.R. 7184, PRESS Act (Rep. McDowell)
• H.R. 5880, Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act (Reps. Hageman and Stansbury)
• H.R. 9393, Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026 (Reps. Guthrie and Pallone)
• H.R. 9390, Prices on the Wall Act of 2026 (Rep. Miller-Meeks)
• H.R. 9397, Premium Transparency Act (Reps. Pfluger and Moran)
• H.R. 9396, Prior Authorization Accountability Act (Rep. Goldman (TX))
• H.R. 3514, Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 (Reps. Kelly (PA) and DelBene)
• H.R. 9392, Medicare Advantage Cost Transparency Act (Reps. DeGette and Joyce (PA))
• H.R. 5243, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase data transparency for supplemental benefits under Medicare Advantage. (Rep. McClellan)
• H.R. 9389, Nutrition Education and Chronic Disease Prevention in Community Health Centers Act of 2026 (Rep. Harshbarger)
• H.R. 8201, Expanding Community Access to Health Services Act (Rep. Lee (NV))
• H.R. 5526, Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act (Reps. Pfluger and Landsman)
• H.R. 8908, STOP GAMES Act of 2026 (Reps. Sorensen and Bice)
• H.R. 9661, Expedited Access to Biosimilars Act (Reps. Langworthy and Schrier)

The subcommittee markup of the grid and pipeline bills took place on June 24.

Markup memo

A. H.R. 9340, Ratepayer Protection Act (Reps. Evans (CO) and Castor)

This legislation would amend Section 111(d) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) to require each state regulatory authority to consider establishing a large-load standard to provide that a rate charged, or related agreement entered into, by an electric utility for providing electric service to a large-load customer shall recover the full, incremental cost of any generation, transmission, or distribution upgrade necessary to serve the load of such customer and to provide for financial assurances to cover such upgrades. The legislation would define large-load customers as non-residential electric consumers requesting electric energy for one or more facilities at a site or campus with peak demand of 100 megawatts or more.

B. H.R. 9332, Load Forecasting Enhancement Act (Reps. Balderson and Menendez)

This legislation would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to hold regional joint boards with state public utility commissions to study and identify best practices for electric load forecasting that enhance the reliability and affordability of electric service to customers, and to develop best practices related to load forecasting. The legislation requires a FERC report to Congress with recommendations from the joint boards and requires each state regulatory authority to consider incorporating the report’s recommendations regarding load forecasting. Further, the legislation would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to include in state energy conservation plans procedures and programs to improve accuracy, oversight, and transparency to stakeholders of load forecasting by electric utilities.

C. H.R. 9339, Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act (Reps. Harshbarger and Mullin)

This legislation would direct the Department of Energy, in consultation with FERC and NERC, to study and report to Congress on opportunities to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and other high-performance computing technologies to enhance the capacity, reliable operation, and operational efficiency of the bulk power systems, and provide recommendations to facilitate adoption of such technologies with respect to grid operation. The bill requires the Department of Energy to consider AI applications for interconnection processes as part of their study.

D. H.R. 9335, Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act (Rep. Goldman (TX))

This legislation would amend EPCA to require the Secretary of Energy to establish and maintain a publicly available clearinghouse that identifies advanced transmission technologies (ATT), analyses, and financial assistance related to the technologies, and would require the Secretary to provide technical assistance to utilities, transmission organizations, and states seeking such assistance concerning ATT. The legislation would enable states to include programs to facilitate deployment of ATT in state energy conservation plans. The legislation would provide that any DOE financial assistance for ATT would not be considered a major federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act. The legislation would require the Secretary to establish best practices for utilities to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the bulk power system. This legislation was amended during the Energy Subcommittee markup on June 24, 2026, to clarify provisions related to NEPA under section 2.

E. H.R. 6633, High-Capacity Grid Act (Rep. Fedorchak)

This legislation would direct FERC to establish a best-available transmission conductor standard and to apply the standard to new FERC jurisdictional transmission lines and upgrades, modifications, or replacements. The legislation would establish that a utility is precluded from recovering any costs for conductors, except for conductors meeting the standard, unless the utility can demonstrate that use of such conductors is not prudent and the associated costs are not just and reasonable. This legislation was amended during the Energy Subcommittee markup on June 24, 2026, to establish, in consultation with DOE, a Best Available Transmission Conductor Class and to streamline the process for FERC to implement requirements for public utilities associated with the establishment of such class of conductors.

F. H.R. 6529, Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act (Rep. Landsman)

This legislation would require FERC to hold a Commissioner-led technical conference on strategies and rate structures for protecting residential and small commercial ratepayers from increased costs associated with large loads. Participants would include DOE, utilities, transmission providers, state regulators, consumer advocates, and large loads. FERC would report to Congress on recommendations and best practices resulting from the conference. This legislation was amended during the Energy Subcommittee markup on June 24, 2026, to clarify that the authorities of FERC under the proposed technical conference are focused on federal authorities.

G. H.R. 9338, Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 (Rep. Weber)

This legislation would reauthorize PHMSA’s pipeline safety program for 5 years and update policies and procedures to modernize PHMSA and improve safety.

Sec. 1 Short Title. This section provides that the Act may be cited as the “Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026.”

Sec. 2 Definitions. This section would modify the definition of “transporting gas” to clarify the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) regulatory authorities with respect to transfer and in-plant piping.

Sec. 3. Minimum Safety Standards. This section would require PHMSA to consider the “safety and economic benefits within the United States” when conducting cost-benefit analysis for proposed regulations.

Sec. 4. Opportunity for Formal Hearing. This section would provide an opportunity for pipeline operators that have been issued a notice of enforcement from PHMSA to have an onthe-record hearing conducted by an administrative law judge. An operator must prove that compliance with the enforcement action is more than $125,000, or there must be a proposed civil penalty of $125,000 or more to have the opportunity for a formal hearing. The section would also require the Secretary of Transportation to establish protocols for hearings under this section to ensure orderly process and protection of confidential information.

Sec. 5. Special Permit Program. This section would require that any terms placed on safety waivers (special permits) are specific to the pipeline safety regulation being waived and would establish timelines for consideration of special permit applications. The section would also mandate a report to Congress on the status of safety waivers sought under the special permit program and directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide a report on PHMSA’s implementation of the provision.

Sec. 6. Strengthening Penalties for Pipeline Safety Violations. This section would strengthen penalties for “damaging, destroying, or impairing the operation of” pipeline facilities or pipeline facilities under construction.

Sec. 7. Authorization Levels. This section would reauthorize PHMSA’s pipeline safety program for five years.

Sec. 8. Pipeline Safety Voluntary Information-Sharing Program. This section would direct PHMSA to establish a voluntary information sharing system to gather, evaluate, and quantify critical pipeline safety data and information to improve safety.

Sec. 9. Excavation Damage Prevention. This section would update PHMSA’s assessment criteria for State Damage Prevention Programs and would describe additional leading practices that state one-call programs should consider implementing to prevent excavation damage to pipelines and other underground utilities.

Sec. 10. Civil Penalties. This section would raise PHMSA’s maximum civil penalty for a violation from $200,000 to $341,200 and raise the maximum civil penalty for a series of violations from $2,000,000 to $3,412,000.

Sec. 11. User Fees. This section would clarify that user fees collected from pipeline operators by PHMSA are to remain in the Pipeline Safety Fund until they are expended and not to be used for other purposes.

H. H.R. 9617, Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act (Reps. Palmer and Tonko)

This legislation directs the EPA Administrator, in consultation with the heads of other federal agencies, to develop and carry out a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy to coordinate federal efforts to recover critical minerals from discarded materials.

I. H.R. 9616, Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Act (Reps. Pfluger and Landsman)

This legislation would authorize EPA to establish a program to investigate, evaluate, and support processes, methods, and systems which may be utilized to identify sources of critical materials at contaminated sites as well as recovery of such critical minerals.

07/20/2026 at 05:00PM

Full committee hearing.

Nominee:

• David Cummins, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration

Cummins worked as a senior vice president of the Citizen Services Business Group at Serco, a government contractor that works with local and federal agencies. He was the Director of Operations Management for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic organizing committee. Cummins holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Business School, an MA in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a BA in Political Science from Messiah College.

Serco is one of the largest non-government employers of air traffic controllers in the world, managing numerous air traffic control towers for the FAA across the United States, and is a major provider of private prisons. They are known as the “ICE of Europe” for their deportation infrastructure.

07/16/2026 at 10:00AM

The purpose of the business meeting is to consider the nominations and legislation on the below agenda.

Nominees

• PN. 806-2, William Hague, of Washington, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular, International, and Ocean Affairs, vice Carmen G. Cantor, resigned. Reported favorably on party lines 11-9, McCormick aye by proxy.
• PN. 806-5, Kevin Lilly, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, vice Shannon Aneal Estenoz, resigned. Reported favorably with Sen. Heinrich joining Republicans in favor 12-8, McCormick aye by proxy.
• PN. 852-3, Kaveh Farzad, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (International Affairs), vice Andrew Eilperin Light, resigned. Reported favorably on party lines 11-9, McCormick aye by proxy.

Hague is a long-time AT&T executive and major campaign donor to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Kevin Lilly is the acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks at the Interior Department—a position that oversees both the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lilly is a Texas wealth manager with no conservation experience. He holds the acting position illegally.

Lilly resigned his position as the chair of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in order to join the Trump administration as a political appointee. Lilly founded Avalon Advisors, the “largest privately owned wealth management firm in Texas,” according to Southwestern University.

Farzad serves as Managing Director for Global Public Affairs and as Director at FGS Global. During the first Trump administration, he served as the Arabian Peninsula and West Africa Lead at the U.S. Department of Energy, as Chief Speechwriter and Communications Advisor to the U.S. Embassy of the Holy See and as Public Affairs Specialist for the Bureau of Energy Resources at the U.S. Department of State. He was previously a Senior Communications Officer at the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Sens. Heinrich and Hickenlooper attended to provide a quorum despite the absence of Sen. McCormick (R-Pa.).

According to Organ Mountain News, Heinrich said Lilly “had taken his calls, listened to his concerns and demonstrated a willingness to work with him.”

“For that reason, I will vote to report his nomination,” Heinrich said.

Legislation

• S. 365/H.R. 1729, to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to allow for additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado. (Mr. Bennet/Rep. Neguse).
• S. 764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes. (Mr. Bennet).
• S. 791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes. (Mr. Van Hollen).
• S. 888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and for other purposes. (Mr. Wyden).
• S. 945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes. (Mr. Merkley).
• S. 1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, and for other purposes. (Mrs. Shaheen).
• S. 1175, to amend section 6903 of title 31, United States Code, to provide for additional population tiers, and for other purposes. (Mr. Daines).
• S. 1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, and for other purposes. (Mr. Hickenlooper).
• S. 1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws. (Ms. Cortez Masto).
• S. 1413, to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act. (Mr. Padilla).
• S. 1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes. (Mr. Heinrich).
• S. 1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes. (Mrs. Murray).
• S. 1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, and for other purposes. (Mr. Schiff).
• S. 2554, to provide for the recognition of certain Alaska Native communities and the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes. (Ms. Murkowski).
• S. 2754/H.R. 5911, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the City of Ouray, Colorado, certain land managed by the Forest Service, together with a reservoir. (Mr. Bennet/Rep. Hurd).
• S. 3526, to provide for the protection of and investment in certain Federal land in the State of California, and for other purposes. (Mr. Padilla).
• S. 3725, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to expand the capacity and reach of the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, Inc. (doing business as “Lewis & Clark Regional Water System”), in the States of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. (Mr. Thune).
• S. 3732, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, and for other purposes. (Mr. Gallego).
• H.R. 249, to redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Rep. Pallone).

07/16/2026 at 09:30AM

Subcommittee hearing.

Legislation:

• S. 1791, Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025, A bill to designate certain special management areas, wildlife conservation areas, protection areas, recreation areas, wilderness areas, and a scientific research and education area in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes. (Mr. Bennet).
• S. 4200, Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act, A bill to promote conservation, improve public land, and provide for sensible development in Douglas County, Nevada, and for other purposes. (Ms. Cortez Masto).
• S. 4239, Plug Offshore Wells Act, A bill to to require the Secretary of the Interior to annually submit to Congress, and make publicly available on a website, a report on decommissioning offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines, and for other purposes. (Mr. Welch).
• S. 4383, Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act, A bill to appoint a Geothermal Ombudsman and establish a Geothermal Permitting Task Force from within the Bureau of Land Management, and for other purposes. (Ms. Cortez Masto).
• S. 4410, A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for the payment of bonus payments of certain coal leases issued under that Act. (Mr. Barrasso).
• S. 4458, Caja del Rio Protection Act, A bill to establish the Caja del Rio Special Management Area and Caja del Rio National Conservation Area in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes. (Mr. Heinrich).
• S. 4561, CLOSE THE GAP Act, A bill to modernize and streamline the permitting process for broadband infrastructure on Federal land, and for other purposes. (Mr. Barrasso).
• S. 4605, Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026, A bill to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to provide cost-recovery authority for the Department of the Interior. (Mr. Gallego).
• S. 4715, Offshore Leasing Standards and Accountability Act of 2026, A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to establish fitness to operate standards and decommissioning escrow accounts for offshore oil and gas operators, and for other purposes. (Mr. Schiff).
• H.R. 655, Dalles Watershed Development Act, A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Federal land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon. (Rep. Bentz).
• H.R. 1687, CLEAN Act, A bill to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to increase the frequency of lease sales, to require replacement sales, and for other purposes. (Rep. Fulcher).
• H.R. 4090, Critical Mineral Dominance Act, A bill to codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, and for other purposes. (Rep. Stauber).
• H.R. 5587, HEATS Act, A bill to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to waive the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for certain activities, to exempt certain activities from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and for other purposes. (Rep. Kim).
• H.R. 5631, Geothermal Energy Advancement Act, A bill to promote responsible geothermal energy development on public lands, and for other purposes. (Rep. Hurd).
• H.R. 7831, License to Drill Act, A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to extend the period of time during which the Secretary of the Interior is required to collect a fee for each new application for a permit to drill, and for other purposes. (Rep. Kennedy).

07/15/2026 at 02:30PM

We are halfway through 2026, and there are already a lot of climate records to unpack. This next Monthly Climate Brief will look at the latest global and U.S. climate numbers, including temperature rankings, impacts, and notable extremes so far this year. We will also cover the latest El Niño outlook and what it could mean for regional climate impacts and global temperatures later in 2026. As always, there will be time for open Q&A.

Plus, Adam Smith from Climate Central will join us to provide a preview of the billion-dollar disasters recorded so far in 2026 and share updates on new research expected over the coming months.

Speakers:

• Dr. Zachary Labe, climate scientist at Climate Central
• Adam Smith, senior climate impacts scientist at Climate Central

Moderator:

• Jen Brady, senior data analyst and research manager at Climate Central

This is the next installment of our Climate Services webinar series — a monthly, data-driven briefing that delivers clear insights into recent climate patterns, what’s driving them, and what they mean for critical sectors including energy, transportation, health, and agriculture. The webinar is open to the public and includes time for live Q&A. Registered attendees will also receive a recording of this briefing.

RSVP

07/15/2026 at 12:00PM

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will meet to consider:

• H.R. 726 (Rep. Downing), “Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025” (ANS)
• H.R. 2317 (Rep. Amodei), “Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2025” (ANS)
• H.R. 2406 (Rep. Bonamici), “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2025”
• H.R. 2827 (Rep. Cole), To provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 6251 (Rep. Begich), To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. (ANS)
• H.R. 6893 (Rep. Scott of VA), “Chesapeake Bay Watershed Advancement for Training, Education, Restoration, and Science (WATERS) Act”
• H.R. 7889 (Rep. Wittman (R-VA)), “Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act of 2025” or the “AWRC Act of 2025”
• H.R. 8658 (Rep. Kennedy of UT), “Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act”
• H.R. 9436 (Rep. Lawler, Golden), “Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026,” To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to delay protections for the endangered North Atlantic right whale to 2035 by extending a Biden-era freeze on new rules for the lobster and Jonah crab industries (ANS)

07/15/2026 at 10:00AM

Full committee executive session.

Bills:

• S. 1759, Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, to allow for the operation of civil supersonic flight in the national airspace system under certain conditions
• S. 3258, Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2025, to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to publish the list of medications that the Administrator has compiled for purposes of the medical certification of airmen and air traffic control specialists
• S. 3885, Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act, to provide for updates to the Federal Aviation Administration type certification process to support development of new and novel technologies
• S. 4429, Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, to prohibit the importation, manufacture, sale, resale, or introduction into interstate commerce in the United States of connected vehicles and related software and hardware associated with foreign adversaries
• S. 4448, Accelerating Broadband Permits Act of 2026, to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to create tools for tracking the progress of grant recipients under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, to require the Assistant Secretary to help executive agencies improve compliance with the statutory deadline for processing communications use applications
• S. 4691, Disaster Communications Coordination and Preparedness Act, to support improved awareness and coordination of Federal communications resources during disasters and emergencies
• S. 4802, Hurricane Hunter Aircraft Recapitalization Act, to provide for the acquisition by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of aircraft for air, atmosphere, and weather reconnaissance and research missions

Nominees:

• Thomas B. Chapman, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
• Edward Eppler, of Connecticut, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Transportation
• Karen Jean Hedlund, of New York, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board
• Brien Lorenze, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Karen Sessions, of Texas, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission

07/15/2026 at 10:00AM

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a Business Meeting to consider the following items:

• PN806-5, Kevin Lilly, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife
• S.4949 – Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (ANS, Section by Section), reported favorably 18-0

Lilly’s nomination was not considered.

Transcript

07/15/2026 at 10:00AM

Full committee hearing.

Nominees:

• Sean Kaufman, M.P.H., Woodstock, GA to be Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for the Department of Health and Human Services
• Erica Schwartz, M.D., Naples, FL to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

07/15/2026 at 10:00AM

Subcommittee markup.

Hearing memo

Items to be considered:

• H.R. 2140, Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2025 (Reps. Matsui (D-CA) and Langworthy (R-NY)), to extend the DERA program of voluntary retrofitting or replacement of older, high-polluting diesel engines to 2029
• H.R. 3194, Lifting Overburdensome Commerce Obstructions and Motives (LOCOMOTIVES) Act (Rep. Moolenaar)
• H.R. 9317, Buses Utilizing Safety and Environmental Standards (BUSES) Act (Reps. Langworthy and Gottheimer), to overturn local anti-idling municipal ordinances such as NYC’s citizen enforcement policy and to block civil suits against bus-idling pollution
• H.R. 9615, Battery Recycling for America’s Competitive Economy (BRACE) Act (Rep. Miller-Meeks)
• H.R. 9616, Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Act of 2026 (Reps. Pfluger and Landsman) to encourage mineral extraction from Superfund sites
• H.R. 9617, Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act (Reps. Palmer and Tonko)
• H.R. 9618, Diesel Engine Flexibility (DEF) Act (Reps. Fedorchak and Davis (NC))

07/14/2026 at 02:00PM