Environment

Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 This bill (commonly known as the farm bill) reauthorizes through FY2031 and modifies Department of Agriculture programs that address commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, energy, horticulture, crop insurance, livestock and other animals, and foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land.

Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to address the limitations on Reid Vapor Pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) that are placed on gasoline during the summer ozone season. Specifically, the bill applies the waiver for Reid Vapor Pressure requirements that is applicable to gasoline blended with 10% ethanol (E10) to gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol (E15). This change allows gasoline that is blended with 10% to 15% ethanol to be sold year-round. Currently, states may be excluded from the waiver for Reid Vapor Pressure requirements by submitting documentation supporting that the waiver would increase air pollution. The bill nullifies existing state exclusions, but states may submit documentation after enactment of the bill to be excluded going forward. The bill also modifies the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, which requires transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States to contain minimum volumes of renewable fuel. Under the existing program, obligated parties, such as small refineries, must satisfy the volume obligations by either blending renewable fuels into their gasoline or diesel fuel products or by acquiring credits that represent the required renewable fuel volume. The bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to return compliance credits to small refineries under certain circumstances.

This bill extends funding periods for several key water restoration programs through 2031, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Long Island Sound program, and Columbia River Basin restoration. It modifies the San Francisco Bay program to require 25% non-Federal cost-sharing for projects and updates coastal water quality monitoring rules to include new testing technologies. The bill also restricts federal funds for these programs from going to non-U.S. entities or those partnering with "foreign countries of concern." These changes directly affect state, local, and nonprofit entities managing federally funded water restoration projects across specific geographic regions.

Mining Regulatory Clarity Act This bill allows mining operators to use federal lands for activities ancillary to mining, such as waste disposal, regardless of whether those lands contain mineral deposits valuable enough to be mined (mineral validity). It also establishes the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund. The bill addresses a 2022 decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit related to the Rosemont Copper Mine in Arizona (commonly known as the Rosemont decision , described further in CRS Report R48166 ). The court held that mining claims are only allowed where mineral validity has been established and that mill site claims are more appropriate means for establishing a mining waste disposal site under the Mining Act. The bill allows a mining operator to (1) locate and include within its plan of operations as many mill site claims (e.g., areas for waste rock disposal) as are reasonably necessary for its operations, and (2) use or occupy public land in accordance with an approved plan of operations. Additionally, the bill requires any revenue generated from fees for such mill site claims to be deposited into the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund. The Department of the Interior must use the fund for certain abandoned hardrock mine reclamation activities.

Homeowner Energy Freedom Act This bill repeals the Department of Energy's (1) high-efficiency electric home rebate program for certain electrification projects in low- or moderate-income households, (2) state-based home energy efficiency contractor training grants, and (3) assistance for states and local governments to adopt specified building energy codes. It also rescinds any unobligated balances available for the rebates or adopting the building energy codes. (The unobligated balances for the contractor training grants were previously rescinded by the 2025 reconciliation act.)

This bill, titled "Pet and Livestock Protection Act," is misleading; it actually focuses on gray wolf management. It requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a 2020 rule removing gray wolves from the endangered species list within 60 days of enactment. The bill also prohibits courts from reviewing this reissuance. This directly affects gray wolf populations and management policies in states where wolves are present, shifting regulatory control away from federal endangered species protections.

The PERMIT Act (HR 3898) amends the definition of "navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act to exclude specific water features from federal regulation. It explicitly removes waste treatment systems, ephemeral streams (flowing only after rain), prior converted cropland, groundwater, and other features designated by regulators. This change directly affects federal agencies like the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, reducing their jurisdiction over these excluded water bodies. The bill aims to streamline permitting by clarifying which waters fall under federal Clean Water Act oversight.

HJRES 131 blocks a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule that would have allowed oil and gas leasing in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain. The bill uses the Congressional Review Act to formally disapprove this specific rule, making it legally void. It directly affects the BLM's ability to advance the leasing program and companies seeking permits for oil and gas development in that area. The resolution became law after passing both chambers of Congress in late 2025.

HR 1676, the "Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2025," requires the federal government to approve or deny state wildlife conservation plans within 180 days of receiving them. This directly affects states that submit comprehensive wildlife conservation plans under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. If the Secretary fails to act within that timeframe, the state's plan is automatically approved as of the 180th day. The bill streamlines the approval process to prevent federal delays from blocking state conservation funding.

HR 1917, the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025, establishes a federal program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to mass-tag hatchery-reared fish in the Great Lakes. The program directly affects federal, state, and tribal fisheries agencies by providing data on hatchery fish versus wild fish populations through automated tagging. Key provisions authorize $5 million annually (2026-2030) to purchase tagging equipment, hire staff, and share collected data with partner agencies to inform management decisions about fish stocking, habitat restoration, and balancing predator-prey relationships. This data supports the economic stability of the Great Lakes fisheries sector, which contributes over $7 billion annually to the regional economy.