Environment

HR 949, the Hatchie River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2025, authorizes a study to evaluate whether Tennessee’s 163-mile Hatchie River segment (from the Mississippi-Tennessee border to its confluence with the Mississippi River) should receive Wild and Scenic River protection. The bill requires the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to complete this study within three years of funding and submit a report to Congress, including input from state, local, and community stakeholders. This study would assess the river’s natural, cultural, and recreational values to determine if it qualifies for Wild and Scenic River status, which would limit development and protect its free-flowing character. The bill does not immediately protect the river but sets the process for potential future designation. It directly affects river stakeholders in Tennessee and future congressional decisions on river management.

This bill authorizes coal to be mined on approximately 800 acres of federal land in Musselshell County, Montana. Specifically, it allows all federal coal reserves in such federal land and leased under Federal Coal Lease MTM 97988 to be mined in accordance with the 2020 Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification. The Bull Mountains Mine is operated by Signal Peak Energy. This bill directs the Department of the Interior, without modification or delay, to approve the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification to the extent necessary to mine such land.

This bill reauthorizes the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program through 2032, extending funding for watershed restoration projects. It adds Maryland as a fifth Basin state (previously a 4-State program) and requires the program to prioritize projects benefiting small, rural, or disadvantaged communities. The bill also updates definitions and administrative provisions from the original 2016 program under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. This affects restoration efforts across the Delaware River Basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland).

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to study whether the Bonneville Shoreline Trail should be officially designated as part of the National Trails System. The study will assess the feasibility of designating this 280-mile trail system, which follows the historic shoreline of ancient Lake Bonneville from the Idaho-Utah border to Nephi, Utah. The bill does not create the trail or change current management but requires a federal evaluation to inform future decisions. This study would determine if the trail meets criteria for formal designation under the National Trails System Act.

This bill expands the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area by adding a specific parcel of land. The addition is defined by the map titled "Golden Gate National Recreation Area Proposed Boundary Addition" (map number 641/193973), dated July 2024. It directly affects the management of that designated land within the recreation area. The bill makes a technical boundary adjustment without altering existing land use or creating new policies.

This bill clarifies that retirement plan fiduciaries must prioritize financial factors - such as investment risk and return - when selecting investments or voting on shareholder matters. It prohibits using nonfinancial goals (like environmental or social objectives) to choose investments or votes unless financial factors are equal, requiring detailed documentation for such decisions. For shareholder voting, it allows plans to adopt "safe harbor" policies that limit voting to proposals with material economic impact (e.g., when a plan holds significant stakes in a company), while mandating records of all voting activity. The law applies to ERISA-covered retirement plans (like 401(k)s), taking effect for investment decisions one year after enactment and for shareholder voting starting January 1, 2026.

The Next Generation Pipelines Research and Development Act establishes a new demonstration initiative that will award competitive grants to eligible entities - including universities, research organizations, and private companies - for projects developing advanced pipeline technologies. The bill focuses on improving pipeline safety, efficiency, and environmental performance through research on leak detection, novel materials, sensor technologies, and cybersecurity for pipelines and associated infrastructure. It authorizes $45 million for fiscal year 2026 (increasing to $50 million annually through 2030) for demonstration projects and creates a National Pipeline Modernization Center to coordinate research and development efforts. The program specifically prioritizes projects that reduce environmental impacts, leverage existing infrastructure, and involve diverse geographic and technological approaches to pipeline innovation.

The FLASH Act authorizes construction of navigable roads along federal border lands to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection access and operational control. It requires federal agencies to develop protocols for reducing trash accumulation and environmental degradation from unauthorized border crossings, while targeting illegal cannabis cultivation sites with environmental response initiatives. The bill prohibits using federal funds to provide housing for undocumented immigrants on federal lands and establishes criminal penalties for illegal pesticide use. The legislation affects how federal land management agencies (National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, etc.) operate along the southern border, with specific reporting requirements for environmental impacts and trash collection.

The Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 resolves longstanding water rights claims for the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation in the Zuni River Stream System. It establishes a $655.5 million trust fund to support water infrastructure development, confirms the Tribe's water rights held in trust by the U.S. government (prohibiting forfeiture through non-use), and withdraws approximately 92,364 acres of federal land to protect the Zuni Salt Lake and Sanctuary. The bill ensures allottees' (individual landowners) water rights remain separate from the Tribe's rights, with specific provisions for accounting for water use on allotments. This settlement replaces all previous claims against the U.S. government related to water rights in the Zuni River System.

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and several independent agencies. The bill provides appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, including for Investigations, Construction, Mississippi River and Tributaries, Operation and Maintenance, the Regulatory Program, Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies, Expenses, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program. The bill provides appropriations to the Department of the Interior for the Central Utah Project and the Bureau of Reclamation. The bill provides appropriations to DOE for energy programs, including Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response; Electricity; Grid Deployment; Nuclear Energy; Fossil Energy; Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves; the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve; the Energy Information Administration; Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup; the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund; Science; Nuclear Waste Disposal; the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy; the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program; the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program; the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program; Indian Energy Policy and Programs; Departmental Administration; and the Office of the Inspector General. The bill also provides appropriations to DOE for Atomic Energy Defense Activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Environmental and Other Defense Activities, and the Power Marketing Administrations. The bill provides appropriations to several independent agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.