Hill Heat

On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 6352 (Rep. Moore of UT), “Tax Stamp Revenue Transfer for Wildlife and Recreation Act”;
• H.R. 8413 (Rep. Smith of NE), “Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoirs Land Conveyances Act”;
• H.R. 8632 (Rep. Grothman), “Biodiversity Oversight Scaled-back And Fully Erased Act of 2024” or “BIOSAFE Act of 2024”;
• H.R. 8836 (Rep. Zinke), “Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act”; and
• Discussion Draft of H.R. ___ (Rep. Graves of LA), To require the Administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service to establish a coastal protection and restoration grant program.

The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:

• S. 2156, to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to authorize additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado;
• S. 3123, to provide for the standardization, consolidation, and publication of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of federal waterways among federal land and water management agencies, and for other purposes;
• S. 3148, to prohibit the use of funds by the Secretary of the Interior to finalize and implement certain travel management plans in the State of Utah;
• S. 3322, to allow holders of certain grazing permits to make minor range improvements and to require that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior respond to requests for range improvements within 30 days, and for other purposes;
• S. 3346, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain streams in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and Smith River system in the State of Montana as components of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes;
• S. 3593, to provide for economic development and conservation in Washoe County, Nevada, and for other purposes;
• S. 3596, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to amend references of gilsonite to asphaltite;
• S. 3617, to provide equitable treatment for the people of the Village Corporation established for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes;
• S. 3790, to make additional Federal public land available for selection under the Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans land allotment program, and for other purposes;
• S. 3870, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand eligibility for certain financial assistance for the acquisition of slip-on tanker units for wildland firefighting;
• S. 3985, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, and for other purposes;
• S. 4310, to exchange non-Federal land held by the Chugach Alaska Corporation for certain Federal Land in the Chugach Region, and for other purposes;
• S. 4424, a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to encourage and expand the use of prescribed fire on land managed by the Department of the Interior or the Forest Service, with an emphasis on units of the National Forest System in the western United States, to acknowledge and support the longstanding use of cultural burning by Tribes and Indigenous practitioners, and for other purposes;
• S. 4431, to reinstate the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, and for other purposes;
• S. 4432, to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification;
• S. 4449, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain river segments in the State of Oregon as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes;
• S. 4451, to require the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to carry out a study on reservation systems for Federal land;
• S. 4454, to provide for the establishment of an Operational Flexibility Grazing Management Program on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and for other purposes;
• S. 4456, to amend the Granger-Thye Act to modify the maximum term for certain special use permits for housing;
• S. 4457, to provide for conservation and economic development in the State of Nevada, and for other purposes.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Chair

Witnesses:

• Karen Kelleher Deputy Director, State Operations, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior
• Troy Heithecker, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Tess Davis, J.D., Assistant Attorney General, State of Utah

On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a mark-up on the following bills.

Hearing memo

Bills expected to move by regular order (requiring votes):

• H.R. 1437 (Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn.), “Black Vulture Relief Act of 2023”, to allow the killing of black vultures by ranchers (Amendments to H.R. 1437 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute, attached to this notice);
• H.R. 8446 (Rep. Ciscomani), To amend the Energy Act of 2020 to include critical materials in the definition of critical mineral, and for other purposes (Amendments to H.R. 8446 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute, attached to this notice); and
• H.R. 8450 (Rep. Cammack), “Phosphate and Potash Protection Act of 2024”, to encourage phosphate, potash, and other fertilizer precursors be added to the Critical Minerals List (Amendments to H.R. 8450 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute, attached to this notice).

Bills expected to move by unanimous consent:

• H.R. 1395 (Rep. Fitzpatrick), “Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2023”;
• H.R. 1647 (Rep. Moulton), “Salem Maritime National Historical Park Redesignation and Boundary Study Act”;
• H.R. 3119 (Rep. Soto), To provide for the issuance of a Manatee Semipostal Stamp;
• H.R. 5441 (Rep. LaLota), “Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023”;
• H.R. 6395 (Rep. Curtis), “Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act of 2023”;
• H.R. 7776 (Rep. Lee of NV), “Help Hoover Dam Act”; and
• H.R. 7872 (Rep. Curtis), “Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act”

FY24 Full Committee Markup – Homeland Security and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bills.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Mark (summary).

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $25.313 billion for programs under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee, $532 million (2.1%) below the FY23 enacted level and $3.622 billion (12.5%) below the FY24 President’s Budget Request.

• FY 2024 USDA Budget request: $32.6 billion, slightly more than 16.9 percent increase, or $4.7 billion, above the 2023 enacted level
• Explanatory notes

$12 billion of the budget is seen by USDA as climate-related, including:

• $4.6 billion of the Forest Service budget
• $3.2 billion of the Natural Resources Conservation Service budget
• $2.2 billion of the Farm Service Agency budget
• $1.3 billion in rural development services
• $0.5 billion in scientific research programs

Homeland Security Subcommittee Mark.

The Homeland Security bill includes $91.511 billion in total discretionary appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, including $62.793 billion within the bill’s allocation, $5.837 billion in discretionary appropriations offset by fee collections, and $20.261 billion as an allocation adjustment for major disaster response and recovery activities. The total, within the allocation, is $2.090 billion above the Fiscal Year 2023 level. For FEMA, the subcommittee mark provides $26.062 billion, which is $388.6 million above FY23 and $178.4 million above the request. It eliminates funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter-Humanitarian Program and its successor, the Shelter and Services Program, which administers funds to local governments and nongovernmental organizations to provide assistance to migrants and people experiencing homelessness.

The FY FEMA 2024 budget request is $30.2 billion, including $20.3 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund and $4.8 billion for the National Flood Insurance Program.

The FY 2024 Budget includes an increase to create a full-time, dedicated policy and coordination office to lead FEMA’s focus on climate adaptation, impacts, and lead coordination with FEMA program offices, the Federal Interagency, and SLTT partners in support of FEMA’s programs.

During Earth Week and on the four-year anniversary of the Green New Deal Resolution, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) will reintroduce the resolution at a press conference at the Senate Swamp on THURSDAY, April 20th at 12:00 PM. Senator Markey will also join Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) to announce new legislation focused on tackling the intersecting climate and public health crises.

The lawmakers will be joined by Green New Deal members of Congress and labor, health, climate, and justice advocates to celebrate the intersectional coalition’s achievement in getting the Inflation Reduction Act passed—the federal government’s largest-ever investment in climate and clean energy—while outlining the fight ahead to deliver a just, Green New Deal future that upholds the promise of the resolution and the movement that it inspired.

Participants:

• Senator Edward J. Markey
• Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Representative Ro Khanna
• Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
• Representative Greg Casar (TX-35)
• Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16)
• Representative Maxwell Frost (FL-10)
• Representative Delia Ramirez (IL-03)
• Representative Robert Garcia (CA-42)
• Representative Becca Balint (VT)
• Kaniela Ing, National Director of the Green New Deal Network
• Sara Nelson, President of Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
• Dr. Colleen Achong, SEIU Healthcare, Committee of Interns and Residents
• Jacqui Patterson, Executive Director of the Chisholm Legacy Project and Climate Justice Alliance member

WHEN: THURSDAY, April 20th at 12:00 PM

WHERE: Senate Swamp, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. PDT, at the World Ag Expo, 4500 S Laspina St # 214, Tulare, CA 93274, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative field hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 215 (Rep. Valadao) “Working to Advance Tangible and Effective Reforms for California Act” or the “WATER for California Act”.
• H.R. 872 (Rep. Calvert) “Federally Integrated Species Health Act” or the “FISH Act”.

Hearing memo

Invited witnesses:

• Debra Haaland, Secretary, Department of the Interior (or their designees from the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
• Gina Raimondo, Secretary, Department of Commerce (or their designee from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
• Charlton Bonham, Director, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Tony DeGroot, Farmer, DG Bar Ranches, Hanford, California
• Aaron Fukuda, General Manager, Tulare Irrigation District, Tulare, California
• Jason Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, Friant Water Authority, Lindsay, California
• Jeff Sutton, General Manager, Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, Willows, California
• Chris White, Executive Director, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, Los Banos, California
• Additional witnesses TBA

H.R. 215, sponsored by the entire House California Republican delegation, extends West-wide water storage provisions such as Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act (Subtitle J of Public Law 114-322) through December 31, 2028. Some of the projects authorized under these provisions include: Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project in California (additional 634,000 AF of storage), Sites Reservoir Storage Project in California (1.5 million AF of storage), Los Vaqueros Reservoir Phase 2 Expansion in California (additional 115,000 AF of storage), Cle Elum Pool Raise in Washington state (additional 14,600 AF of storage) and Anderson Ranch Dam Raise in Idaho (additional 29,000 AF of storage). The WIIN provision allows a non-governmental entity to request and be the non-federal partner for federally owned surface storage projects.

In addition, the bill would require the CVP and SWP to be operated consistent with the 2019 BiOps and Preferred Alternative, set during the Trump administration. The bill would allow for modification of CVP and SWP operations based on any agreement that is reached on a voluntary basis with CVP and SWP water contractors. It would also prohibit any water supply costs from being imposed on any entity due to agreements with other parties unless voluntarily agreed to.

In addition, the bill would require the federal government to provide the maximum amount of water practicable to CVP and SWP water contractors consistent with the 2019 BiOps. The bill includes safeguards for SWP water contractors. Specifically, if California reduces water supplies to SWP water contractors as a result of actions directed by H.R. 215, then any increase of water supplies received by CVP water contractors must be divided between the two projects. H.R. 215 would amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58) to make the Shasta Dam Raise eligible to receive water storage project funding in that law. IIJA included $1.15 billion for storage projects but made the Shasta Project ineligible. Lastly, it would direct the Secretary of the Interior to complete the fish, wildlife, and habitat restoration programs required under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA or P.L. 102-575) within 2 years of enactment of this Act.

H.R. 872, authored by Representative Calvert (R-CA), has six cosponsors: Reps. Jim Costa (DCA), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Mike Simpson (RID) and Michelle Steele (R-CA). H.R. 872 would consolidate the ESA functions of NOAA and the Department of the Interior (Interior) relating to the conservation of anadromous and catadromous fish, making Interior solely responsible for managing these species. This legislation will allow one wildlife management agency (USFWS) to evaluate impacts on species interacting in a shared ecosystem and determine a holistic management approach.

This hearing will serve as a legislative hearing for three bills that would authorize research, development, and demonstration activities carried out or supported by the U.S. Department of Energy in the areas of grid security, hydrogen, and pipelines. Attached are discussion drafts of bills under consideration.

Opening Statements:

• Subcommittee Chairman Brandon Williams
• Chairman Frank Lucas

Witnesses:

• Spencer Nelson, Managing Director – Research and New Initiatives, ClearPath
• Dr. Richard Boardman, Directorate Fellow, Idaho National Laboratory, Energy and Environmental Science & Technology
• Cliff Johnson, President, Pipeline Research Council International
• Dr. Arvind Ravikumar, Co-Director, Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab Research Associate Professor, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin
• Jason Fuller, Chief Energy Resilience Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Legislation:

• Discussion draft: Grid Security
• Discussion draft: Hydrogen
• Discussion draft: LNG pipelines

On World Water Day, Wednesday, March 22, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern at the House Triangle, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) will be joined by Vice Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and environmental justice leaders for a press conference to announce introduction of the newly named A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act. Ranking Member Grijalva will also announce Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) as the new lead cosponsor of the House bill.

The press conference will highlight key provisions of the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act, the most comprehensive federal environmental justice legislation to date. Environmental justice leaders will also be in attendance to speak to the impacts of environmental injustices on their communities and the pressing need for federal legislative action.

After the press conference, speakers and additional environmental justice community leaders will be available to press to discuss the legislation and its impact in more detail.

Speakers:

• Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, 7th District of Arizona, Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources
• Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, 37th District of California, Vice Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources
• U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, State of Illinois
• U.S. Senator Cory Booker, State of New Jersey
• Faith Harris, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light
• Elise Joshi, Gen-Z for Change

Community environmental justice leaders available for interview post-press conference:

• Russell Armstrong, Hip Hop Caucus
• Dana Johnson, WeAct
• Angelo Logan, Liberty Hill Foundation
• Jo & Joy Banner, The Descendants Project
• Michele Roberts, Environmental Justice Health Alliance 
• Rudy Arredondo, National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
• Mark Magaña, Green Latinos, Founding President & CEO

What to learn more about climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy.

Our fourth session in EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp series is on implementing the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These laws provide billions of dollars to confront the climate crisis and strengthen critical infrastructure. Panelists will provide an update on the status of their implementation, describe how state and local governments and organizations are accessing funds, and explain the oversight role Congress must play to maximize these investments.

Speakers

• Dr. Henry McKoy, Jr., Director, Office of State and Community Energy Programs, U.S. Department of Energy
• David Terry, President, National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
• Sarah Kline, Consultant, Bipartisan Policy Center
• Kevin Rennert, Fellow; Director, Federal Climate Policy Initiative, Resources for the Future
• Duanne Andrade, Executive Director, Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF)
• Jana Barresi, Head of Washington, D.C., Office, Lowe’s Companies Inc.

This event, at 2168 Rayburn, 2 PM-3:30 PM, is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to expedite check-in.

A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.

On Tuesday, February 28, 2023. at 10:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security will meet in open markup session in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building to consider the following.

Legislation to be considered includes:

• H.R. 1068, Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act. This legislation would amend the Department of Energy (DOE) Organization Act to require the Secretary of Energy to conduct an ongoing assessment of the nation’s supply of critical energy resources, the vulnerability of the critical energy resource supply chain, and the criticality of critical energy resources in the development of energy technologies. It would also direct the Secretary to strengthen critical energy resource supply chains by diversifying sourcing and increasing domestic production, refining, and processing of resources. Under this legislation, the term “critical energy resource” means any energy resource that is essential to the energy sector and energy systems of the United States and the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption. (Rep. Bucshon introduced this legislation.)
• H.R. 1121, Protecting American Energy Production Act. This legislation would prohibit a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless such moratorium is authorized by an Act of Congress. The legislation also establishes the sense of Congress that States should maintain primacy for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on state and private lands. (Rep. Duncan introduced this legislation.)
• H.R. 1085, Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining (REFINER) Act. This legislation would require the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council to issue a report examining the importance of petrochemical refineries to energy security. The report must also contain an analysis of the capacity of such refineries and opportunities to expand capacity, as well as analyze risks to refineries. (Rep. Latta introduced this legislation.)
• H.R. 1058, Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act. This legislation would establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity. The legislation would replace the existing Presidential Permit process that has been established through Executive Order with a statutorily directed process. Under the legislation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) would be authorized to review applications for cross-border oil and natural gas pipelines, and DOE would be authorized to review applications for cross-border electric transmission facilities. Substantially similar legislation passed the House in the 115th Congress with a bipartisan vote. (Rep. Armstrong introduced this legislation.)
• H. Con. Res. 14, a resolution expressing disapproval of the revocation by President Biden of the Presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. (Rep. Lesko introduced this legislation.)
• H. Con. Res. 17, a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the Federal Government should not impose any restrictions on the export of crude oil or other petroleum products. (Rep. Guthrie introduced this legislation.)
• H.R. 1130, Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act. This legislation would amend the Natural Gas Act (NGA) to repeal all restrictions on the import and export of natural gas. Under current law, the NGA prohibits the import or export of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), without completing a lengthy approval process conducted by DOE. The legislation would align the NGA with the existing national policy on the import and export of other fossil fuels, including crude oil and petroleum products. (Rep. Johnson introduced this legislation.)
• H.R. 1115, Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act. This legislation would improve coordination among Federal and State agencies reviewing applications for the construction of interstate natural gas pipelines. The legislation would strengthen FERC’s lead agency role under the NGA by requiring schedules, concurrent reviews, and provisions to resolve disputes among permitting agencies. Substantially similar legislation passed the House in the 115th Congress with a bipartisan vote. (Rep. Burgess introduced this legislation.)
• H.R. 1160, Critical Electric Infrastructure Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Act. This legislation would amend the Federal Power Act (FPA) to authorize DOE to promulgate regulations to require critical electric infrastructure owners and operators to share information regarding cybersecurity incidents with DOE. The provisions within the FPA that would be amended by this legislation originated from authority DOE was granted in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) that was signed into law in 2015. The FAST Act designated DOE as the “Sector-specific agency” for energy sector cybersecurity, granted DOE authority to address grid security emergencies, and granted FERC, in consultation with DOE, authority to protect, share, and designate critical electric infrastructure information. (Rep. Walberg introduced this legislation.)