On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing titled “America First: U.S. Leadership & National Security in International Conservation.”
On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold an oversight hearing titled “EXPLORE America250: Celebrating One Year of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act.”
Thomas Heinlein, Assistant Director for National Conservation Lands and
Community Partnerships, Bureau of Land Management, Washington, DC
Gordon “Gordie” Blum, Associate Deputy Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Washington, DC
Panel II (Outside Experts)
Jess Turner, President, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Washington, DC
Taylor Schmitz, Senior Vice President, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Washington, DC
Jason Curry, Director, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, Salt Lake City, UT
David Duncan, President, American Battlefield Trust, Washington, DC
Matt Wade, Executive Director, American Mountain Guides Association, Boulder, CO [Minority Witness]
Louis Geltman, Vice President of Policy & Government Relations, Outdoor Alliance, Washington, DC [Minority Witness]
Sponsored by Chairman Bruce
Westerman (R-AR-04) and the late Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-07), EXPLORE was
the first-ever comprehensive outdoor recreation package and passed both the House and the
Senate unanimously.
EXPLORE supported a variety of recreation activities through improved trail development,
updated and digital recreation maps, campsite restoration, and facility upgrades. First, Sections
141 through 143 improved visitor experiences by facilitating increased broadband deployment in
national parks and developed recreation sites, such as campgrounds. Second, the legislation
supported the growing mountain biking industry by incentivizing the creation of new longdistance bike trails. Increases in ridership have pushed current trails to the limit, necessitating
the creation of new trails to meet high demand for biking opportunities. Finally, Section 127
modernized motorized and non-motorized access by directing USFS and BLM to update vehicle
and over-snow route maps, expanding opportunities for motorized and non-motorized vehicles.
The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a markup on Wednesday, January 21,
2026, at 10:15 a.m. (ET) in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, and subsequent days as
necessary, to consider the following items:
H.R. 6409, Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) (Rep. Pfluger) Reported favorably on a party-line vote 25-22.
H.R. 4218, Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform (CLEAR) Act (Rep. Carter) Democratic amendments fail 24-28, 24-26, 24-25. Reported favorably on a party-line vote 27-23.
H.R. 6387, Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act (Rep. Evans) Reported favorably on a party-line vote 27-23.
H.R. 4214, Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Improvement Act (Rep. Allen) Democratic amendments fail 23-26, 24-27. Reported favorably on a party-line vote 28-24.
H.R. 161, New Source Review Permitting Improvement Act (Rep. Griffith) Democratic amendments fail 24-29, 24-29, 23-28. Reported favorably on a party-line vote 28-23. Recess.
H.R. 6373, Air Permitting Improvements to Protect National Security Act (Rep. Palmer)
H.R. 2072, To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects. (Rep. Newhouse)
H.R. 5200, Emergency Reporting Act (Reps. Matsui and Bilirakis)
H.R. 5201, Kari’s Law Reporting Act (Reps. Matsui and Bilirakis)
H.R. 6409, Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic
Stability (FENCES) Act (Rep. Pfluger)
This legislation amends Section 179B of the Clean Air Act to exclude emissions
emanating from outside the United States from being used to determine whether an area
is attaining a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). On Wednesday,
December 10, 2025, the Subcommittee on Environment forwarded the bill to the full
committee, without amendment, by a roll call vote of 14 yeas and 11 nays.
H.R. 4218, Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform (CLEAR) Act (Rep.
Carter)
This legislation would make several changes to the Clean Air Act, including amending
section 109(d) to extend the current NAAQS review cycle from five years to 10 years;
section 109(b)(1) to allow consideration of attainability when choosing among a range of
air quality standards that are protective of human health and the environment; section
110(c)(1) to provide states the opportunity to address concerns in a State Implementation
Plan (SIP) submission before a Federal Implementation Plan is issued; and section 182
to eliminate certain demonstration requirements in a SIP to promote increased
technological innovations in control technologies. The legislation also includes
provisions similar to H.R. 6387 concerning how certain events including fires, drought,
and heat, are considered as part of the NAAQS process and H.R. 6409 concerning how
non-attainment areas are classified as severe or extreme for ozone or as serious for
particulate matter, and sanctions are imposed for implementation plan deficiencies under
section 179. On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the Subcommittee on Environment
forwarded the bill to the full committee, without amendment, by a roll call vote of 14
yeas and 10 nays.
H.R. 6387, Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act (Rep.
Evans)
This legislation amends section 319(b) to limit how emissions from wildfires, prescribed
burns and exceptional events from the air monitoring data can be used to determine
whether an area is attaining a NAAQS and to require increased coordination between
EPA and affected states regarding exceptional event determinations. On Wednesday,
December 10, 2025, the Subcommittee on Environment forwarded the bill to the full
committee, without amendment, by a roll call vote of 13 yeas and 10 nays.
H.R. 4214, Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Improvement Act (Rep. Allen)
This legislation amends section 109 to require EPA to concurrently publish regulations and
guidance for implementing a revised NAAQS and prevent the new or revised standards
from applying to pre-construction permit applications until the Administrator has
published such final regulations and guidance. It also clarifies that nothing in the
subsection eliminates the obligation of a preconstruction permit applicant to install the
best available control technology and lowest achievable emission rate technology, and
clarifies that nothing in the subsection limits the authority of a state, local, or Tribal
permitting authority to impose more stringent emissions requirements pursuant to a state,
local, or tribal law than NAAQS.
The legislation also provides that the 2024 PM2.5 standard shall not apply to the review
and disposition of a preconstruction permit application if a permit application is
completed on or before the date of promulgation of the final designation of an area; or a
public notice of a preliminary determination on a draft permit is provided within 60 days
after the date of final designation of an area. On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the
Subcommittee on Environment forwarded the bill to the full committee, without
amendment, by a roll call vote of 12 yeas and 10 nays.
H.R. 161, New Source Review Permitting Improvement Act (Rep. Griffith)
This legislation amends the definition of “modification” in multiple sections of the Clean
Air Act to clarify that a change at an existing source constitutes a modification only when
the change increases the source’s maximum achievable hourly emission rate of an air
pollutant, as such activities that do not increase emissions do not trigger New Source
Review (NSR) permitting. On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the Subcommittee on
Environment forwarded the bill to the full committee, without amendment, by a roll call
vote of 12 yeas and 11 nays.
H.R. 6373, Air Permitting Improvements to Protect National Security Act (Rep.
Palmer)
This legislation amends section 173 to exempt advanced manufacturing facilities and
critical mineral facilities from the requirement to offset emissions as part of the
Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) permit process if the President issues a
national security determination. It also establishes an alternative mechanism to allow a
covered facility to participate in state emissions reduction program in lieu of obtaining
emission offsets as part of a permit. This is based on a similar provision in section 173
concerning emission offset requirements for rocket engines. On Wednesday, December
10, 2025, the Subcommittee on Environment forwarded the bill to the full committee,
without amendment, by a roll call vote of 12 yeas and 10 nays.
This legislation amends section 309 to eliminate the requirement for EPA review and
provide written comments on federal construction projects or other actions by a federal
agency that are already subject to environmental review under the National
Environmental Policy Act. On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the Subcommittee on
Environment forwarded the bill to the full committee, without amendment, by a roll call
vote of 12 yeas and 10 nays.
H.R. 2072, To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the
time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of
certain hydropower projects. (Rep. Newhouse)
This legislation requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time
period in which licensees are required to commence construction of relevant hydropower
projects. The extension of time to commence construction shall not consist of more than
3 consecutive 2-year periods and only applies to projects issued a license from FERC
prior to March 13, 2020.
H.R. 5200, Emergency Reporting Act (Reps. Matsui and Bilirakis)
This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to issue reports after activation
of the Disaster Information Reporting System and to make improvements to network
outage reporting. On Thursday, January 15, 2026, the Subcommittee on Communications
and Technology forwarded the bill to the full committee by voice vote.
H.R. 5201, Kari’s Law Reporting Act (Reps. Matsui and Bilirakis)
This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to publish a report on
implementation of the Kari’s Law Act of 2017. On Thursday, January 15, 2026, the
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology forwarded the bill to the full
committee by voice vote.
H.R. 2076, LuLu’s Law (Rep. Palmer)
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to issue an order permitting
the transmission of wireless emergency alerts to mobile phones in the event of a shark
attack. On Thursday, January 15, 2026, the Subcommittee on Communications and
Technology forwarded the bill to the full committee by voice vote.
H.R. 6875, To require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security to require a license for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of certain integrated circuits, and for other purposes; (ANS)
H.R. 6275, To require the Secretary of Commerce to submit a report annually on the advanced artificial intelligence capabilities of the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes;
H.R. 5491, To encourage diplomatic advocacy efforts on behalf of Americans unjustly detained in the People’s Republic of China;
H.R. 7036, To increase collaboration within the Department of State between the Office of Opinion Research of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Bureau of Global Public Affairs;
H.R. 7028, To require the Secretary of State to submit a notification to Congress prior to obligating funds for certain art-related purchases, and for other purposes;
H.R. 6411, To direct the Secretary of State to prepare a report on the treatment of ethnic minorities in Serbia;
H.R. 7054, To require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a notification of certain construction projects using nonstandard designs;
H.R. 4532, To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy on efforts to strengthen subnational cooperation between the United States and Mexico, and for other purposes;
H.Res. 515, Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July 6, 2025, as “A Day of Compassion”, and expressing support for the human rights, religious freedom, and cultural and linguistic protection of the Tibetan people;
H.R. 4368, To authorize the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, to enhance the United States-Caribbean security partnership, to prioritize natural disaster resilience, and for other purposes; (ANS)
H.R. 3307, To increase cooperation with countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region in order to strengthen energy security and defense capabilities, and for other purposes;
H.R. 7052, To establish a Center for Conflict Analysis, Planning, and Prevention in the Department of State, and for other purposes.
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:
H.R. 926 (Rep. Cohen), “Fort Pillow National Battlefield Park Study Act”
H.R. 3922 (Rep. Neguse), “Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act”, to conduct a study on existing programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land
H.R. 4038 (Rep. Kim of Calif.), “Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act of 2025”
H.R. 4684 (Rep. Kennedy of Utah), “Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2025”
H.R. 6300 (Rep. Hageman), “Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025”
Tyler Clancy, Representative, Utah House of Representatives, Salt Lake City, UT [H.R. 4684]
Pat Russell, Fire Chief, Anaheim Fire & Rescue, Anaheim, CA [H.R. 4038]
Ty Checketts, President, Association of National Grasslands, Newcastle, WY [H.R. 6300]
Matthew M. McCombs, State Forester & Director, Colorado State Forest Service, Fort Collins, CO [H.R. 3922] [Minority Witness]
H.R. 926 (Rep. Cohen), “Fort Pillow National Battlefield Park Study Act”
Located in Tennessee, Fort Pillow served as a strategically important supply depot for both the
Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Fort Pillow is also the site of one of the
Civil War’s “most controversial” moments, when Confederate troops overran the Union garrison
on April 12, 1864. Following the fall of Fort Pillow, Confederate troops killed a large number
of Union soldiers, a significant majority of whom were African American, despite evidence that
many of the latter had ceased resistance or attempted to surrender. Though the exact number of
casualties remains a point of debate among historians, a disproportionate number of African
American Union soldiers were massacred, with only 58 captured alive. The event, commonly
referred to as the Fort Pillow Massacre, intensified Northern outrage against the Confederacy and
inspired the battle cry of “Remember Fort Pillow” among African American Union soldiers for
the remainder of the War.
Today, the State of Tennessee manages Fort Pillow as Fort Pillow Historic State Park. The site
is also designated as a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. H.R. 926, the “Fort Pillow National Battlefield Park Study Act,” would direct
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate Fort Pillow’s national
historical significance and to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the site as a unit
of the National Park System. Special resource studies consider a site’s history as well as any practical management challenges that may arise if such a site is added to the National Park
System.
This legislation helps advance the interpretation of a crucial part of American history ahead of
the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, in line with President Trump’s Executive Order (EO)
14189, “Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday.”
Over the past 25 years, wildfires have grown in
frequency, intensity, and cost. Wildfires do not
respect political or jurisdictional boundaries, and
often burn through a patchwork of federal, state,
Tribal, local, and private lands governed by
different agencies, rules, and programs. For
example, the 2017 Carr Fire in California burned
nearly 230,000 acres of federal and private land; in
2020, three major wildfires in Colorado burned
more than 665,000 acres of federal and non-federal
land; and the 2021 Dixie Fire in California burned
more than 1 million acres of federal, state, and
private land.
To minimize wildfire risk across all
jurisdictions, cross-boundary collaboration and
cooperation are essential. Tools such as Good
Neighbor Authority have been highly successful in
allowing states, tribes, and counties to conduct
cross-boundary treatments that restore ecosystem
health and reduce the likelihood and severity of
catastrophic wildfires. However, more can be
done to identify federal barriers to cross-boundary
forest management, improve coordination with
non-federal entities, and address federal
fragmentation or duplication in cross-boundary
wildfire mitigation efforts. H.R. 3922 addresses this gap by directing the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to
conduct a study of wildfire mitigation efforts across federal and non-federal lands. GAO has
already conducted similar studies in the past, releasing a report entitled “Wildland Fire Risk
Reduction: Multiple Factors Affect Federal-Nonfederal Collaboration, but Action Could Be
Taken to Better Measure Progress” in 2017. H.R. 3922 builds on this progress by requiring an
examination of federal programs, rules, and authorities that either facilitate or hinder wildfire
mitigation across jurisdictional and ownership boundaries. The study will assess whether policy
changes to such programs could expand capacity for more active forest management. GAO must
report its findings and recommendations from the study to the House Committee on Natural
Resources and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources within two years of the bill’s
enactment.
By facilitating greater federal and local coordination on wildfire prevention, this legislation also
directly advances the goals of President Trump’s EO 14308, “Empowering Commonsense
Wildfire Prevention and Response.
H.R. 4038 (Rep. Kim), “Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act of 2025”
The Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) carry out wildfire
response and management activities across their combined 593 million acres of land. When a
wildfire occurs on federal land, DOI and USFS choose from a range of response activities,
including immediate and aggressive measures to suppress a wildfire as well as less intense
measures, such as monitoring while allowing the fire to burn (this is commonly referred to as
“managing a fire for resource benefits”). The immediate response strategy (known as “initial
attack”) is determined subjectively based on “risks to firefighter and public safety and welfare—
and to natural, ecological, and cultural values to be protected.”
Aggressive initial attacks are a crucial step in effective wildland firefighting strategies and “can
greatly reduce the likelihood of the fire becoming larger and causing substantial damage.” Just
a 1.5-percent difference in the success rate of initial attacks equates to approximately 150 additional fires escaping containment, at a cost of $300 to $450 million. USFS currently boasts
an initial attack success rate of 98 percent, meaning that a mere 2 percent of all fires in 2024
were responsible for the vast majority of the 8.9 million acres burned. However, USFS
research has found that deploying firefighting resources to a wildfire within 30 to 60 minutes
would reduce the number of escaped fires by 25 percent.
Federal agencies’ failure to conduct aggressive initial attacks can produce devastating
consequences. In 2017, the Chetco Bar Fire in Oregon rapidly expanded from 8,500 acres to
more than 90,000 acres as strong, hot winds overtook containment efforts. A 2020 report later
found that USFS officials and stakeholders believed a more aggressive early response might have
prevented such extensive spread. In 2021, the Caldor Fire in California grew to roughly 781
acres within 29 hours before exploding to over 55,000 acres in the next 44 hours. Critics noted
that USFS pulled all crews off the fire just seven hours after ignition and later dismissed some
CAL FIRE (California state wildfire-fighting agency) personnel, thereby weakening interagency
coordination during critical early-phase suppression. Most recently, the Dragon Bravo Fire at
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona became 2025’s largest wildfire due to a delayed
response strategy. Initially managed under a “confine and contain” strategy, the fire escalated
rapidly under extreme weather conditions and ultimately burned more than 145,000 acres and
destroyed more than 100 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.
To ensure a clear, measurable metric for initial attacks, H.R. 4038 would direct the Secretaries of
Agriculture and the Interior, in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), to
establish a standard response time to any wildland fire on federal land. Specifically, this standard
response time would require agencies to respond to a wildfire within 30 minutes and deploy fire
suppression assets within three hours of an ignition. By setting a uniform metric across federal
agencies, the bill seeks to improve accountability, speed interagency coordination, and secure the
nationwide, year-round, and timely availability of federal firefighting resources.
The legislation’s encouragement of more aggressive initial attacks also directly advances the
goals of President Trump’s EO 14308, “Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and
Response.”
H.R. 4684 (Rep. Kennedy of UT), “Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2025”
In 2000, Scoutmaster Robert Collins led his troop on a hike to Kyhv Peak, near Provo, Utah, and raised an American flag at its summit. Located in the Wasatch Mountain Range, Kyhv
Peak is renowned for providing scenic views of Rock Canyon, the Utah Valley, and the City of
Provo.
What began as an impromptu gesture by the scouts evolved into an annual tradition.
Each year, Mr. Collins, joined by relatives, friends, and community members, would hike the
summit in late May or early June to raise the American flag, then return before winter to lower it
for the season.
In 2022, however, conflict arose when
USFS personnel confronted Mr. Collins
regarding the flag, citing agency policies
that prohibit the construction or placement
of any structures, including flagpoles, on
National Forest System (NFS) lands
without a permit. H.R. 4684 would
resolve this impasse by requiring USFS to
issue a special use permit for the placement
and maintenance of a flagpole displaying
the American flag at Kyhv Peak.
Specifically, the bill directs USFS to issue a
10-year special use permit to Mr. Collins or
a qualified individual, non-profit
organization, or volunteer group based in
Utah County, Utah, if Mr. Collins declines
such a permit. The bill further mandates
that USFS renew or reissue the permit every
10 years and prohibits the agency from
charging land-use fees associated with the
permit. Companion legislation, S. 2417,
has been introduced in the Senate by
Senators Curtis (R-UT) and Lee (R-UT).
H.R. 6300 (Rep. Hageman), “Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025”
Across the country, USFS manages 193 million acres of land, including nearly 4 million acres of
national grasslands. National grasslands are expressly defined by Congress as part of the NFS
under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974. USFS acquired
these 20 national grasslands under the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937, which also
authorized grazing on these lands as part of the agency’s overall multiple-use and sustained yield
mission.
The Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (FLPMA) provides the
statutory framework for federal grazing
permits. FLPMA generally authorizes
permits for 10-year terms, with renewal
eligibility subject to continued
compliance. USFS issues grazing permits
under FLPMA that allow livestock
producers to graze animals (mostly sheep
and cattle) on designated NFS allotments,
subject to compliance with federal law, land
and resource management plans, and sitespecific operating instructions.42 However,
Section 402(a) of FLPMA authorizes
grazing permits on “lands within National
Forests” without explicitly referencing the
broader NFS. As a result, grazing
permittees operating on national grasslands
lack statutory clarity regarding permit
renewal eligibility, unlike permittees grazing on other NFS lands. Representative Hageman’s (RWY-At Large) “Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025” removes this inconsistency by making a
technical edit to conform FLPMA’s grazing eligibility language to Congress’s existing definition of the NFS.
On Wednesday, January 14, climate and affordable energy champions in Congress will gather to take stock of Trump’s broken promise to slash energy bills for Americans in half his first year in office. The press conference will highlight how this administration’s policies, including the Big Ugly Bill and many executive actions, have caused electric bills for American families and businesses to skyrocket. Speakers will also discuss how the Trump administration has worked hand-in-glove with big corporations to make polluting easier and cheaper, hurting the health of everyday Americans.
Members will deliver remarks and answer questions from media.
WHEN:
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 11:30 AM.
WHO:
U.S. Representative Sean Casten
U.S. Representative Mike Levin
U.S. Representative Rob Menendez
Trevor Higgins, Senior Vice President of the Energy and Environment, Center for American Progress
Additional Speakers TBA
WHERE:
House Triangle,
United States Capitol,
Washington, DC, 20515
House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition
Full committee hearing with the chief executives of U.S. automakers has been postponed. Ford executive Jim Farley objected that the CEOs of GM, Ford, and Stellantis were asked to testify but not Elon Musk, only a Tesla VP.
“Ford believes that it is essential that any potential hearing adhere to Congress’s longstanding tradition of ensuring comparable treatment for similarly situated companies. The proposed hearing breaks with this tradition by inviting witnesses of different seniorities across the four invited automakers.”
Witnesses:
Mary Barra, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, General Motors
Antonio Filosa, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Stellantis
Lars Moravy, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Tesla
Jim Farley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ford Motor Company
The One Big Brutal Bill Act and the Trump regime have taken steps to effectively repeal Biden-era CAFE standards. This hearing will, in the words of the climate-science-denying Commerce Republicans, “examine how radical global warming regulations and mandated technologies have driven up the cost of vehicles for American consumers.”
Sen. Cruz statement:
“Americans have been clear that they are hyper-focused on affordability – and so is this committee. The average price of a car has more than doubled in the past decade, driven up by onerous government-mandated technologies and radical environmental regulations. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act took crucial steps to drive costs down with the repeal of the EV mandate and CAFE standards, but we must do more. This hearing will examine how government interference continues to make vehicles expensive and out of reach for American customers and how we can restore competition and choice.”
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee