Three bills are expected to hit the floor of the House this week, all shepherded by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and concerning electricity affordability for all consumers, chemical safety and manufacturing in the U.S., and the future of the Internet.
All three bills are scheduled for debate in the full House by Wednesday. A quick overview of each bill:
–H.R. 2576, the TSCA Modernization Act: Authored by Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), Subcommittee Ranking Member Paul Tonko (D-NY), Full Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). This legislation would bring much-needed reform to the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Support has poured in for this bill as it works to improve the protection of human health and the environment. The legislation aims to better facilitate interstate and international commerce, and provide the public with greater confidence in the safety of U.S.-made chemicals and the products that contain them.
–H.R. 805, the Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters (DOTCOM) Act: Authored by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL). This bipartisan legislation aims to protect the future of the Internet by ensuring that Congress continues its oversight role over the administration’s work to transition its Domain Name System authority from the U.S. to the global Internet community.
–H.R. 2042, The Ratepayer Protection Act. Authored by Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN). Last June, the EPA proposed a rule for existing power plants, referred to by the agency as its Clean Power Plan. In the rule, EPA interprets a rarely invoked provision of the Clean Air Act, section 111(d), to allow the agency to set mandatory carbon dioxide (CO2) “goals” for each state’s electricity system. State governors, regulators and other stakeholders have submitted extensive comments raising concerns about the numerous ways the EPA is seeking to fundamentally change how electricity is generated, distributed and consumed in the U.S. H.R. 2042 would put electric generation back in the hands of states. The legislation seeks to empower states to protect families and businesses from the EPA’s costly regulations by allowing them to determine whether or not the EPA’s proposed standards are in the best interest of the state.