Why it Matters

Three environmental bills on recycling infrastructure and brownfields cleanup are headed to a subcommittee markup Thursday at a moment when federal environmental spending faces pressure from the administration. The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Environment will vote on legislation that would direct new federal grant dollars toward recycling access in underserved communities; require the EPA to build a national data picture of composting and recycling systems; and expand funding for contaminated site cleanup. These are all areas where advocates have warned that federal retreat could leave communities without basic environmental services.

The Bills on the Table

H.R. 2145, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2025, is the most substantive of the three in terms of direct federal spending. Sponsored by subcommittee member Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), the bill would establish a competitive EPA grant program and fund projects between $500,000 and $15 million to build out recycling infrastructure in communities that lack access. Priority would go to areas with no materials recovery facility within a 75-mile radius. At least 70 percent of funding would be directed to underserved communities, and the federal government could cover up to 90 percent of project costs. The bill authorizes $30 million annually through fiscal year 2029 and has drawn 27 cosponsors, including subcommittee members Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA) and Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL).

H.R. 4109, the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, takes a data-first approach. Introduced by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), who is not a subcommittee member, the bill would direct the EPA to build a comprehensive national inventory of recycling and composting systems, tracking contamination rates, service gaps and performance across the country. It would also require biennial Government Accountability Office reports through 2033 on federal agency recycling practices and mandate an EPA study of recyclable materials being diverted from the recycling market. The bill authorizes $4 million annually through fiscal year 2029. Rep. Carter is also among its cosponsors.

H.R. 8739, the Brownfields Revitalization for a Better Tomorrow Act, was introduced on May 12, just two days before the markup, by subcommittee member and full committee chair Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY). The bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act to increase remediation grant limits from $500,000 to $1 million per site, and doubles multipurpose brownfields grants to $2 million. It would also create new technical assistance grants for small communities that have previously failed to secure brownfields funding, allow up to 10 percent of funds to cover demolition, and require EPA guidance to streamline federal permitting on contaminated sites. The bill authorizes $123.5 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for brownfields programs, plus $46.25 million per year for state and tribal assistance. It currently has no cosponsors.

A Bipartisan Structure Amid Competing Pressures

The composition of the legislation reflects a deliberate bipartisan framing. H.R. 2145 is a Republican-sponsored bill with broad Democratic support, while H.R. 4109 is a Democratic-sponsored bill with Republican cosponsors. H.R. 8739, introduced by the full committee chair himself, signals institutional backing from House Republican leadership on Energy and Commerce.

The EPA has faced proposed budget reductions under the current administration, and programs related to recycling infrastructure and brownfields remediation have been identified in those discussions. Advancing these bills through markup, particularly one that would double brownfields grant limits and authorize more than $120 million annually, puts the committee on record in favor of sustained federal investment in environmental cleanup even as the administration has moved in a different direction.

The recycling bills also arrive against a backdrop of sustained industry attention to federal waste management policy. A July 2025 report from Printing.org noted congressional interest in the federal role in recycling reform, and cited H.R. 4109 specifically as a vehicle for directing EPA to collect comprehensive national data on recycling system performance.

Who's Voting

The markup is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, at 2:15 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, chaired by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), with Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) serving as Vice Chair and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) as ranking member.

The subcommittee's Republican majority includes Griffith, Crenshaw, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep. John Joyce (R-PA), Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), Miller-Meeks, Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL), Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), and Guthrie.

Democratic members include Tonko, Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA), Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Soto, Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Carter, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ), and Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH).

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