Sovereign State Environmental Quality Assurance Act

House Votes

This bill would shut down the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 270 days after it becomes law. All EPA duties would end, and the agency would spend the months before that wrapping up its work and reporting its progress to Congress. It also repeals any laws that require the EPA to do those duties once the shutdown date arrives.

After the EPA closes, the Treasury would send block grants to every state and certain territories, based on population. Governors must name their state environmental departments to use the money for air and water quality (including safe drinking water), waste management, chemical safety and emergency response, radiation protection, and cleaning up contaminated sites. The bill allows $4.4 billion per year for 2026–2029. States must do audits, and the Treasury can demand repayment and withhold funds if money is misused. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) would study how this new system works and report to Congress each year from 2026 through 2029 .

Key points

• Who is affected: All states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa would receive funds; the EPA would close .
• What changes: EPA duties end; states run environmental programs with federal block grants; required audits; misused funds must be repaid.
• When: EPA shuts down 270 days after enactment; funding and GAO reviews run from fiscal years 2026 through 2029 .