Sponsor
James Baird
Representative · R-IN
The bill gives subnational environmental agencies a formal, transparent channel to shape federal science and rulemaking — improving local input and oversight — while reducing some FACA safeguards and narrowing who can serve and who receives reports, which may limit independence and increase politicization.
State, territorial, district, and Tribal environmental agencies gain a formal, guaranteed role to provide scientific and technical advice to EPA on core environmental statutes (e.g., Clean Air, Clean Water, RCRA, CERCLA), giving local regulators direct input into federal rulemaking and scientific deliberations.
EPA must post Committee or member advice publicly within 30 days and the Committee will report annually to Congress, increasing transparency of subnational technical input and creating a regular record for oversight.
Annual reporting to specified congressional committees creates a consistent channel for legislative oversight of EPA’s scientific-advisory processes, which could improve accountability and traceability of how state/Tribal advice is used.
The Committee is exempted from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), reducing standard public input, transparency safeguards, and formal conflict-of-interest controls for advisory processes.
Membership is limited to current employees of state/territorial/district/Tribal agencies, which could exclude independent experts and reduce the diversity and independence of scientific perspectives available to EPA.
Limiting which congressional committees receive Science Advisory Board requests and reports narrows oversight to two committees and risks concentrating authority in ways that could politicize or skew scientific advice.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a State Standing Committee at EPA for state/territory/tribal technical advice, sets appointment rules, requires public posting of advice, and exempts the Committee from FACA.
Representative · R-IN
Official title: To amend the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to establish in the Environmental Protection Agency the State Standing Committee, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 14, 2026 by James Baird · Last progress July 14, 2026
Creates a new State Standing Committee within the Environmental Protection Agency to provide scientific and technical advice to the EPA Administrator and the Science Advisory Board. It sets membership rules so each State, Federal district, Federal territory, and Federally recognized Tribe may have one representative appointed via an open, merit-based process, requires public posting of advice, allows working groups, and exempts the Committee from the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Also amends the Science Advisory Board’s reporting and advisory request rules by narrowing which congressional entities may request advice, requiring annual reports to specified congressional committees that cover both the Board and the new State Standing Committee, and adding minor textual edits to existing statute language.