The United States House of Representatives recently turned heads in the waste industry with the passing of three notable bills ahead of its extended midterm election recess. HR-9615: The BRACE ACT, HR-9616: The EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026, and HR-9617: the CHARM Act, are now all one significant step closer to becoming law. The bills were among a package of legislation from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In all, 14 bills were passed during the session, after which Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued a statement saying in part, “Through the diligent work of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, we are preserving the public health and safety of our communities, lowering electricity prices for hardworking families, and promoting a vibrant tourism industry that uplifts communities across the country.”
The BRACE Act, introduced by Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, specifically targets the growing problem of lithium-ion batteries in landfills. According to Congressman Guthrie's website, it allows destination facilities, which are not allowed to store lithium-ion batteries under existing universal waste regulations without a full hazardous waste permit, to store those batteries prior to recycling them.
the bill specifies that these destination facilities shall do so in accordance with certain regulations for universal waste handlers, which are allowed to store lithium-ion batteries. The bill also updates the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act’s language preempting state regulation of rechargeable batteries to reference current regulations.
In a statement, Rep. Miller-Meeks said “China dominates the global battery supply chain, and outdated federal rules have made it harder for American recyclers to compete. The BRACE Act fixes that by cutting red tape and letting our recyclers recover the critical minerals already sitting in used batteries right here at home."
If the BRACE Act becomes law, it would update regulations from the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996.
The EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026, introduced by Reps. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, would direct the EPA to make updates to the titular Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative focused on recovering critical materials from contaminated sites.
Specifically, it empowers the "Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to investigate, evaluate, and support processes, methods, and systems which may be utilized to identify sources of critical materials at contaminated sites as well as recovery of such critical materials."
“Today, the House took a critical step toward ending our dependence on foreign adversaries for the minerals America counts on. This legislation turns contaminated sites into strategic assets while speeding up the restoration work our communities need,” said Pfluger in a statement.
Lastly, the Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act, introduced by Reps. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., would direct the U.S. EPA administrator to consult with other agencies on the creation of a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy.
the bill directs the EPA Administrator, in consultation with the heads of other federal agencies, to develop and carry out a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy to coordinate federal efforts to recover critical minerals from discarded materials.
Rep. Palmer commented on the CHARM Act, saying “Critical minerals are essential to our economy and national security, yet America remains too dependent on China for these resources. The CHARM Act takes a commonsense approach by directing the [EPA] to develop a coordinated federal strategy to identify new opportunities to recover critical minerals from electronic waste, legacy mine sites, coal ash, and other overlooked sources already here at home.”
If passed, this law would amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965.
