The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment recently marked up H.R. 8739, or the Brownfield Revitalization for a Better Tomorrow Act, to reauthorize the U.S. EPA Brownfields Program. Although the revised legislation includes several important policy improvements in response to concerns raised by the National Brownfields Coalition (NBC) and partner organizations, it also slashes funding for the Brownfields Program.

Right now, the bill only allocates $123.5 million annually for FY 2027-31, substantially below the committee’s earlier draft proposal of $250 million annually and the program’s current authorization of $200 million annually. Moreover, the current proposal includes provisions that severely undercut the program, including a reduction in state funding, an arbitrary cap on the indirect cost rate, and a restriction on increasing funding over the next five years, leaving the program vulnerable to inflation.

The EPA Brownfields Program has been one of the federal government’s most successful economic development and land reuse programs, leveraging substantial private investment to create healthier, safer, and more economically productive communities. Every reauthorization of the program has received strong bipartisan support, with politicians from across the aisle recognizing the program’s impact over the past 30 years. But this year’s reauthorization has been highly partisan, with both sides unable to agree on the program’s funding.

Before the bill advances to a full committee markup, we need you to join us and call on your representative to restore brownfields authorization to the previously proposed $250 million. Click the button below to check whether your representative is on the Energy and Commerce Committee and send them a message. If your representative is not on the committee, you can use the provided template and reach out to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's staff at [email protected] (Minority) and [email protected] (Majority).

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