May 13, 2025
Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To abolish the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Sovereign State Environmental Quality Assurance Act
.
Sec. 2. Abolishment of the Environmental Protection Agency
(a) Abolishment
Effective on the termination date under subsection (c), the Environmental Protection Agency is abolished.
(b) Abolition of functions
All functions, including any duty, obligation, power, authority, responsibility, right, privilege, activity, or program, that, immediately before the termination date under subsection (c), were functions of the Environmental Protection Agency are abolished effective on such termination date.
(c) Termination date
The termination date under this subsection is the date that is 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) Wind-Up activities
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall take such actions as may be necessary to wind up any outstanding obligations, activities, or affairs of the Environmental Protection Agency prior to the termination date under subsection (c).
(e) Progress report
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall submit to Congress a report on the Agency’s progress in winding up the affairs of the Agency by not later than the termination date under subsection (c).
(f) Repeals
Effective on the termination date under subsection (c), any provision of law authorizing or requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to perform any function is, to the extent such provision of law applies to the Environmental Protection Agency, repealed.
Sec. 3. Block grants to designated State environmental quality departments
(a) Allocation of funds
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Treasury shall allocate funds made available pursuant to paragraph (5) to each covered State in the proportion to which the total population of such covered State bears to the total population of all the covered States, as determined by the last preceding decennial census.
(2) Block grant conditions
(A) Designation of State agency or department
As a condition of a covered State receiving an allocation of funds under this subsection, the Governor of such covered State shall designate the environmental quality department or departments of such covered State that will use the funds to carry out the programs and activities described in paragraph (4).
(B) Audits
As a condition of a covered State receiving an allocation of funds under this subsection, the Governor of such covered State shall commit to—
(i)
completing audits on the use of funds by each environmental quality department designated pursuant to subparagraph (A) as the Secretary of the Treasury determines appropriate; and
(ii)
submitting to the Secretary of the Treasury the results of such audits at such time and in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury determines appropriate.
(3) Misused funds
If the Secretary of the Treasury finds that any funds made available pursuant to this section have been misused by a covered State, or any environmental quality department thereof designated pursuant to paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Treasury may require repayment of the misused funds and withhold Federal funds made available pursuant to this section until such repayment occurs.
(4) Use of funds
An environmental quality department designated pursuant to paragraph (2) shall use funds made available to such environmental quality department pursuant to this section to carry out programs and activities relating to air quality, water quality (including protection and safety of drinking water), management of solid and hazardous waste, chemical safety and emergency response, radiation protection, and remediation of contaminated sites.
(5) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $4,400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.
(b) Definition of covered State
In this section, the term covered State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
(c) Authorization for administration
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Treasury such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to—
(1)
administer any allocation of funds made available pursuant to subsection (a)(5); and
(2)
audit the use of funds made available pursuant to subsection (a)(5) and report to Congress on the results of any such audit.
Sec. 4. Annual GAO study and report
(a) Annual study and report
The Comptroller General of the United States shall—
(1)
annually, for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029, conduct a study on the implementation and effectiveness of this Act; and
(2)
submit to Congress, not later than 180 days after the end of the fiscal year with respect to which a study under paragraph (1) is conducted, a report on the results of such study.
(b) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Comptroller General of the United States to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.