June 18, 2026
Mr. Bentz (for himself, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. Amodei of Nevada, Mr. Hurd of Colorado, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Crank, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Evans of Colorado, Mr. Baumgartner, Mr. Downing, and Mr. Griffith) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To amend the Federal Power Act to modernize the hydropower licensing process, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act
.
Sec. 2. Ensuring proper scope of Federal reservation license conditions
Section 4(e) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 797(e)) is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting to reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effect of the applicable project on such reservation, so as to provide
after deem necessary
in the first proviso.
Sec. 3. Ensuring proper scope of prescribed fishways
Section 18 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 811) is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting to reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effect of the applicable project on the population of a species of fish in the applicable river system
before the period at the end.