Recycling Infrastructure and Data Accountability Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9987 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9987

 To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
   conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a standardized 
    national database for tracking recyclable materials, recycling 
     infrastructure capacity, material recovery outcomes, landfill 
diversion, geographic areas with limited access to recycling collection 
       services and processing facilities, and extended producer 
      responsibility program performance, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2026

 Mr. Lawler (for himself and Mr. Gottheimer) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
   conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a standardized 
    national database for tracking recyclable materials, recycling 
     infrastructure capacity, material recovery outcomes, landfill 
diversion, geographic areas with limited access to recycling collection 
       services and processing facilities, and extended producer 
      responsibility program performance, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Recycling Infrastructure and Data 
Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. EPA STUDY AND REPORT ON A NATIONAL RECYCLING DATA AND 
              INFRASTRUCTURE TRACKING DATABASE.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall conduct a study on 
        the feasibility of establishing a standardized national 
        database for tracking recyclable materials, recycling 
        infrastructure capacity, material recovery outcomes, landfill 
        diversion, geographic areas with limited access to recycling 
        collection services and processing facilities, and extended 
        producer responsibility program performance.
            (2) Inclusions.--In conducting the study under this 
        subsection, the Administrator shall--
                    (A) identify regions with limited access to 
                recycling infrastructure, excessive distances for 
                transporting recyclable materials, and high reliance on 
                landfill disposal;
                    (B) identify and catalog the location, facility 
                type, ownership, capacity, materials accepted, and 
                annual throughput of all waste facilities and recycling 
                facilities with an annual throughput of not less than 
                25,000 tons (or other threshold the Administrator 
                determines appropriate);
                    (C) analyze the permitted and operational 
                processing capacity of facilities identified under 
                subparagraph (B);
                    (D) analyze challenges for permitting, and economic 
                barriers impacting, the development, expansion, 
                modernization, and operation of recycling facilities 
                and material recovery facilities; and
                    (E) identify geographic areas where additional 
                recycling facilities or material recovery facilities 
                are needed to improve collection access, reduce 
                transportation distances, or increase processing 
                capacity.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the 
results of the study conducted under subsection (a), including 
recommendations regarding the establishment of a standardized national 
database for tracking recyclable materials, recycling infrastructure 
capacity, material recovery outcomes, landfill diversion, geographic 
areas with limited access to recycling collection services and 
processing facilities, and extended producer responsibility program 
performance.
    (c) National Recycling Database.--If, pursuant to the study 
conducted under subsection (a) and the report submitted under 
subsection (b), the Administrator finds that establishing a 
standardized national database for tracking recyclable materials, 
recycling infrastructure capacity, material recovery outcomes, landfill 
diversion, geographic areas with limited access to recycling collection 
services and processing facilities, and extended producer 
responsibility program performance is feasible, and recommends 
establishing such a standardized national database, not later than 1 
year after the date the report is submitted under subsection (b), the 
Administrator shall establish and maintain publicly online such a 
standardized national database.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Extended producer responsibility program.--The term 
        ``extended producer responsibility program'' means a Federal, 
        State, Tribal, or local government program under which 
        producers of products or packaging bear financial or 
        operational responsibility for the collection, recycling, 
        reuse, or end-of-life management of such products or packaging.
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