COST-SHARE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2025

On 2025-03-24, Representative Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11) delivered a floor speech titled "COST-SHARE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2025" in the House. The speech addressed the environment and also covered trade policy. It referenced legislation: HR359.

COST-SHARE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1196-H1197] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COST-SHARE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2025 Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 359) to Amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require reporting relating to certain cost-share requirements, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 359 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 ``Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. Section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(g) Reporting.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection and at least quarterly thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and shall make publicly available, a report on the use by the Department during the period covered by the report of the authority to reduce or eliminate cost-sharing requirements provided by subsection (b)(3) or (c)(2).''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas. General Leave Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 359, the bill now under consideration. [[Page H1197]] The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas? There was no objection. Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 359, the Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025, is a good government bill that does exactly what it says: It improves accountability. Led by Mr. Obernolte, this bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to submit a quarterly report to Congress describing instances where it has modified or waived cost-share requirements and make these reports publicly available. DOE is subject to cost-share requirements when making awards for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities. This means that each project must have a certain funding percentage, usually at least 50 percent, contributed by the award recipient. However, DOE can modify or eliminate those requirements, when necessary, which is an authority that can be critical to supporting early-stage technologies. H.R. 359 does not prevent DOE from waiving cost-share requirements. It simply ensures that any changes are reported to Congress and are made public. Transparency and accountability are important because they allow us to track how taxpayer dollars are spent once appropriated to DOE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1415 Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I join the chairman of the committee to rise in support of the Cost- Share Accountability Act of 2025. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster) for reintroducing this bipartisan, commonsense bill. The Department of Energy spends billions of dollars every year supporting research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities. Per the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Department of Energy requires not less than 20 percent for research and development and not less than 50 percent for demonstration or commercial application activities to be provided from a non-Federal source so that all stakeholders have some skin in the game and to control costs for taxpayers. To ensure that the cost-match requirement is not a barrier to entry, the Secretary of Energy has the discretion to reduce or eliminate this cost-share requirement if the Secretary determines that it is necessary or appropriate to do so. While it is important that the Secretary has this flexibility, current law contains no permanent requirement for the Department of Energy to notify Congress of the use of this flexible authority to reduce or eliminate such requirements. Thus, H.R. 359, the Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025, will direct the Department of Energy to provide quarterly reporting requirements to Congress on the use of the Secretary of Energy's cost- share waiver authority. This bill would ensure that Congress is able to perform its oversight responsibilities and help inform future potential legislation to modify the cost-share requirements. Mr. Speaker, I again thank our colleagues from both sides of the aisle for introducing and reintroducing this bipartisan bill. I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 359, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte) to speak on his bill. Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise in support of my bill, H.R. 359, the Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025. I thank my colleague and my friend from Illinois, Congressman Bill Foster, for leading this bipartisan piece of legislation with me. Mr. Speaker, cutting-edge research and development and energy technology is often catalyzed through grants awarded by the Department of Energy. Normally those grants come with a cost-sharing requirement usually of around 50 percent. That is important because it makes sure that the entity that the grant is awarded to has some skin in the game, and it also ensures the taxpayers get the best value for their dollar when that grant is performed. However, the Department of Energy has the ability under Federal law to waive or reduce that grant amount. It has become clear in recent years that it is not transparent when the DOE uses that authority. It is hampering our ability as Members of Congress to provide the oversight necessary into the activities of the DOE. This bill will impose a quarterly reporting requirement on the Department of Energy during which they must report to Congress and the public occasions under which in the last 90 days they have utilized the ability to reduce or eliminate the cost-share requirement. This will provide us in Congress the information we need to do our job of oversight, and it will also make sure that the ability to reduce or eliminate the cost sharing is used appropriately and in appropriate circumstances. Mr. Speaker, this is transparent, bipartisan, good government legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it is a thing of beauty to watch Mr. Obernolte and Mr. Foster legislate together. I have seen it for a number of years on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. It is one of the reasons why I am so excited for H.R. 359 and to see its passage here in the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for introducing this bill and for their work. I urge a very strong ``yes'' vote on H.R. 359, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this bill passed the House with unanimous support in the 118th Congress and is a prime example of the bipartisan backing for Congress' role in overseeing transparent and efficient spending by Federal agencies. I thank Representative Obernolte for leading this legislation again in the 119th Congress and Representative Foster for cosponsoring it. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 359. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR359, HR359