Recycling Infrastructure and Data Accountability Act

I 119TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 9987 To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to con- duct a study on the feasibility of establishing a standardized national database for tracking recyclable materials, recycling infrastructure capac- ity, 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. G OTTHEIMER) 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 estab- lishing a standardized national database for tracking re- cyclable materials, recycling infrastructure capacity, ma- terial recovery outcomes, landfill diversion, geographic areas with limited access to recycling collection services and processing facilities, and extended producer responsi- bility program performance, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:36 Jul 30, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9987.IH H9987ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 9987 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recycling Infrastruc-2 ture and Data Accountability Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. EPA STUDY AND REPORT ON A NATIONAL RECY-4 CLING DATA AND INFRASTRUCTURE TRACK-5 ING DATABASE. 6 (a) STUDY.— 7 (1) IN GENERAL .—The Administrator shall con-8 duct a study on the feasibility of establishing a 9 standardized national database for tracking recycla-10 ble materials, recycling infrastructure capacity, ma-11 terial recovery outcomes, landfill diversion, geo-12 graphic areas with limited access to recycling collec-13 tion services and processing facilities, and extended 14 producer responsibility program performance. 15 (2) I NCLUSIONS.—In conducting the study 16 under this subsection, the Administrator shall— 17 (A) identify regions with limited access to 18 recycling infrastructure, excessive distances for 19 transporting recyclable materials, and high reli-20 ance on landfill disposal; 21 (B) identify and catalog the location, facil-22 ity type, ownership, capacity, materials accept-23 ed, and annual throughput of all waste facilities 24 and recycling facilities with an annual through-25 put of not less than 25,000 tons (or other 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:36 Jul 30, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9987.IH H9987ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 9987 IH threshold the Administrator determines appro-1 priate); 2 (C) analyze the permitted and operational 3 processing capacity of facilities identified under 4 subparagraph (B); 5 (D) analyze challenges for permitting, and 6 economic barriers impacting, the development, 7 expansion, modernization, and operation of re-8 cycling facilities and material recovery facilities; 9 and 10 (E) identify geographic areas where addi-11 tional recycling facilities or material recovery 12 facilities are needed to improve collection ac-13 cess, reduce transportation distances, or in-14 crease processing capacity. 15 (b) R EPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 16 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub-17 mit to Congress a report on the results of the study con-18 ducted under subsection (a), including recommendations 19 regarding the establishment of a standardized national 20 database for tracking recyclable materials, recycling infra-21 structure capacity, material recovery outcomes, landfill di-22 version, geographic areas with limited access to recycling 23 collection services and processing facilities, and extended 24 producer responsibility program performance. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:36 Jul 30, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9987.IH H9987ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 9987 IH (c) NATIONAL RECYCLING DATABASE.—If, pursuant 1 to the study conducted under subsection (a) and the report 2 submitted under subsection (b), the Administrator finds 3 that establishing a standardized national database for 4 tracking recyclable materials, recycling infrastructure ca-5 pacity, material recovery outcomes, landfill diversion, geo-6 graphic areas with limited access to recycling collection 7 services and processing facilities, and extended producer 8 responsibility program performance is feasible, and rec-9 ommends establishing such a standardized national data-10 base, not later than 1 year after the date the report is 11 submitted under subsection (b), the Administrator shall 12 establish and maintain publicly online such a standardized 13 national database. 14 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 15 (1) A DMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-16 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-17 mental Protection Agency. 18 (2) E XTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY 19 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘extended producer responsi-20 bility program’’ means a Federal, State, Tribal, or 21 local government program under which producers of 22 products or packaging bear financial or operational 23 responsibility for the collection, recycling, reuse, or 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:36 Jul 30, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9987.IH H9987ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 9987 IH end-of-life management of such products or pack-1 aging. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:36 Jul 30, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H9987.IH H9987ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS