Week of May 18, 2026 Recap
- SNAP: Manatt invites local leaders to a webinar to discuss the changing federal and state landscape on SNAP benefits and food and nutrition policy. The session will feature speakers who have deep experience in emerging health care and food and nutrition policy. Join us on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, for this timely discussion.
- Congress: Members were sent home for the Memorial Day recess and will return the first week of June
- Appropriations: The House Appropriations Committee advanced its Energy and Water bill, along with the Legislative Branch measure, on Wednesday. The committee also advanced its Transportation-HUD and Interior-Environment funding bills at the subcommittee level on Thursday.
- Surface Transportation Reauthorization: House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) overwhelmingly advanced 62-2 its surface transportation reauthorization bill, entitled the BUILD America 250 Act. The bill includes $580 billion in highway and infrastructure funding, as well as an annual fee for electric / hybrid vehicles that will serve as a revenue stream for the Highway Trust Fund ($130 for EVs; $35 for hybrid vehicles. During its marathon markup yesterday, the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee adopted rail safety legislation as an amendment. Sponsored by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) and championed by Vice President JD Vance, the legislation would mandate two people in the cab of a freight train, while also creating requirements for trains carrying particular hazardous materials; heightened standards for inspections; and increased regulations for the deployment of wayside detectors, the latter are sensors meant to identify safety issues with the train. MGS’ summary of the initial bill is attached.
- Budget Reconciliation: Republicans will not meet President Trump’s June 1 deadline to pass a massive immigration enforcement spending bill. The path to passage in the Senate fell apart after the Trump Administration announced the creation of a special fund to reimburse and reward its allies and supporters. With Democrats planning votes to ban the inclusion of the fund, Senate and House Republicans adjourned until June as they plan the path forward on reconciliation.
- Housing Legislation: On May 20, by a vote of 396-13, the House adopted a revised version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and sent the legislation back to the Senate. The bulk of the changes to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act from the previous Senate version is within its language relating to institutional investors and community banking. The White House issued a statement of support for the bill, but Senators are likely to make further changes to the legislation.
- Recycling Infrastructure: The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced H.R. 2145, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (Reps. Miller-Meeks and McClellan), passed out of committee yesterday. The bipartisan bill directs the EPA to establish a pilot grant program awarding competitive grants to improve community recycling access, with a focus on "hub-and-spoke" infrastructure models. The program is authorized at $30M per fiscal year, with up to 5% reserved for administrative costs and technical assistance. An amendment incorporated H.R. 4109, the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (Rep. Neguse), which strengthens recycling and composting programs nationwide through better coordination, data collection, and information sharing — authorized at $4M per fiscal year.
Trump Administration:
- AI: President Trump abruptly canceled the planned signing of a new artificial intelligence executive order. Details of the order, which reportedly would allow the government to evaluate artificial intelligence models before they were publicly released, did not satisfy the President’s desire to ensure a competitive AI landscape.
- PFAS: On May 18, 2026, EPA proposed rolling back portions of the Biden-era PFAS drinking water rule by eliminating limits for four chemicals and allowing water systems to seek up to a two-year extension to comply with standards for PFOA and PFOS. The proposals will be open for public comment for 60 days after Federal Register publication, with a virtual public hearing scheduled for July 7, 2026.
The Week’s News: