H.R. 10425 — Environmental Health Restoration Act of 2026

This section states findings that the Environmental Protection Agency has initiated or advanced dozens of deregulatory actions since January 2025 weakening or repealing standards on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, methane and volatile organic compounds from oil and gas operations, mercury and air toxics, national ambient air quality standards for particulate matter, greenhouse gas reporting, and vehicle emissions. It further finds that the agency repealed the section 202(a) endangerment finding for greenhouse gases, reduced enforcement, dismantled scientific advisory bodies and environmental justice programs, and acted contrary to the Clean Air Act and other statutory duties.

This section requires the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to reinstate within 60 days of enactment all regulations, guidance, and enforcement programs in effect on January 19, 2025, relating to greenhouse gas emissions from electric generating units, methane and volatile organic compounds from oil and gas sources, mercury and air toxics standards, greenhouse gas reporting, national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants, national ambient air quality standards for PM 2.5, and vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. It prohibits the President, the Administrator, or any other federal official from delaying, suspending, repealing, weakening, or granting exemptions to these regulations unless authorized by an Act of Congress.

This section requires the Administrator to reconstitute and fully staff the Science Advisory Board and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee within 45 days after enactment, ensuring members have no financial or advisory ties to regulated industries. It mandates that regulatory decisions rely on peer-reviewed science and restores the social cost of carbon at a 2 percent discount rate and a value of $190 in 2020 dollars per metric ton for use in all greenhouse gas rulemakings, to be implemented within 60 days.

This section requires the Environmental Protection Agency to maintain sufficient funding and personnel for civil and criminal enforcement of programs listed in section 3(a). It directs the Administrator to submit an annual report to Congress detailing inspections, violations, penalties assessed, and corrective actions under environmental laws. It authorizes appropriations of $10,993,653,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each year thereafter, adjusted annually for inflation.

This section requires the EPA Administrator to restore and expand environmental justice programs eliminated or defunded after January 19, 2025, within 60 days of enactment and subject to appropriations. It directs prioritization of monitoring, permitting oversight, and enforcement in communities with disproportionate pollution burdens; mandates public health impact assessments evaluating mortality, respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and cumulative exposure for air and water quality rulemakings and enforcement policies; and requires annual publication of reports on pollution trends, enforcement actions, and reductions in health disparities.

This section authorizes any person adversely affected by the Administrator's failure to comply with the Act to file a civil action in federal district court. The court may compel compliance and award reasonable attorney's fees if the action succeeds.

This section preserves the authority of States to adopt or enforce environmental standards more protective than similar Federal standards. It also preserves the rights of persons, classes of persons, or States to petition the Administrator for non-discretionary action under Federal law or to pursue common law nuisance claims.