119-hr5597

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5597 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5597

To establish the Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Advancement 
 Commission in the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 26, 2025

Mr. Moore of Utah (for himself and Mr. Costa) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
 in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, 
 Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently 
 determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To establish the Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Advancement 
 Commission in the Department of Agriculture, 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 ``BECCS Advancement Commission Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. BIOENERGY WITH CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE ADVANCEMENT 
 COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department of 
Agriculture a commission to be known as the ``Bioenergy with Carbon 
Capture and Storage Advancement Commission'' or the ``BECCS Advancement 
Commission''.

    (b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of the following 
members:

    (1) The Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural 
 Development.

    (2) The Chief of the Forest Service, or a designee of the 
 Chief under the supervision of the Chief.

    (3) The Director of the Bureau of Land Management, or a 
 designee of the Director under the supervision of the Director.

    (4) The Director of the Bioenergy Technologies Office of 
 the Department of Energy, or a designee of the Director under 
 the supervision of the Director.

    (5) A representative of the National Association of State 
 Foresters.

    (6) A representative from the commercial timber industry.

    (7) A representative of the National Association of State 
 Energy Officials.

    (8) 4 representatives from the BECCS industry.

    (9) At least 1, and not more than 2, representatives of 
 counties receiving Federal funds under the Secure Rural Schools 
 and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
            (c) Appointment.--Within 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall appoint--

    (1) each member described in paragraphs

    (5) through

    (7) of 
 subsection

    (b) , in consultation with the organization 
 concerned;

    (2) each member described in subsection

    (b)

    (8) , in 
 consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the 
 Secretary of Energy; and

    (3) each member described in subsection

    (b)

    (9) , from--
        (A) nominations submitted to the Secretary by the 
 counties described in the subsection or the States in 
 which the counties are located; and
        (B) a different State than the other such member, 
 if the Secretary appoints more than 1 such member.
            (d) Chair.--Subject to subsection

    (e) , the Under Secretary of 
Agriculture for Rural Development shall serve as--

    (1) the chair of the Commission; and

    (2) the designated officer or employee of the Federal 
 Government for purposes of 

section 1009

    (e) of title 5, United 
 States Code.

    (e) Removal; Vacancies.--

    (1) Removal.--The Secretary may remove a member described 
 in paragraphs

    (5) through

    (9) of subsection

    (b) only for cause.

    (2) Appointment of chair if under secretary is 
 unavailable.--If the position of Under Secretary of Agriculture 
 for Rural Development is vacant, the Secretary may appoint a 
 member described in paragraphs

    (2) through

    (4) of subsection

    (b) to serve in the roles described in subsection
            (d) during 
 the vacancy.

    (3) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission--
        (A) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; 
 and
        (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the 
 original appointment.

    (f) Meetings.--

    (1) Initial meeting.--Within 30 days after all members of 
 the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall hold 
 the first meeting of the Commission.

    (2) Frequency.--The Commission shall meet not less 
 frequently than once every 90 days.

    (3) Type.--The Commission may hold meetings, and a member 
 of the Commission may participate in a meeting through 
 teleconference, video conference, or similar means.

    (4) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission 
 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may 
 hold hearings.

    (g) Duties.--

    (1) In general.--The Commission shall make policy 
 recommendations and metrics for the improvement of Federal 
 policy with respect to--
        (A) the development and implementation of systems 
 or power plants utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture 
 and storage throughout the United States; and
        (B) the benefits of a growing BECCS industry on 
 surrounding communities, forest health, and wildfire 
 management in the United States.

    (2) Report to congress.--Within 1 year after the date of 
 the first meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall 
 submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
 the following:
        (A) Policy recommendations, taking into account 
 short-term and long-term goals, for the modernization 
 and expansion of the use of systems or power plants 
 utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in 
 the United States, including with respect to--
            (i) the effect of deployment of the systems 
 or power plants on job growth in local 
 communities;
            (ii) energy costs;
            (iii) energy reliability;
            (iv) strengthening the domestic energy 
 supply chain; and
            (v) meeting the energy demands of 
 artificial intelligence infrastructure and data 
 centers.
        (B) Metrics to quantitatively assess the benefits 
 of systems or power plants utilizing bioenergy with 
 carbon capture and storage with respect to--
            (i) domestic forest health;
            (ii) wildfire mitigation;
            (iii) clean energy production; and
            (iv) economic development of the forestry 
 sector.
            (C) Identification of Federal policies to 
 facilitate the development of systems or power plants 
 utilizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in 
 the United States.
            (D) Recommendations with respect to legislative and 
 regulatory changes to facilitate the use of biomass 
 from federally managed lands, consistent with wildfire 
 and wildlife management objectives for such lands, for 
 systems or power plants utilizing bioenergy with carbon 
 capture and storage, including--
            (i) streamlined biomass offtake contracts; 
 and
            (ii) interagency coordination between 
 Federal land managers and the BECCS industry.
        (E) Any other recommendation or metric consistent 
 with paragraph

    (1) .

    (3) Interim reports to congress.--The Commission may submit 
 to the appropriate congressional committees, at the sole 
 discretion of the Commission, 1 or more interim reports 
 relating to any matter described in paragraph

    (2) .

    (h) Powers.--

    (1) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit 
 and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and 
 receive such evidence as the Commission considers advisable to 
 carry out this Act.

    (2) Information from federal agencies.--
        (A) In general.--The Commission may secure directly 
 from a Federal department or agency such information as 
 the Commission considers necessary to carry out this 
 Act.
        (B) Furnishing information.--On request of the 
 chair of the Commission, the head of the department or 
 agency shall furnish the information to the Commission.

    (3) Postal services.--The Commission may use the United 
 States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
 as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

    (4) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, or dispose of 
 such gifts or donations of services or property as the 
 Commission considers necessary to carry out this Act.
            (i) Compensation; Travel Expenses.--A member of the Commission 
shall--

    (1) serve without compensation; and

    (2) be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu 
 of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 
 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
 Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business 
 in the performance of services for the Commission.

    (j) Personnel.--

    (1) In general.--To assist the Commission in carrying out 
 this Act, the chair of the Commission may, without regard to 
 the civil service laws (including regulations), appoint and 
 terminate--
        (A) an executive director, subject to the approval 
 of the Commission; and
        (B) such other additional personnel as may be 
 determined necessary by the chair of the Commission.

    (2) Compensation.--The chair of the Commission may fix the 
 compensation of the personnel appointed under this subsection 
 without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 
 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of 
 positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate 
 of pay for the personnel may not exceed the rate payable for 
 level V of the Executive Schedule under 

section 5316 of such 
 title.

    (3) Detail of government employees.--On the request of the 
 chair of the Commission, the head of any Federal department or 
 agency may detail, on a nonreimbursable basis, any of the 
 personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to 
 assist the Commission in carrying out this Act, and such detail 
 shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status 
 or privilege.

    (4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
 The chair of the Commission may procure temporary or 
 intermittent services under 

section 3109

    (b) of title 5, United 
 States Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the 
 daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 
 level V of the Executive Schedule under 

section 5316 of such 
 title.

    (k) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the date that 
is 180 days after the Commission submits the report pursuant to 
subsection

    (g)

    (2) .
            (l) Regulations.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 
of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy, may prescribe regulations 
to carry out this Act.
            (m) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
 ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (A) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
 Representatives;
        (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
 of Representatives;
            (C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
 House of Representatives;
            (D) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
 Forestry of the Senate; and
        (E) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
 of the Senate.

    (2) BECCS industry.--The term ``BECCS industry'' shall have 
 the meaning given the term under a rule or regulation 
 prescribed under subsection
            (l) .

    (3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 
 Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Advancement 
 Commission established under subsection

    (a) .

    (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.
 <all>