This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed seven bills expanding energy development in Arizona and California, keeping commitments to veterans and codifying President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14229, “Honoring Jocelyn Nungaray.” House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

"This week's bipartisan votes in the House demonstrate the wide support for increasing domestic energy production in the West, creating American jobs, keeping our commitment to Vietnam Veterans and honoring the life of Jocelyn Nungaray, who was taken from us far too soon. I'd like to thank my colleagues for their work on this legislation and look forward to continuing to move these bills through the legislative process."

Background

H.R. 410, the Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska), will extend the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program for five years through December 29, 2030.

H.R. 504, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.), will amend the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act to include the Osceola Camp tribal village as part of the Miccosukee Reserved Area and direct the Secretary of the Interior to consult with the tribe and take appropriate actions to protect the structures within the village from flooding.

H.R. 1044, introduced by U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue four additional 10-year special use permit renewals for the Kaweah Project, extending the permit of the hydroelectric project for another 40 years. This ensures the continued delivery of reliable, affordable hydroelectric power to Californians while maintaining longstanding infrastructure.

H.R. 2316, the Wetlands Conservation Access Improvement Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), extends through 2033 the period in which the interest accrued on unallocated Pittman-Robertson funds can be used to supplement congressional appropriations to the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The authority is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2025, without this extension. 

H.R. 2855, the Sinkhole Mapping Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), is a bipartisan bill to examine short- and long-term causes of sinkholes and identify higher risk areas, and would direct the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to establish a program to study the causes of sinkholes without authorizing any new spending. This bill would also require the USGS to develop maps of higher-risk areas and revise them as needed every five years.

S. 1596, the Jocelyn Nungaray Wildlife Refuge Act, introduced by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), will codify President Trump's EO 14229, “Honoring Jocelyn Nungaray,” to rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge as the “Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge." Jocelyn Nungaray's life was cut short on June 16, 2024, when she was brutally murdered by two Venezuelan nationals who entered the U.S. illegally. 

H.R. 4297, the Bolts Ditch Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), would amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act to allow additional local entities to conduct maintenance and repairs on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch headgate.