H.R. 8487: Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-10-01 · Energy · Latest: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-10-01 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, the Budget, and Rules, 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. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act

Plain summary

Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act This bill addresses energy poverty (i.e., insufficient access to affordable energy) in at-risk communities. An at-risk community is a community that is low-income, minority, rural, elderly, or Native American. The Department of the Interior must submit to Congress a report that (1) identifies barriers to the ability of at-risk communities that live on or near federal land or tribal land to access reliable and affordable energy, including how the presence of adequate energy transmission infrastructure affects such access; and (2) recommends actions that it and the Forest Service may take to reduce such barriers. The Congressional Budget Office must report how a bill or resolution will affect the cost of energy for at-risk communities. The Government Accountability Office must (1) analyze federal energy and environmental laws and regulations, and state renewable portfolio standards, to determine how such laws, regulations, and standards affect electricity prices, home heating prices, gasoline prices, motor vehicle prices, natural gas prices, and household appliance prices in at-risk communities; and (2) develop criteria to determine whether an at-risk community is experiencing energy poverty. The Office of Management and Budget must review each applicable energy regulation to determine if any regulation imposes, relative to the general population, disproportionate costs on at-risk communities.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] · 23 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), W. Gregory Steube (R-FL), Brian Babin (R-TX), Tom Cole (R-OK), Ann Wagner (R-MO)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] reported raising $2.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
CBO cost estimate: The Congressional Budget Office's estimate of how a federal bill would change government spending and revenue. CBO is nonpartisan.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr8487.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr8487 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116