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S1020FEDERALSession 119Federal BillSigned into law

Enacted

Extension for Hydropower Project Construction Deadlines

Original title: A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.

Last action · May 11, 2026: Became Public Law No: 119-90.Sponsors: Steve Daines and 7 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Does

This law allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to grant extensions for starting construction on certain hydropower projects that were licensed before March 13, 2020. It permits up to six additional years for developers to begin building these projects.

Why it matters

This law changes the legal deadlines for specific energy infrastructure projects, potentially allowing developers to keep their licenses active for up to six years longer than previously permitted.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Hydropower project developers

They may request extensions to their construction commencement deadlines for projects licensed before March 13, 2020.

Directly affected

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The agency is tasked with reviewing extension requests and has the authority to reinstate certain expired licenses.

Key Facts

FERC is authorized to extend the construction commencement deadline for 'covered projects' by up to 6 years.
A 'covered project' is defined as a hydropower project licensed by FERC before March 13, 2020.
Extensions are limited to three consecutive 2-year periods.
Extensions are granted at the request of the licensee, provided there is 'good cause' and 'reasonable notice'.

Show all 6 facts

The law allows for the reinstatement of licenses that expired between December 31, 2023, and May 11, 2026.
This law overrides the standard 8-year construction commencement limit set in Section 13 of the Federal Power Act.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this apply to all hydropower projects?

No, it only applies to 'covered projects,' which are those that received a FERC license before March 13, 2020.

How much extra time can a developer get?

Developers can receive up to 6 additional years, granted in three 2-year increments.

What happens if a license expired recently?

If a license expired after December 31, 2023, but before May 11, 2026, FERC has the authority to reinstate that license.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

19 actions

May 11, 2026PresidentEnrolled
Became Public Law No: 119-90.
May 11, 2026PresidentEnrolled
Signed by President.
Apr 30, 2026PresidentEnrolled
Presented to President.
Apr 21, 2026House
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Apr 21, 2026HouseFloor
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 394 - 14 (Roll no. 129). (text: CR H3024)
Apr 21, 2026HouseFloor
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 394 - 14 (Roll no. 129). (text: CR H3024)

Show 13 earlier actions

Apr 21, 2026House
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H3026-3027)
Apr 21, 2026House
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
Apr 21, 2026House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1020.
Apr 21, 2026House
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3024-3025)
Apr 21, 2026House
Mrs. Harshbarger moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Aug 1, 2025House
Held at the desk.
Aug 1, 2025House
Received in the House.
Aug 1, 2025Senate
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Jul 29, 2025SenateFloor
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4797-4798; text: CR S4797-4798)
Jul 29, 2025SenateFloor
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4797-4798; text: CR S4797-4798)
Jul 29, 2025Senate
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Mar 13, 2025SenateCommittee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mar 13, 2025SenateIntroduced
Introduced in Senate

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Voting Record

Outcome not reportedHouse4/21/2026Voteview

Total

401

Yes: 387
No: 14
Present: 0
Not voting: 0
Abstain: 0

How they voted (401)

377 more members

Bonnie Watson ColemanDyes

April McClain DelaneyDyes

Richard McCormickRyes

Brian FitzpatrickRyes

Teresa Leger FernandezDyes

Charles FleischmannRyes

Scott PerryRyes

Marilyn StricklandDyes

Raja KrishnamoorthiDyes

Nicholas LangworthyRyes

Pete StauberRyes

Mike EzellRyes

Mark MessmerRyes

Diana HarshbargerRyes

Brittany PettersenDyes

Michelle FischbachRyes

Michael BaumgartnerRyes

Laura FriedmanDyes

Adriano EspaillatDyes

Christopher DeluzioDyes

Bradley SchneiderDyes

Mario Diaz-BalartRyes

Nicole MalliotakisRyes

Debbie Wasserman SchultzDyes

Alexandria Ocasio-CortezDyes

Maggie GoodlanderDyes

George WhitesidesDyes

Suhas SubramanyamDyes

Mark HarrisRyes

Mark PocanDyes

Anna Paulina LunaRyes

Joe CourtneyDyes

Melanie StansburyDyes

Jefferson Van DrewRyes

Mariannette Miller-MeeksRyes

Chris PappasDyes

Brandon GillRno

Jennifer McClellanDyes

Sydney Kamlager-DoveDyes

Kristen McDonald RivetDyes

Christopher SmithRyes

Guy ReschenthalerRyes

Show 1 earlier roll call

Motion succeededHouse4/21/2026U.S. CongressOfficial roll call ↗

On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass

Total

430

Yes: 394
No: 14
Present: 0
Not voting: 22
Abstain: 0

How they voted (2)

Kevin KileyRyes

Raúl GrijalvaDyes

Full roll-call analysis →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Retroactive License Reinstatement

The law includes a specific provision to retroactively reinstate licenses that expired as far back as December 31, 2023, indicating a legislative intent to preserve projects that stalled during the post-2020 period.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Connected Entities

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

OrganizationFederal Energy Regulatory Commission“The agency responsible for granting the construction extensions.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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What This Bill Does

Who It Affects

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history

Voting Record

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Discoveries

Retroactive License Reinstatement

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

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