A Democratic bill with 3 Republican cosponsors · See all 7 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "REUSE Act of 2026," directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to prepare a specific report. The report must focus on the feasibility and best practices of reuse and refill systems across various sectors. These systems involve mechanisms for refillable or reusable products and beverage containers that include necessary infrastructure for both producers and consumers. The Administrator is required to make this report publicly available within two years of the Act's enactment. The report must evaluate several objectives, including economic impacts and job creation.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +3
Is this likely to create jobs?
The bill mandates an evaluation of job creation opportunities resulting from the expansion of reuse and refill systems.
- Scored +3
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill focuses on the feasibility of reuse and refill systems to manage product lifecycles more sustainably.
- Scored +2
Is this likely to grow the economy?
The bill seeks to identify economic benefits and opportunities within reuse and refill systems.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Job Creation Opportunities: The report must include an evaluation of opportunities for creating jobs through the use or expansion of reuse and refill systems (Section 2(c)(3)).
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Equitable Distribution: The Administrator is tasked with finding methods to ensure that these systems are distributed equitably across communities of different population sizes, where economically feasible (Section 2(c)(2)).
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Economic Analysis: The report will look at the economic costs and benefits for businesses deploying these technologies and for those responsible for managing waste (Section 2(c)(4)).
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Identification of Support Needs: The report aims to identify what types of local, State, and Federal support are required to expand these systems (Section 2(c)(5)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Economic Costs to Businesses: The report will evaluate the economic costs faced by businesses that deploy reuse and refill system technologies (Section 2(c)(4)(A)).
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Economic Costs to Waste Management: The report will evaluate the economic costs associated with parties responsible for waste collection and management (Section 2(c)(4)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill mandates an evaluation of job creation opportunities resulting from the expansion of reuse and refill systems. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill seeks to identify economic benefits and opportunities within reuse and refill systems. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The report aims to identify economic costs and benefits for businesses deploying these technologies.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill evaluates methods to ensure equitable distribution of systems across communities of varying sizes. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill examines the implementation of reuse systems that may impact consumer product delivery. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill looks at the distribution of systems across communities of varying population sizes. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill looks at the distribution of systems across communities of varying population sizes.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill focuses on the feasibility of reuse and refill systems to manage product lifecycles more sustainably.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the EPA Administrator to make the resulting report publicly available.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill requires an evaluation of methods to ensure equitable distribution of these systems across different communities.
- 8/3/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/30/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 4/9/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/4/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Vern BuchananRepublican · Florida
Don BaconRepublican · Nebraska
J. CorreaDemocrat · California
Daniel GoldmanDemocrat · New York
Michael LawlerRepublican · New York
George LatimerDemocrat · New York
Seth MagazinerDemocrat · Rhode Island