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US Congress · H.R. 3657 · Passed the House

Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act

Introduced
Moved
Reached a final decision
Introduced 2025-05-29
Derived from the official record below.

Officially: “Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act Read the full text

Energy

What it does

Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act This bill directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to report annually to Congress on the status of the relicensing process for each application for a renewed hydropower dam license.
Summary by the Congressional Research Service, from the official record. Plain-language version below. Not legal advice.

Read it in plain language

AI plain language2 sections
Written by AI from the complete official bill text and independently fact-checked against it. Not legal advice.
1Short title

This section would let the Act be officially called the "Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act."

Show official text
Official text, verbatim from the record

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act .

2Annual relicensing status report

This section would add a new subsection to Section 15 of the Federal Power Act. Within 180 days after enactment, and every year after that, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would have to submit a report to Congress on the status of the licensing process for each new hydropower license that meets two conditions: the existing licensee notified the Commission at least 3 years before the report is due that it intends to apply for the new license, and the new license has not yet been issued. For each such license covered by the report, the Commission would have to include: the date the licensee's notice was received; any docket number assigned to the case; whether an application for the new license has been filed; the status of any filed application, including the date the Commission expects to issue the new license; any upcoming proceeding or other meeting related to the new license; and any ongoing or completed actions required of the existing licensee, the Commission, the fish and wildlife agencies referred to elsewhere in that section, and any other agencies involved.

Show official text
Official text, verbatim from the record

2. Annual relicensing status report Section 15 of the Federal Power Act ( 16 U.S.C. 808 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (g) (1) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the status of the licensing process for each new license for which an existing licensee has notified the Commission under subsection (b)(1) at least 3 years prior to submission of the report that such licensee intends to file an application for such new license, but such new license has not yet been issued under this section. (2) Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to the licensing process for each new license described in such paragraph— (A) the date notice was provided to the Commission under subsection (b)(1); (B) any docket number assigned with respect to such licensing process; (C) whether any application for a new license has been filed; (D) information regarding the status of any such application, including the date the Commission anticipates it will issue the new license; (E) any upcoming proceeding or other meeting related to such new license; and (F) any ongoing or completed actions required of the existing licensee, the Commission, the fish and wildlife agencies referred to in subsection (b) of this section, and any other agencies. .

AI plain languageRead the whole bill in plain language, 2 sections

Where it is

Introduced · 2025-05-29

In the House.

Passed the House · 2025-07-14
Senate floor vote · next · the next step

Official documents

The on-site text is shown verbatim from the GovInfo publication, captured 2026-07-23. The same version at GovInfo.

The numbers

29%
of bills that passed one chamber became law in the 118th Congress, 2023 to 2024 (n=939)
4
sponsors, out of 218 needed to pass

Who is lobbying on this

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE U.S.A.via CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE U.S.A.
6 filings
DUKE ENERGY CORPORATIONvia DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION
6 filings
EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTEvia EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTE
6 filings
PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRICvia PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC
6 filings
AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC. AND AFFILIATED CORPORATIONSvia AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC. AND AFFILIATED CORPORATIONS
5 filings
CMS ENERGY CORPvia CMS ENERGY CORP
5 filings
EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTEvia CAPITOL COUNSEL LLC
5 filings
NATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATIONvia NATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION
5 filings
From 76 filings in federal lobbying disclosures (LDA), via lda.gov, naming this bill (2025 to 2026). Filings are self-reported by lobbying firms and show who is paid to influence this bill. They do not say which side, or whether it worked.
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record. Last action: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. (2026-06-10).