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CIVIC HERALD
HR 3616 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

Reliable Power Act

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

In plain language: This bill aims to protect the power grid by giving energy regulators oversight over federal rules that affect power plants. If electric reliability monitors warn of an energy shortage, cabinet agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency must submit upcoming power-sector regulations to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for review. Agencies are barred from finalizing those rules until the Commission officially determines they will not threaten electricity reliability.

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Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—not determinable from the text provided; the bill governs interagency administrative review procedures and reliability assessments rather than enumerating an affected population.
Fiscal magnitude—not determinable from the text provided; the bill authorizes no appropriations and specifies no fees or funding levels.
Reach
provisional · pending review62rigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Pollution & development−30Energy sources−20Greenhouse-gas policy−15Regulation (cross-sector)−30

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Provisional: our reading of who it affects, pending review.

Who it helps

  • Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionGains review authority over other federal cabinet agencies' rules affecting electric generation, with the power to require written responses to its comments and condition the finalization of those rules on its finding regarding power grid reliability (Sec. 2(3)(h)(3)-(4)).provisional

Who it burdens

  • Federal cabinet agencies (including the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy)Must submit any proposed or developing rules affecting electric power generation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for review, respond in writing to FERC comments, publish those exchanges, and wait for FERC to find that the rule will not likely harm power supply reliability before finalizing it (Sec. 2(3)(h)(2), (4), and (5)).provisional
  • Designated Electric Reliability OrganizationMust conduct annual long-term reliability assessments evaluating power grid capacity under normal and extreme weather conditions, and must publicly notify FERC whenever electric supply shortfalls are projected (Sec. 2(1)(B)(2)-(3)).provisional
  • Bulk-power system users, owners, and operatorsAre subject to data and information collection requests by the Electric Reliability Organization to support annual grid reliability assessments (Sec. 2(1)(B)(4)).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

Provisional: our reading of what the bill does, pending review.

Show all 8 provisions

  1. Requires the designated Electric Reliability Organization to conduct an annual long-term assessment of whether the power grid has enough electricity generation to maintain reliability under normal and extreme weather conditions.

    Sec. 2(1)(B)(2)provisional

  2. Requires notified federal agencies to submit any proposed or developing rules affecting electric power plants to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for review before publication.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(2)provisional

  3. Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review submitted federal rules and recommend changes to prevent significant negative impacts on electricity supply reliability.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(3)provisional

  4. Prohibits federal agencies from finalizing covered rules until the agency responds to proposed changes in writing and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission finds the rule will not likely cause a significant negative impact on power reliability.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(4)provisional

  5. Requires the Electric Reliability Organization to publicly notify the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission whenever an assessment finds the power grid is at risk of not having enough electricity generation.

    Sec. 2(1)(B)(3)provisional

  6. Authorizes the Electric Reliability Organization to collect data and information from power grid users, owners, and operators to prepare its reliability assessments.

    Sec. 2(1)(B)(4)provisional

  7. Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to promptly notify the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other relevant federal agencies when a power supply inadequacy notice is issued.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(1)provisional

  8. Requires federal agencies to publicly release the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's comments and recommendations, along with the agency's written responses, whenever a covered rule is published for public comment or inspection.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(5)provisional

  1. Requires the designated Electric Reliability Organization to conduct an annual long-term assessment of whether the power grid has enough electricity generation to maintain reliability under normal and extreme weather conditions.

    Sec. 2(1)(B)(2)provisional

  2. Requires notified federal agencies to submit any proposed or developing rules affecting electric power plants to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for review before publication.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(2)provisional

  3. Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review submitted federal rules and recommend changes to prevent significant negative impacts on electricity supply reliability.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(3)provisional

  4. Prohibits federal agencies from finalizing covered rules until the agency responds to proposed changes in writing and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission finds the rule will not likely cause a significant negative impact on power reliability.

    Sec. 2(3)(h)(4)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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The record

How members voted on Reliable Power Act.

Recorded roll calls on this bill, most recent first. Open one to see each member's position.

  • House · Dec 17, 2025 · YEA-AND-NAY

    On Passage · Passed

    Source →

Timeline

How it moved.

Show all 21 actions
  1. Dec 18, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  2. Dec 17, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. Dec 17, 2025On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 347). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H6000)
  4. Dec 17, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 347).
  5. Dec 17, 2025Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6006)
  6. Dec 17, 2025At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 3616, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote announced the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Weber (TX) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
  7. Dec 17, 2025The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  8. Dec 17, 2025DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 3616.
  9. Dec 17, 2025Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632 and H.R. 4371. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, under a structured rule and H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632, and H.R. 4371 under a closed rule. The resolution provides one motion to recommit on each bill.
  10. Dec 17, 2025Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 951. (consideration: CR H6000-6004)
  11. Dec 16, 2025Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 951 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632 and H.R. 4371. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, under a structured rule and H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632, and H.R. 4371 under a closed rule. The resolution provides one motion to recommit on each bill.
  12. Nov 25, 2025Supplemental report filed by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, H. Rept. 119-302, Part II.
  13. Sep 17, 2025Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 256.
  14. Sep 17, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-302.
  15. Jun 25, 2025Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 28 - 23.
  16. Jun 25, 2025Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  17. Jun 5, 2025Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 16 - 14.
  18. Jun 5, 2025Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  19. Jun 3, 2025Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
  20. May 29, 2025Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  21. May 29, 2025Introduced in House
  1. Dec 18, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  2. Dec 17, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. Dec 17, 2025On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 347). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H6000)
  4. Dec 17, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 347).
  5. Dec 16, 2025Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 951 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632 and H.R. 4371. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, under a structured rule and H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632, and H.R. 4371 under a closed rule. The resolution provides one motion to recommit on each bill.
  6. Sep 17, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-302.
  7. Jun 25, 2025Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 28 - 23.
  8. May 29, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 3 months ago

Cite this page

Civic Herald. “Reliable Power Act (H.R. 3616, 119th Congress).” https://civicherald.app/bills/119-hr-3616. Congress.gov record as of Jul 18, 2026.

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