Legislative status and committee referral
HR 4690, the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act, is currently active in the 119th Congress. Following its passage in the House of Representatives on April 22, 2026, the bill was transmitted to the Senate. On April 27, 2026, it was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The bill reached the House floor following consideration under the provisions of H. Res. 1189. During the April 22, 2026, session, the House engaged in one hour of debate before ordering the previous question. A motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, offered by Representative Sykes, did not succeed.
Proposed changes to federal energy policy
The Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act proposes significant adjustments to energy efficiency performance standards for federal facilities. If enacted, the bill would:
Repeal existing mandates: The legislation removes current performance standards that require the phase-out of fossil fuel use in new federal buildings and those undergoing major renovations by fiscal year 2030.
Direct regulatory reset: The Department of Energy would be required to implement standards as if the previous phase-out requirements had never taken effect until the agency issues new, revised regulations.
Green building certification: The bill prohibits green building or high-performance green building certification systems from denying federal buildings status based solely on their direct or indirect consumption of fossil fuels.
House floor action and voting record
The House of Representatives held two recorded votes regarding the bill on April 22, 2026:
Final Passage: The bill passed the House with a vote of 215 yeas and 202 nays, with 13 members not voting (Roll Call 134).
Procedural Vote: An earlier vote (Roll Call 133) failed with 203 yeas and 214 nays, with 13 members not voting.
The bill was reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce with an amendment on February 4, 2026. Additionally, an amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to without objection during the legislative process.
Legislative context and data signals
The bill is sponsored by Representative Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY) and currently has seven cosponsors, including Representatives Troy Balderson (R-OH), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Craig A. Goldman (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN).
LawLinter’s analysis of the bill text identifies three primary sections and highlights the Secretary of Energy as the top affected official. Statutory references within the bill primarily concern 42 U.S.C. 6834 and 42 U.S.C. 17092. Sector matching flags potential impacts in the areas of energy, transportation, and labor and employment.
Research context: Federal spending
While the bill itself is a policy proposal, LawLinter records link the Department of Energy to a sample of 304 federal awards totaling approximately $155.9 billion. These records represent historical and ongoing management contracts for facilities such as the Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. This data is provided for context regarding the scale of Department of Energy operations and does not indicate that the bill would directly cause these specific expenditures.
