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How Townships can access clean energy tax credits in the form of direct pay/transferability

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NATaT December 2024 Annual Meeting

Jerry B. Crabtree, Heidi Fought (Ohio ED), Past President Neil Sheradin (Michigan Ed), and NATaT President Dave Sanko (PA ED)

NATaT Weekly Legislative Report

March 17, 2026

Congressional Outlook

The House and Senate are in session this week.

The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has passed the one-month tally, as Tuesday marks Day 32 of the DHS shutdown. Last week, the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold to end the partial shutdown, with only 51 senators voting to advance consideration of the House-passed Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 7147). Included within DHS is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and air travelers are starting to see longer lines to make it through security at airports. Airline industry leaders from American, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest have weighed in with Congress, calling on the restoration of DHS funding and to pay airport security and other aviation workers during the shutdown. The stance from Democratic leaders has not changed—they are seeking increased transparency and accountability policies by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) included in the FY26 DHS spending legislation in order to vote to end the shutdown. House Democrats are pivoting slightly, aiming to move a discharge petition later this week that would fund all agencies within the Department of Homeland Security except for ICE and CBP.

President Donald Trump is holding firm to his stance that he will not sign any legislation into law (other than a bill to end the DHS shutdown) until the Senate passes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (S. 1383), which the House passed on February 11 by a vote of 218-213. The legislation requires individuals to provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The Senate plans to vote on advancing consideration of the bill this week, where the prospects of hitting the 60-vote threshold are slim at best. There are over 21 million Americans without the necessary documents, including birth certificates or passports, needed to satisfy the voter ID requirements should the SAVE Act be enacted. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has repeatedly said that he does not have enough votes to reach the threshold or to go the option of a “talking filibuster,” which would require Senate Democrats to hold the floor for as long as possible or face the end of debate and a simple majority vote. Leader Thune and others fear, if Republicans were to go this route, Democrats could opt to do the same in the years to come.

The House is scheduled to vote on 17 bills and resolutions under suspension of the rules, including the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S. 3971), which reauthorizes the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through FY 2031; the Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 (H.R. 1422), which expands the president’s authority to impose additional sanctions on individuals and entities connected to Iran’s oil industry; the Deploying Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy (DIGITAL) Applications Act (H.R. 1665), which requires the Agriculture and Interior Departments to create online portals to process authorization requests to place and operate communications facilities on federal land; the Small Cemetery Conveyance Act (H.R. 4284), which authorizes the Forest Service to convey, without consideration, National Forest System lands used as a cemetery to state governments, local governments, and tribes; a bill (H.R. 2294) which reauthorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Integrated Ocean Observation System through FY 2030; and a joint resolution (H.J. Res. 139) proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring the federal government to maintain a balanced budget.

The House will also consider three bills pursuant to a rule, including the Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026 (H.R. 1958), which creates automatic grounds for inadmissibility and removability for noncitizens who admit to or are convicted of committing certain fraud-related crimes, or obtaining federal, state, or local public benefits for which they do not qualify; the Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals (BOWOW) Act of 2025 (H.R. 4638), which creates automatic grounds for inadmissibility and removability for any noncitizen who admits to or is convicted of willful and malicious harm of a police animal — defined as a dog or horse used by a federal agency for the purpose of law enforcement; and the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 556), which bars the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water.

The House will hold numerous hearings and markups throughout the week, including a Natural Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on Unleashing America’s Mineral Potential: The Critical Mineral Commodity Supply Chain; an Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on oversight of the National Institutes of Health; an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud; an Oversight and Government Reform Committee markup of ten bills, including the Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act of 2026 (H.R. 2766); a Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government hearing on Immigration Policy by Court Order: The Adverse Effects of Plyler v. Doe; an Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing on Strengthening Federal Workers' Compensation Programs: Ensuring Integrity, Efficiency, and Access; and an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape.

The Senate will vote on the nomination of Anna St. John to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, in addition to an extended floor debate, including votes on amendments, for the SAVE Act (S. 1383). Throughout the week, the chamber will hold numerous hearings and markups, including an Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power hearing on 20 bills; a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to examine the nomination of Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to be the 9^th Secretary of Homeland Security, followed by a subsequent committee vote on the nomination; an Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Glen Smith to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development; a Judiciary Committee hearing to examine China’s theft of U.S. innovation; an Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water hearing to examine challenges and opportunities with implementing the Endangered Species Act; a Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing to examine sunshine week, focusing on bringing secret government spending to light; and an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to examine Department of Energy's implementation of President Trump's May 2025 nuclear energy executive orders.