Editor's note: NPGA gives federal legislative update in The Bobtail newsletter, summarizing key issues discussed at the 2025 Propane Days event. In June, NPGA members from across the country came to Capitol Hill to educate lawmakers and their staff on issues important to the Propane Industry. NPGA held over 300 meetings, advocating for two key issues: the Energy Choice Act and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Below is an update on the current status of these two requests.
LIHEAP continues to gain support from legislators on both sides of the aisle. The House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have released the text of their Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriation bills, and both include modest increases in LIHEAP funding. Since Congress is unlikely to reach a deal and pass these bills, it will have to fund the government with stopgap funding legislation, known as a continuing resolution (CR). When Congress passes a CR, it will fund LIHEAP at FY 2024 levels. NPGA’s Federal Legislative team continues to urge Congress to reach a long-term funding deal that provides certainty for LIHEAP funding.
The Energy Choice Act has been steadily gaining momentum in Congress over the past few months. Prior to Propane Days, the Energy Choice Act had secured 42 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. That number has since doubled, with 86 cosponsors now on the bill. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has recently held two hearings on the Energy Choice Act, one focused on background information and the other on legislative details. NPGA anticipates that the Committee will markup the Energy Choice Act in the coming weeks, the last step before the full House may consider the bill for a vote. The Senate bill now has five cosponsors, and NPGA staff is working with Senate offices to urge the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to take up this bill for consideration.
