Methane Super-Emitter Strategy Act of 2022

Methane Super-Emitter Strategy Act of 2022

This bill requires the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to enter an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to develop a science-based strategy to assess, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding the use of present and future greenhouse gas monitoring and detection capabilities.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8992 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8992

To require a Federal methane super-emitter detection strategy, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 2022

  Mr. Beyer (for himself, Mr. Peters, Ms. DeGette, and Mr. Lowenthal) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                     Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require a Federal methane super-emitter detection strategy, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Methane Super-Emitter Strategy Act 
of 2022''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL METHANE SUPER-EMITTER DETECTION STRATEGY.

    (a) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation 
        with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
        National Institute of Standards and Technology, and other 
        relevant agencies, shall enter into an agreement with the 
        National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to 
        develop a science-based strategy to assess, evaluate, and make 
        recommendations regarding the use of present and future 
        greenhouse gas monitoring and detection capabilities, including 
        ground-based, airborne, and space-based sensors and integration 
        of data relating to such monitoring and detection from other 
        indicators, with a focus on the ability to detect large methane 
        emission events (commonly referred to as ``methane super-
        emitters'').
            (2) Requirements.--The strategy described in subsection (a) 
        shall include the following elements:
                    (A) Development of a consensus definition for the 
                term ``methane super-emitter''.
                    (B) Examination of whether and how current and 
                planned Federal greenhouse gas monitoring and detection 
                capabilities may be leveraged to monitor and detect 
                methane super-emitters, and identify key gaps in such 
                capabilities.
                    (C) Consideration of a means to facilitate 
                effective interagency collaboration for greenhouse gas 
                monitoring and detection, data standards, stewardship, 
                and data integration, to monitor and detect methane 
                super-emitters.
                    (D) Consideration regarding how agencies that 
                conduct greenhouse gas monitoring and detection can 
                enhance the scientific and operational value and enable 
                the broader application of information regarding 
                methane super-emitters, including by operationalizing 
                methane super-emitter data to support the rapid 
                mitigation of methane sources and integrating such data 
                from multiple sources.
                    (E) Consideration of options for the Federal 
                Government to partner with non-governmental entities, 
                including State and local governments, academia, non-
                profit organizations, commercial industry, and 
                international organizations, to effectively leverage 
                present and future greenhouse gas monitoring and 
                detection capabilities to monitor and detect methane 
                super-emitters.
                    (F) Recommendations regarding the activities under 
                subparagraphs (A) through (E), as appropriate.
    (b) Use of Strategy.--The Administrator may use the strategy 
described in subsection (a) to inform the planning of research and 
development activities regarding greenhouse gas monitoring and 
detection and the monitoring and detection of methane super-emitters.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
execution of the agreement between the Administrator and the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under subsection (a), 
the National Academies shall submit to the Administrator, the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
report on the strategy described in subsection (a).
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration.
            (2) Greenhouse gas monitoring and detection.--The term 
        ``greenhouse gas monitoring and detection'' means the direct 
        observation, from space or in-situ, or collection of 
        measurement data pertaining to, greenhouse gas emissions and 
        levels.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator $1,200,000 to carry out this section.
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