PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] · D–VA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 20, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-08-10 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This proposal would make part of a state's federal energy-program funding depend on restrictions on former state utility regulators. States would have to restrict those former officials from representing regulated electric utilities before their former agencies on certain matters connected to their government work. States would also have to enforce those restrictions.
the Secretary shall withhold 10 percent of the amount of State energy program financial assistance to be granted to a State in a fiscal year unless the Secretary determines the State—
prohibits any person who is a former officer or employee of a State regulatory authority from, after the termination of his or her service or employment with such State regulatory authority, making an appearance or advocating before any officer or employee of such State regulatory authority on behalf of any electric utility with respect to which such State regulatory authority has ratemaking authority in connection with a particular matter in which the electric utility is a party or has a direct and substantial interest and in which the person participated personally and substantially during his or her service or employment with the State regulatory authority;
enforces the prohibitions required under paragraphs (1) and (2), including by investigating complaints, imposing penalties for noncompliance, and allowing affected parties to seek recovery of damages arising from violations.
Section 1 would name the legislation the Energy Utility Lobbying Ban Act.
This Act may be cited as the Energy Utility Lobbying Ban Act.
Beginning with the first full federal fiscal year after enactment, the Energy Secretary would have to withhold 10% of a state's covered energy-program assistance unless the state meets the bill's requirements. The condition would apply despite the referenced provisions of existing energy law. Covered assistance means assistance under section 363 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
Notwithstanding part D of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.), beginning with the first full fiscal year following the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall withhold 10 percent of the amount of State energy program financial assistance to be granted to a State in a fiscal year unless the Secretary determines the State—
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.
The term State energy program financial assistance means the financial assistance granted to a State under section 363 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6323).
The first required restriction would have no stated time limit after leaving office. Former agency officers and employees could not appear or advocate before that agency's personnel for an electric utility whose rates it regulates on a particular matter they personally and substantially worked on in government. The utility would have to be a party to the matter or have a direct and substantial interest in it.
prohibits any person who is a former officer or employee of a State regulatory authority from, after the termination of his or her service or employment with such State regulatory authority, making an appearance or advocating before any officer or employee of such State regulatory authority on behalf of any electric utility with respect to which such State regulatory authority has ratemaking authority in connection with a particular matter in which the electric utility is a party or has a direct and substantial interest and in which the person participated personally and substantially during his or her service or employment with the State regulatory authority;
A second required restriction would last two years after departure. It would bar those former officials from appearing or advocating before their former agency's personnel for an electric utility whose rates it regulates on certain matters previously under their official responsibility. It would cover matters they know or reasonably should know were actually pending under that responsibility during their final year in office, where the utility is a party or has a direct and substantial interest.
prohibits any person described in paragraph (1) from, within 2 years after the termination of his or her service or employment with such State regulatory authority, making an appearance or advocating before any officer or employee of such State regulatory authority on behalf of any electric utility with respect to which such State regulatory authority has ratemaking authority in connection with a particular matter in which the electric utility is a party or has a direct and substantial interest and which such person knows or reasonably should know was actually pending under his or her official responsibility within a period of 1 year before such termination;
States would have to enforce both restrictions by investigating complaints, imposing penalties for violations, and allowing affected parties to seek monetary compensation for harm arising from violations.
enforces the prohibitions required under paragraphs (1) and (2), including by investigating complaints, imposing penalties for noncompliance, and allowing affected parties to seek recovery of damages arising from violations.
The Energy Secretary would review applicable state law to determine each state's compliance within one year after enactment and annually afterward. States could comply through any legally binding state-law mechanism that achieves the required restrictions, including legislation, administrative rules, or binding regulatory-agency orders.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall determine, based on a review of applicable State law, whether each State has in effect the lobbying restrictions described in subsection (a).
A State may comply with subsection (a) through any legally binding mechanism under State law, including legislation, administrative rulemaking, or binding orders of a State regulatory authority, provided such mechanism achieves the lobbying restrictions required under such subsection.
A state found out of compliance would have 90 days to correct the problem before assistance is withheld. The Secretary would have to return withheld assistance in the following fiscal year if the state complies for that year.
If the Secretary determines a State does not comply with subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the State shall have 90 days to remedy the noncompliance before the Secretary withholds financial assistance from the State under subsection (a).
If the Secretary withholds from a State financial assistance under subsection (a), the Secretary shall grant to the State the withheld financial assistance in the following fiscal year if the State is in compliance for that fiscal year.
The Secretary would establish annual review procedures, maintain a public database of state compliance, help states comply, issue interpretive guidance, provide an appeal process for noncompliance determinations, and report compliance rates to Congress annually.
For purposes of carrying out this section, the Secretary shall— (A) establish procedures for conducting the annual compliance review under subsection (b); (B) maintain a public database that identifies the status of each State’s compliance with subsection (a); (C) provide technical assistance to States to comply with subsection (a); (D) issue guidance interpreting this section; (E) establish a process to appeal a determination by the Secretary that a State does not comply with subsection (a); and (F) annually report to Congress on State compliance rates.
The Secretary would have to issue implementing regulations within nine months after enactment.
The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to carry out this section not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this section.
The proposal would use existing statutory definitions for rate-setting authority, state regulatory authority, and State. Those definitions are incorporated by reference rather than reproduced in the bill.
The term ratemaking authority has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602).
The term State has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6202).
The term State regulatory authority has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602).
The supplied actions snapshot, updated August 20, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on August 10, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-08-20T14:17:23Z. 2026-08-10: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2026-08-10: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-08-10. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This text-only conclusion does not establish formal earmark status in absent disclosures or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential carve-out, special exemption, or exception was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to this version and does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Aug 20, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI