STEWARD Act of 2025
Latest action · Nov 20, 2025 Held at the desk.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 30, 2025
- Passed SenateNov 20, 2025
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Strategies To Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development Act of 2025 or the STEWARD Act of 2025
This bill establishes requirements to expand recycling and composting efforts, including by creating (1) a pilot grant program, and (2) data collection and reporting requirements.
The bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a pilot program that awards grants for improving recycling accessibility in communities, particularly in underserved communities. States, local governments, Indian tribes, and public-private partnerships may apply for those grants.
The bill also directs the EPA to collect data related to composting and recycling infrastructure from states, local governments, and Indian tribes. Within three years and every four years thereafter, the EPA must prepare an inventory of certain recycling facilities in the United States. The EPA must also develop a metric for determining the proportion of recyclable materials in commercial and municipal waste streams that are being diverted from a circular market.
The bill allows the EPA to develop (1) a standardized estimated rate of recyclable materials that have been brought to recycling or composting facilities, and (2) an estimated national recycling rate. The EPA may use the rates and information collected to provide states, local government, and Indian tribes data and technical assistance, such as assistance to reduce their overall waste and to increase their recycling and composting rates.
The bill establishes a variety of reporting requirements for the EPA and directs the Government Accountability Office to publish a report on certain federal agency activities related to recycling.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jan 30, 2025.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AR | John Boozman | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Original | Jan 30, 2025 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Environment and Public Works Committee | Referred Jan 30, 2025Markup Feb 5, 2025Reported Feb 5, 2025 |
Actions 10
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Nov 20, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S8395-8398; text: CR S8395-8398)
- Nov 20, 2025Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 20, 2025Received in the House.
- Nov 20, 2025Held at the desk.
- Feb 5, 2025Committee on Environment and Public Works. Committee consideration held. Business Meeting printed. S. Hrg. 119-267.
- Feb 5, 2025Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Feb 5, 2025Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Capito without amendment. Without written report.
- Feb 5, 2025Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 7.
- Jan 30, 2025Introduced in Senate
- Jan 30, 2025Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S8395Text printed S8395 | Thom Tillis R-NC | Nov 20, 2025 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Feb 24, 2025S. 351, STEWARD Act of 2025As reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on February 5, 2025
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 119-267 | BUSINESS MEETING63 pages | Environment and Public Works Committee | Feb 5, 2025 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 1768 | Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act | Related bill | Mar 3, 2025 |
| HR 2145 | Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2025 | Related bill | May 21, 2026 |
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to establish a pilot grant program to improve recycling accessibility, to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out certain activities to collect and disseminate data on recycling and composting programs in the United States, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- STEWARD Act of 2025
- Strategies To Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development Act of 2025
- Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
- STEWARD Act of 2025
- Strategies To Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development Act of 2025
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- STEWARD Act of 2025
- Strategies To Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development Act of 2025
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Nov 20, 2025Engrossed in Senate
- Feb 5, 2025Reported to Senate
- Jan 30, 2025Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
