Congress·In Committee·H.R. 4109

Recycling and Composting Accountability Act

Recycling and Composting: National Data and Improvement Plan

May 14·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: A house committee

This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and is currently being reviewed by a House committee. The full House committee must now decide whether to take further action on the proposal. It is actively moving through the committee process as of May 2026.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Could go either way

This bill has support from both Democrats and Republicans, which helps its chances. Since it focuses on gathering data rather than forcing expensive new rules, it is less likely to face heavy opposition.

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 4040 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 4040 (118th) →

Key Points

The EPA would be required to collect detailed data on recycling and composting programs across the country. This includes creating a national list of facilities and tracking what types of materials, like specific plastics or metals, they are actually able to process.
The bill asks the EPA to find out how many people have easy access to recycling and composting compared to regular trash pickup. It also looks for barriers that prevent local communities from starting these programs, such as high costs or a lack of land.
Federal agencies would have to report their own recycling and composting rates every two years. This ensures the government is tracking its own waste and buying products made from recycled materials.
The EPA would study the circular market to see how much material is being reused versus thrown away. This study will check if better recycling programs could lower prices for consumers on products made from recycled goods.
To protect local budgets, the bill prevents the federal government from forcing states or local towns to carry out these plans unless federal funding is provided to cover the costs.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones5 actions

May 14, 2026House

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

May 14, 2026House

Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Jun 24, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jun 24, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Jun 24, 2025

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes or news coverage recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Recycling and Composting Accountability Act

Bill NumberHR 4109

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionForwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(9)

D: 6R: 3

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.