I
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10454
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2026
Ms. Pingree (for herself and Ms. Kamlager-Dove) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to take appropriate actions to advance textile circularity, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Textile Waste Reduction Act
.
Actions relating to textile circularity
In general
The Administrator shall take such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to advance textile circularity, including prescribing regulations as the Administrator determines necessary to carry out this Act.
Coordination
In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall coordinate and collaborate with covered stakeholders and take into account the findings and activities of the Interagency Working Group and the Advisory Board.
National Textile Circularity Strategy
Establishment
The Administrator shall establish and implement a national strategy, to be known as the National Textile Circularity Strategy, to advance textile circularity.
Consultation; public comment
In developing the National Textile Circularity Strategy, the Administrator shall—
provide an opportunity for public comment regarding the National Textile Circularity Strategy for no fewer than 60 days; and
in addition to providing such opportunity, solicit input from covered stakeholders, which may take the form of a public hearing, a workshop, or the solicitation of written input.
Needs assessment
Requirement
The Administrator shall, in consultation with States, units of local government, Tribal representatives, and the Interagency Working Group, prepare, and include in the National Textile Circularity Strategy, a needs assessment that identifies the actions, data, and funding needed to implement the National Textile Circularity Strategy.
Methodology for collecting data
In carrying out this subsection, the Administrator shall—
develop a methodology to be used by the Administrator to collect data identified as needed in the needs assessment described in paragraph (1); and
identify the resources needed to implement such methodology.
Contents
The needs assessment described in paragraph (1) shall include—
an identification of the types of data needed to implement the National Textile Circularity Strategy, including data relating to the scope and scale of textiles, disaggregated by material composition or product type, that are landfilled, combusted to recover energy, recovered, or exported;
data collected during the preceding 5-year period by the Environmental Protection Agency, States, and industry on the generation and disposition, disaggregated by material composition or product type, of textiles, including textiles that are repaired, recycled, combusted to recover energy, landfilled, or exported, for each year in such 5-year period;
an analysis of textile repair, textile reuse, textile recovery, textile recycling, and textile hauling within the United States, including at the local government level;
an identification of entities involved with such textile repair, textile reuse, textile recovery, textile recycling, and textile hauling;
an identification of Federal laws, and Federal financial assistance and incentives, relating to supporting textile repair, textile reuse, textile recovery, textile recycling, and textile hauling;
a description of economic conditions relating to textile circularity and the potential to create or scale viable end-markets for pre-owned textiles, or textiles that are a result of textile recycling, in the States, regionally in the United States, and globally, including an analysis of the potential economic effect of such creation or scaling;
an analysis of the barriers (including Federal, State, or local laws that present barriers, and any gaps in legal authority that present barriers) to implementation of the National Textile Circularity Strategy, or to scaling textile recycling, and potential solutions to such barriers, which may include—
an analysis of the cost of recovering textiles and developing any infrastructure needed to implement the National Textile Circularity Strategy or scale textile recycling;
workforce needs; and
funding solutions; and
an identification of any need by the public for education on textile circularity, and methods by which the Administrator may provide such education.
Initial report to Congress
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress the National Textile Circularity Strategy.
Updates; annual reports
Not later than 1 year after the Administrator submits the National Textile Circularity Strategy under subsection (d), and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall—
update the National Textile Circularity Strategy; and
submit to Congress a report that includes—
the updated National Textile Circularity Strategy; and
any lessons learned from implementing the National Textile Circularity Strategy during the year prior to such report.
Publication of information on textiles
The Administrator shall—
on the date on which the Administrator submits to Congress the National Textile Circularity Strategy, publish on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency the data described in subsection (c)(3)(B) and the municipal solid waste estimation methods; and
update and publish such data and any updated methodology at least once a year.
Interagency Working Group on Textile Circularity
Establishment
In general
There is established an interagency group, to be known as the Interagency Working Group on Textile Circularity, to coordinate Federal activities on advancing textile circularity, including Federal activities relating to the development and implementation of the National Textile Circularity Strategy.
Charter
Establishment
Not later than 225 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the heads of the following entities shall develop and execute a charter, memorandum of agreement, or similar mechanism to set forth the goals and activities of the Interagency Working Group:
The Department of Energy.
The Department of State.
The Environmental Protection Agency.
The Federal Trade Commission.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The National Science Foundation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Any other Federal entity that the Administrator determines to be appropriate.
Incorporation of leading practices
In developing and executing such charter, memorandum, or mechanism, such heads shall, as applicable, follow, or incorporate into the charter, memorandum, or mechanism, the leading practices for interagency collaboration set forth by the Government Accountability Office, including that each member of the Interagency Working Group shall sign such charter, memorandum, or mechanism.
Membership
In general
Not later than 30 days after the execution of the charter, memorandum of agreement, or similar mechanism under subsection (a)(2), the head of each of the entities listed in such subsection shall designate as a member of the Interagency Working Group any officer or employee of the entity who has the authority to provide the Federal financial assistance or incentives, personnel, administrative support, and technical services of the entity.
Chair
The Interagency Working Group shall be chaired by the member designated from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Duties
The Interagency Working Group shall—
assist and advise the Administrator in developing, updating, and implementing the National Textile Circularity Strategy, including by providing data and resources identified as needed in the National Textile Circularity Strategy;
facilitate the sharing of information across the Federal Government, including the White House, regarding the advancement of textile circularity across the United States, including information relating to the development and implementation of the National Textile Circularity Strategy;
develop a strategy to coordinate Federal interagency efforts to advance textile circularity across the Federal Government, including developing a common framework across the Federal Government of principles, definitions, data, and methods related to such efforts, in furtherance of the activities of the National Textile Circularity Strategy; and
make recommendations to each entity listed in subsection (a)(2) regarding the strategy to coordinate Federal interagency efforts developed under paragraph (3).
Report to Congress
The Chair of the Interagency Working Group shall—
not fewer than 60 days before the Chair of the Interagency Working Group submits a report on the findings and activities of the Interagency Working Group under paragraph (3), submit to the Advisory Board a draft of such report;
update such report, as appropriate, to address any recommendations submitted by the Advisory Board; and
not later than 1 year after the date on which the Interagency Working Group is established, and not less frequently than once every 2 years thereafter, submit to Congress such report.
Advisory Board to the Interagency Working Group
Establishment
The Chair of the Interagency Working Group shall establish an Advisory Board to the Interagency Working Group, to provide ongoing advice to the Interagency Working Group on matters relating to Federal activities on textile circularity, including by—
providing ongoing advice on the development of, updates to, and implementation of the National Textile Circularity Strategy; and
reviewing the draft described in section 4(d) and making recommendations to the Interagency Working Group on such draft.
Appointment of members
Solicitation of nominations and recommendations
In general
Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair of the Interagency Working Group shall establish and carry out a process for soliciting, from the members of the Interagency Working Group and the public, any nomination or recommendation, respectively, of an individual for appointment to the Advisory Board.
Process requirements
Such process shall—
include the publication of a clear description of the position on the Advisory Board, and any qualifications for such position, in advance of soliciting any nomination or recommendation of an individual for appointment to such position; and
allow individuals to recommend themselves for appointment to the Advisory Board.
Conflicts of interest
The Chair of the Interagency Working Group shall establish and carry out a process to identify and mitigate conflicts of interest with respect to individuals nominated or recommended for appointment to the Advisory Board, including establishing—
requirements for the disclosure by such individuals of any potential or perceived conflicts of interest; and
rules delineating the circumstances in which such an individual is required to be recused or disqualified.
Appointment
In general
The Chair of the Interagency Working Group shall appoint members to the Advisory Board, each of whom shall demonstrate expertise on the scientific, economic, industry, or community impacts of textile circularity or a related field.
Considerations
In appointing members to the Advisory Board, the Chair of the Interagency Working Group shall—
give consideration to any individual nominated or recommended for appointment to the Advisory Board; and
ensure that the members of the Advisory Board represent an appropriate balance of—
scientific interests;
industry interests;
the interests of State and local governments and Tribal representatives; and
geographical interests.
Membership
In general
The Advisory Board shall consist of the following members:
2 members who represent a textile producer.
1 member who represents a textile retailer.
2 members who represent organizations that engage in textile recycling.
1 member who represents the natural sciences in academia and studies textile circularity or a related field.
1 member who represents the social sciences in academia and studies textile circularity or a related field.
2 members who represent organizations that engage in textile recovery.
2 members who represent organizations that engage in textile repair or textile reuse.
2 members who represent nongovernmental organizations that the Chair of the Interagency Working Group determines to be relevant.
1 member who represents a local government in a policy or regulatory role relating to waste management or disposal, environmental regulations, or recycling.
1 member who represents a State government or Tribal Government in a policy or regulatory role relating to waste management or disposal, environmental regulations, or recycling.
The Chair of the Interagency Working Group, who shall serve in an ex-officio capacity and be a non-voting member of the Advisory Board.
Chair
The Chair of the Interagency Working Group shall appoint 1 member of the Advisory Board to serve as the Chair of the Advisory Board.
Term
Each voting member of the Advisory Board—
shall be appointed for a 2-year term;
may be appointed to no more than 2 terms; and
may not be appointed to consecutive terms.
Meetings
Not less frequently than twice each year, the Advisory Board shall meet at a time and place that the Chair of the Advisory Board designates, in consultation with the Chair of the Interagency Working Group.
Briefing
The Chair of the Advisory Board shall brief the Interagency Working Group on the findings and activities of the Advisory Board as necessary or at the request of the Interagency Working Group.
Duration
The Advisory Board shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
Publication of information relating to textile circularity
The Administrator shall—
identify Federal financial assistance and incentives, including grants, loans, subsidies, and other funding opportunities, that are available to encourage and support efforts by States, local governments, Tribal Governments, and nongovernmental organizations to advance textile circularity;
publish information about such Federal financial assistance and incentives on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency; and
update such information at least twice each year.
Definitions
In this Act:
Administrator
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Advisory Board
The term Advisory Board means the Advisory Board to the Interagency Working Group established under section 5.
Covered stakeholder
The term covered stakeholder means a representative of—
an industry that has expertise in textile circularity or a related field;
a research community that has expertise in textile circularity or a related field;
a nongovernmental organization that has expertise in textile circularity or a related field;
a State government;
a local government; or
a Tribal Government.
Interagency Working Group
The term Interagency Working Group means the Interagency Working Group on Textile Circularity established under section 4.
Recover
The term recover, with respect to a textile, means the process of collecting, sorting, and processing textile waste for textile repair, textile reuse, or textile recycling.
State
The term State means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States.
Textile
The term textile—
means an item made in whole or in part from textile material; and
does not include an item, made in whole or in part from textile material, that is—
a reusable product designed to collect or absorb urine or feces; or
a mattress or piece of furniture.
Textile circularity
The term textile circularity—
means a system of production (including design) and management of textiles that minimizes the generation of textile waste, maximizes the use of resources (such as energy or water), and keeps textiles in circulation for as long as possible; and
includes textile repair, textile reuse, and textile recycling.
Textile material
The term textile material means natural or synthetic fiber, yarn, or fabric, including leather, cotton, silk, jute, hemp, wool, viscose, nylon, and polyester.
Textile producer
The term textile producer means a person who manufactures a textile and who owns or is the licensee of the brand or trademark under which that textile is offered for sale in, distributed for sale into, or sold in a State.
Textile recycling
The term textile recycling means the process of using recovered textiles as raw materials in the production of new textiles.
Textile reuse
The term textile reuse means the use of a pre-owned textile without breaking such textile down into the raw materials of such textile.
Textile waste
The term textile waste—
means any textile or textile material that is discarded, including a textile or textile material discarded by the textile industry or a consumer; and
does not include a textile or textile material that has been recovered.
Tribal Government
The term Tribal Government means the government of an Indian Tribe, as such term is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
Tribal representative
The term Tribal representative means a representative of—
an Indian Tribe, as such term is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); or
a Native Hawaiian organization, as such term is defined in section 3 of the NATIVE Act (25 U.S.C. 4352).