Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I join the chairman of the committee to rise in support of the Cost- Share Accountability Act of 2025.

I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster) for reintroducing this bipartisan, commonsense bill.

The Department of Energy spends billions of dollars every year supporting research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities. Per the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Department of Energy requires not less than 20 percent for research and development and not less than 50 percent for demonstration or commercial application activities to be provided from a non-Federal source so that all stakeholders have some skin in the game and to control costs for taxpayers.

To ensure that the cost-match requirement is not a barrier to entry, the Secretary of Energy has the discretion to reduce or eliminate this cost-share requirement if the Secretary determines that it is necessary or appropriate to do so.

While it is important that the Secretary has this flexibility, current law contains no permanent requirement for the Department of Energy to notify Congress of the use of this flexible authority to reduce or eliminate such requirements.

Thus, H.R. 359, the Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025, will direct the Department of Energy to provide quarterly reporting requirements to Congress on the use of the Secretary of Energy's cost- share waiver authority. This bill would ensure that Congress is able to perform its oversight responsibilities and help inform future potential legislation to modify the cost-share requirements.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank our colleagues from both sides of the aisle for introducing and reintroducing this bipartisan bill. I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 359, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is a thing of beauty to watch Mr. Obernolte and Mr. Foster legislate together. I have seen it for a number of years on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. It is one of the reasons why I am so excited for H.R. 359 and to see its passage here in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for introducing this bill and for their work. I urge a very strong ``yes'' vote on H.R. 359, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 359) to Amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require reporting relating to certain cost-share requirements, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 359, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 359, the Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025, is a good government bill that does exactly what it says: It improves accountability.

Led by Mr. Obernolte, this bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to submit a quarterly report to Congress describing instances where it has modified or waived cost-share requirements and make these reports publicly available.

DOE is subject to cost-share requirements when making awards for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities. This means that each project must have a certain funding percentage, usually at least 50 percent, contributed by the award recipient. However, DOE can modify or eliminate those requirements, when necessary, which is an authority that can be critical to supporting early-stage technologies.

H.R. 359 does not prevent DOE from waiving cost-share requirements. It simply ensures that any changes are reported to Congress and are made public. Transparency and accountability are important because they allow us to track how taxpayer dollars are spent once appropriated to

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte) to speak on his bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill passed the House with unanimous support in the 118th Congress and is a prime example of the bipartisan backing for Congress' role in overseeing transparent and efficient spending by Federal agencies. I thank Representative Obernolte for leading this legislation again in the 119th Congress and Representative Foster for cosponsoring it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise in support of my bill, H.R. 359, the Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025. I thank my colleague and my friend from Illinois, Congressman Bill Foster, for leading this bipartisan piece of legislation with me.

Mr. Speaker, cutting-edge research and development and energy technology is often catalyzed through grants awarded by the Department of Energy. Normally those grants come with a cost-sharing requirement usually of around 50 percent. That is important because it makes sure that the entity that the grant is awarded to has some skin in the game, and it also ensures the taxpayers get the best value for their dollar when that grant is performed. However, the Department of Energy has the ability under Federal law to waive or reduce that grant amount.

It has become clear in recent years that it is not transparent when the DOE uses that authority. It is hampering our ability as Members of Congress to provide the oversight necessary into the activities of the