United States 119th Congress Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 2 R · 1 D cosponsors

S 351 — STEWARD Act of 2025

Last action — Held at the desk.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 30, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 48% · moderate confidence

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    1 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (2 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Strategies To Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development Act of 2025 or the STEWARD Act of 2025This 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.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

6 added · 14 removed

Plain-language change summary

The bill now includes the date it passed the Senate, which is November 20, 2025. Additionally, the revised text removes references to the bill's earlier introduction date and committee referral details. These changes matter because they provide a clearer timeline for the bill's legislative progress and simplify the presentation of the text.

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Previous
Latest
351 Reported in Senate (RS)] <DOC> Calendar No.
351 Engrossed in Senate (ES)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
7 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
351 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT 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.
351 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.
_______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 30, 2025 Mrs.
Capito (for herself, Mr.
Whitehouse, and Mr.
Boozman) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works February 5, 2025 Reported by Mrs.
Capito, without amendment _______________________________________________________________________ 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.
Calendar No.
Passed the Senate November 20, 2025.
7 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
Attest:
351 _______________________________________________________________________ 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.
Secretary.
_______________________________________________________________________ February 5, 2025 Reported without amendment
119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
351 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT 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.
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Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

  3. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

  4. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Committee consideration held. Business Meeting printed. S. Hrg. 119-267.

  5. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Capito without amendment. Without written report.

  6. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Capito without amendment. Without written report.

  7. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 7.

  8. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

  9. Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S8395-8398; text: CR S8395-8398)

  10. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  11. Received in the House.

  12. Held at the desk.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 544 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (544)

544 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 544 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

environment
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 351 do?
Strategies To Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development Act of 2025 or the STEWARD Act of 2025This 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.
Who sponsors S 351?
S 351 is sponsored by Capito, Shelley Moore (Republican), Whitehouse, Sheldon (Democratic), and Boozman, John (Republican).
What is the current status of S 351?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 30, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track S 351?
Track S 351 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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