H.R. 7409 · 118TH CONGRESSHouse · Feb 5, 2026
HEATS Act
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Introduced
House
Senate
Resolving Differences
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Became Law
Step 2 of 6 · House
On Motion to Recommit
On Motion to Recommit
The House of Representatives rejected a motion to recommit the HEATS Act (H.R. 7409), a procedural move typically used by the minority party to propose an amendment or send a bill back to committee for further work. The motion failed in a strictly partisan 198-206 vote, with every voting Democrat supporting the motion and every voting Republican opposing it. A motion to recommit is often the final opportunity for the opposition to alter a bill before it moves to a final vote on passage. In this case, the failure of the motion means the House declined to make the specific changes requested by the Democratic caucus, keeping the legislation in its current form as drafted by the Republican majority. Because the motion failed, the HEATS Act proceeded toward a final vote in the House without the proposed modifications. The bill, which focuses on geothermal energy and heat technologies, remains on the legislative calendar for further consideration by the chamber.
On Passage
On Passage
The House of Representatives passed H.R. 7409, known as the Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act. This legislation seeks to expedite the development of geothermal energy by removing certain federal permit requirements for drilling operations on non-federal lands where the underlying geothermal resources are owned by the United States. The bill aims to reduce regulatory hurdles and encourage domestic renewable energy production. The vote followed largely partisan lines, with 207 Republicans voting in favor and 181 Democrats voting against. While 18 Democrats joined the Republican majority to support the measure, the overall result reflects a divide over federal oversight of energy projects. Supporters argue the bill promotes energy independence, while opponents have raised concerns regarding environmental protections and federal land management. With this passage in the House, the bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. If approved by the Senate and signed by the President, it would change how the Department of the Interior manages geothermal leasing and permitting. However, its future remains uncertain given the current legislative calendar and differing priorities between the two chambers.