The House Committee on Energy and Commerce, chaired by Brett Guthrie (KY-02), has advanced eight pieces of legislation to the full House of Representatives. The measures focus on online safety for children, cybersecurity, and energy infrastructure.
Chairman Guthrie stated, “As people, as a Committee, and as a Congress, there are few things that are more essential than our responsibility to protect our nation’s children. We are taking the meaningful steps forward to empower parents and protect children and teens online. We owe it to parents. We owe it to communities. And most importantly, we owe it to the kids who are counting on us to get this right.”
Rep. Bilirakis emphasized the importance of parental empowerment in digital spaces: “Empowering parents to better protect their children—especially amid the near-constant barrage of digital threats—remains one of our most solemn and important responsibilities. Today, we took meaningful action to advance that mission by moving forward several key measures, including the Kids Online Safety Act, designed to strengthen safeguards and increase transparency in the online space. I remain steadfast in my commitment to ensuring that children can safely navigate the digital world, while holding technology companies accountable for the platforms they operate. Protecting our kids must always come before protecting corporate profits.”
The committee reported several bills with bipartisan support:
- H.R. 7757 (Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act) was reported as amended by a vote of 28-24.
- H.R. 2657 (Sammy’s Law) passed as amended by 36-16.
- H.R. 3149 (App Store Accountability Act) passed as amended by 26-23.
- H.R. 7258 (Energy Emergency Leadership Act) passed unanimously at 50-0.
- H.R. 7266 (Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act) passed unanimously at 49-0.
- H.R. 7257 (SECURE Grid Act) passed as amended at 47-0.
- H.R. 7272 (Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act) passed unanimously at 48-0.
- H.R. 7305 (Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026) passed as amended at 47-0.
During discussions on Sammy’s Law, Congressman Buddy Carter highlighted its necessity: “This is absolutely necessary because the harms that our children are confronting on social media are severe, and our children simply do not yet have the development skills to protect themselves alone. If this bill helps even one family avoid what happened to Sammy Chapman, then it will be worth it... What happened to Sammy is a travesty that no parent should experience, and we can prevent it today by passing this bill.”
On app store regulation efforts under H.R. 3149, Congressman John James said: “The App Store Accountability Act holds big tech companies to the same standard as local corner stores... Our nation's children deserve better, and we will act.”
Congresswoman Erin Houchin addressed AI chatbot safety with remarks on H.R. 6489: “We're in the middle of a chatbot revolution... The SAFE BOTs Act creates common sense, baseline guardrails...” She detailed requirements such as prohibiting AI from impersonating professionals or failing to disclose its non-human status when interacting with minors.
Discussing energy security under H.R. 7305, Congressman Gabe Evans noted: “The Energy Threat Analysis Center plays an essential role in safeguarding critical infrastructure that ensures economic growth and national security... I'm especially proud this bill passed the subcommittee unanimously…”
The House Energy and Commerce Committee oversees legislation related to energy policy, health care matters, environmental protection efforts such as clean air standards or hazardous waste management; telecommunications including broadband deployment; consumer protection; among other issues according to its official website. Over time it has influenced areas like energy innovation initiatives or pharmaceutical pricing reforms (official website). As one of Congress's oldest standing committees—originating in 1795—it continues shaping U.S policy across these domains (official website).
