House bill from Rep. Pappas targets increased weatherization funding for military families

Rep. Chris Pappas has introduced new legislation in the U.S. House designed to boost energy efficiency and offer expanded weatherization benefits to military personnel, according to the U.S. Congress.

H.R.7042 was brought forward on Jan. 13, 2026, during the 119th Congress’ 2026 regular session. Below is an overview based on the official bill text, with explanatory notes for clarity.

This legislation seeks to broaden the Weatherization Assistance Program, targeting additional support for both active duty and reserve military families. It proposes amending the Energy Conservation and Production Act, with funding authorized for fiscal years 2026 to 2030. The bill sets up to $350 million per year for weatherization, with $2.1 million specifically allocated for military households, and stipulates that no more than 6% of the total funds be directed to this provision. Named the “Heroes Home Energy Savings Act,” the bill sets out further funding and program guidelines to ensure service members benefit from increased energy efficiency assistance.

The proposal has been sponsored solely by Rep. Chris Pappas (Democrat-NH-1st District).

Rep. Pappas has submitted 33 other bills so far during this session.

Congressional bills may be introduced in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, with the exception of revenue measures, which are required to start in the House. After a bill is entered, it proceeds to committee review, hearings, consideration of amendments, and debate before potentially moving to floor votes. If both chambers pass an identical version, the measure heads to the president for signature or veto. Congressional terms are two years long, each divided into two sessions, and all official legislative records are maintained by Congress for publication on Congress.gov.

Chris Pappas is a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Manchester on June 4, 1980, graduated from Harvard University in 2002, and has served in several public roles, including the New Hampshire State House of Representatives (2003-2007), Hillsborough County treasurer (2007-2011), and the New Hampshire Executive Council (2013-2019), prior to his election to Congress in 2019.

Information in this article comes from the U.S. Congress. Original source material can be accessed here.