New House bill would create youth councils to advise on environmental policy

A recently introduced bill from U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost proposes the creation of youth advisory councils within federal agencies to enhance young people’s participation in environmental policymaking, according to the U.S. Congress.

Known as H.R.8363, the bill was submitted on April 20, 2026, during the 2026 regular session of the 119th Congress. The summary below reflects our analysis of the official bill text and includes clarifications around major provisions.

The legislation would establish Youth Advisory Councils within the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal bodies. These councils are designed to provide input on environmental policies that affect youth populations. Membership will range from 15 to 25 individuals between ages 16 and 29, ensuring representation across various regions and disadvantaged groups. They are required to meet at least once a year to review and make recommendations regarding climate change, pollution prevention, and related government performance. Each agency will appoint a federal officer to support the council’s work, and operational guidelines will promote transparency and the inclusion of the public. Funding of $250,000 per agency per year is authorized for fiscal years 2027 through 2037 to support these efforts.

This measure lists Rep. Maxwell Frost (Democrat-FL-10th District) as its sole sponsor.

Rep. Frost has introduced 20 additional bills since the session began.

There is a companion measure, S.4376, which entered the Senate on April 22, 2026. Congressional documents identify this as a related bill to H.R.8363.

Congressional bills can originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, except for bills on revenue, which must start in the House. Bills are referred to committees after introduction, where they may be the subject of hearings, potential amendments, and debate before possible votes in each chamber. For legislation to reach the president, both chambers must approve the same text. The president can sign the bill into law or veto it. Congress serves in two-year terms, which are numbered sequentially and split into two yearly sessions. Congress.gov houses both the legislative process outline and official bill records.

Maxwell Frost represents Florida as a Democrat in the U.S. House. He was first elected to the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress on Jan. 3, 2023, and was reelected for the following term. He graduated from Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee and attended Valencia College in Orlando.

Information in this article was obtained from the U.S. Congress. The source data can be found here.