What it does.
S. 143 stops the Biden-era methane fee from being passed through to Kansas families on their winter heating bills. The fee was authorized by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and built out by the EPA in the Waste Emissions Charge rule. The bill repeals it in federal law so a future administration cannot re-impose it through regulation.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) leads the Senate bill; Doc is among 14 cosponsors. It is in committee.
On the regulatory side, the same fight has already produced a win: President Trump signed the Congressional Review Act resolution voiding the EPA's implementing rule on March 14, 2025. Doc cosponsored the Senate companion CRA. S. 143 codifies the repeal so it sticks.
Natural gas is the predominant home-heating fuel for Kansas households. The fee would have hit ratepayers across the state during the heating-season months when they are least able to absorb cost increases.