# 119-hr-8400: DATA Act of 2026

119-hr-8400, DATA Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] (R-AK); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8400
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8400
- Congress: 119
- Title: DATA Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-21
- Sponsor: Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] (R-AK)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

The DATA Act of 2026 would create a new utility type called a **consumer-regulated electric utility (CREU)** and let islanded, retail-focused systems operate outside most federal power rules. It targets service to new electric loads and keeps CREUs off the Bulk Electric System unless they choose to connect. - Households and businesses in newly developed or previously unserved locations could buy retail power from a CREU. Customers must be located on premises physically islanded from any regulated utility and receive service only through CREU facilities. - Federal regulators and regional grid operators would lose routine authority over CREUs for rates, reliability standards, interconnection, transmission planning, cost allocation, and merger or acquisition approvals. A CREU is not treated as a public utility or part of the Bulk Electric System unless it elects to connect. - Developers and owners could build, own, and operate generation, storage, transmission, distribution, and retail services for those new loads and use public rights-of-way. Right-of-way review is limited mainly to restoration and storm-response planning.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2] (R-TX), 2026-04-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4] (R-UT), 2026-04-21T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Federal exemption for new CREUs: mixed, medium. If enacted, this would exempt CREUs that begin operations after the law from most Federal regulation by FERC and the Department of Energy. The exemption would cover reliability standards under section 215, rate and transmission regulation, registration with the Electric Reliability Organization, an…
- New consumer-run electric utilities: mixed, medium. If enacted, this would create a new type of electric company called a consumer-regulated electric utility (CREU). CREUs would only be allowed if they are formed after the date of enactment and if they serve new electric loads not previously served by any retail electricity supplier. A CREU could bu…
- CREUs may use public rights-of-way: mixed, low. If enacted, this would let CREUs build and operate equipment in existing public rights-of-way. CREUs would have to follow the same permitting, public-safety, and right-of-way restoration rules that apply to public utilities. Local review of a CREU right-of-way application would be limited only to w…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- 119-hr-3518: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit graduate medical schools from receiving Federal financial assistance if such schools adopt certain polici…
- 119-hr-1181: Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act
- 119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8400 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8400)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-21)
- [119-hr-3518: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit graduate medical schools…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3518)
- [119-hr-1181: Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1181)
- [119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3277)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8400 (as of 2026-09-21).