The Methane Monitoring Science Act of 2026 directs NASA to develop a federal strategy for monitoring and detecting methane emissions within 18 months of the bill's enactment. NASA must work with other relevant federal agencies to create a comprehensive science-based strategy that evaluates current and future methane detection technologies, including ground-based, airborne, and satellite systems, with a focus on identifying large methane emission events and strengthening U.S. energy security. The strategy will be designed to help NASA plan future research activities and enable state and local governments, academic institutions, industry groups like oil and natural gas companies, and other organizations to use methane monitoring data and information. The bill explicitly states that this monitoring strategy does not grant NASA or other agencies any new enforcement powers over methane emissions, nor can the data collected be used to enforce environmental regulations that don't already exist.