A bill to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3732 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3732

 To amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to
authorize assistance under the storage program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 29, 2026

 Mr. Gallego (for himself, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to
authorize assistance under the storage program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Water Security and Drought
Resilience Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR STORAGE PROGRAM.

    Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the
Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b note; Public Law 114-322) is amended by
striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
    ``(d) Authority To Provide Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior may
        provide financial assistance under this subtitle to carry out
        projects within any Reclamation State.
            ``(2) Additional project.--Notwithstanding subsection (i)
        or section 4013, any project for which a feasibility study is
        authorized under subsection (a)(1)(B)(i) of section 40902 of
        the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3202)
        shall, pursuant to the construction funding requirements under
        subsection (a)(2) of that section, as applicable, be eligible
        for funding under this section.
            ``(3) Distribution among multiple reclamation states.--In
        providing financial assistance under this subtitle, the
        Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that the financial
        assistance is distributed among projects across multiple
        Reclamation States.''.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF SMALL STORAGE PROGRAM.

    (a) Eligibility and Selection.--Section 40903(b) of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraph (B) and
        inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Eligible projects.--A project shall be
                considered eligible for consideration for a grant under
                this section if the project--
                            ``(i)(I) has water storage capacity of not
                        less than 200 acre-feet and not more than
                        30,000 acre-feet; and
                            ``(II)(aa) increases surface water or
                        groundwater storage; or
                            ``(bb) conveys water, directly or
                        indirectly, to or from surface water or
                        groundwater storage; or
                            ``(ii)(I) has water storage capacity for
                        recharges of not less than 200 acre-feet and
                        not more than 150,000 acre-feet on an average
                        annual basis over the life of the project for
                        storage or use; and
                            ``(II)(aa) increases groundwater aquifer
                        storage;
                            ``(bb) conveys water, directly or
                        indirectly, to, or recovers water from,
                        groundwater storage;
                            ``(cc) both increases groundwater aquifer
                        storage and conveys water, directly or
                        indirectly, to or recovers water from
                        groundwater storage; and
                            ``(dd) stabilizes groundwater levels.'';
                        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) Distribution among multiple reclamation states.--In
        awarding grants to projects under this section, the Secretary
        shall ensure that grants are distributed across multiple
        Reclamation States.''.
    (b) Termination of Authority.--Section 40903 of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); and
            (2) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated), by striking
        ``5'' and inserting ``10''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations; Effect.--Section 40903 of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203) is amended by
inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $20,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2033.
    ``(f) Effect.--Nothing in this section--
            ``(1) supersedes or in any manner affects or conflicts with
        State water law, Federal water law, interstate compacts, or
        treaty obligations;
            ``(2) authorizes any acquisition of water by the Federal
        Government; or
            ``(3) supersedes or infringes on any water rights.''.

SEC. 4. NATURAL WATER RETENTION AND RELEASE PROJECT GRANTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a State, Indian Tribe, municipality, irrigation
                district, water district, wastewater district, or other
                organization with water or power delivery authority;
                    (B) a State, regional, or local authority, the
                members of which include 1 or more organizations with
                water or power delivery authority; or
                    (C) a qualified partner.
            (2) Natural water retention and release project.--The term
        ``natural water retention and release project'' means a project
        that is designed and developed to increase water availability
        for optimal management through aquifer recharge, floodplain
        retention, the alteration of the timing of runoff to allow
        increased utilization of existing storage facilities, or
        another mechanism that--
                    (A) uses primarily natural materials appropriate to
                the specific site and landscape setting;
                    (B) substantially mimics natural riverine, wetland,
                ecosystem, or hydrologic processes; and
                    (C) may include multiple distributed natural water
                retention and release projects across a watershed.
            (3) Qualified partner.--The term ``qualified partner''
        means a nonprofit organization operating in a Reclamation State
        that is acting with the written support of an eligible entity
        described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1).
            (4) Reclamation state.--The term ``Reclamation State'' has
        the meaning given the term in section 4014 of the Water
        Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b
        note; Public Law 114-322).
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
        of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of
        Reclamation.
    (b) Authorization for Grants.--The Secretary may award to an
eligible entity a grant for a natural water retention and release
project under this section, if--
            (1) in the case of a natural water retention and release
        project that costs not more than $20,000,000, the eligible
        entity demonstrates that the natural water retention and
        release project would help optimize the storage or delivery of
        water in a watershed in which a Bureau of Reclamation facility
        is located; and
            (2) in the case of a natural water retention and release
        project that costs more than $20,000,000--
                    (A) the requirements described in paragraph (1)
                have been met with respect to the natural water
                retention and release project; and
                    (B) the eligible entity determines, and the
                Secretary concurs, that--
                            (i) the natural water retention and release
                        project would produce or allow additional
                        retention or delivery of water in a watershed
                        in which a Bureau of Reclamation facility is
                        located; and
                            (ii) there is a credible estimate of the
                        quantity of the storage benefit of the natural
                        water retention and release project during each
                        of a wet year, a normal year, and a dry year.
    (c) Distribution Among Multiple Reclamation States.--In providing
grants for natural water retention and release projects under this
section, the Secretary shall ensure that grants are distributed across
multiple Reclamation States.
    (d) Federal Cost-Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a natural
water retention and release project provided a grant under this section
shall not exceed 90 percent of the total cost of the natural water
retention and release project.
    (e) Reimbursability.--Any Federal funds provided by the Secretary
to an eligible entity under this section shall be considered
nonreimbursable to the United States.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $15,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
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