The Healthy H2O Act (S 2436) creates a federal grant program to help rural households, renters, small multi-unit property owners (up to 25 units), and licensed child-care facilities with contaminated drinking water. It provides funding for certified point-of-use or point-of-entry water filters, installation by qualified professionals, maintenance, and water testing - targeting contaminants like lead, arsenic, PFAS, and hexavalent chromium. Grants are limited to households with income below 150% of their state’s rural median income and prioritize private well users. The program requires third-party certification for products and installers, mandates annual reporting on water quality trends, and allocates $10 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2030.
S 2270 designates approximately 34 miles of the Myakka River in Sarasota County, Florida, as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, dividing it into eight segments classified as scenic, wild, or recreational. The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to manage the river through cooperative agreements with Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, Sarasota County, and cities like Venice and North Port, while working with the existing Myakka River Management Coordinating Council. It prohibits land acquisition through condemnation and ensures local management authority under Florida law (section 258.501) remains intact. The designation directly affects landowners, local governments, and conservation efforts within the river's watershed, aiming to protect the river's natural and recreational values.
HR 6204 extends funding authorization for large-scale water recycling projects by changing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's Section 40905(k) from a 5-year to a 10-year period. This procedural bill directly affects existing water recycling projects currently funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58). The key provision is simply the extension of the authorization period, providing longer-term stability for these projects without creating new programs or altering eligibility.
This bill amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund program to allow federal funding for state-led water quality projects. It requires states to identify impaired water bodies under federal water law and include proposed restoration projects in their outdoor recreation plans. Funds can now support specific restoration efforts like wetlands, marshes, and living shorelines to improve water quality, but cannot reimburse completed projects or expand federal regulation over waterways. The bill directly affects states developing recreation plans and implementing water quality restoration under existing federal programs.
This bill extends federal funding for Long Island Sound restoration programs through 2029. It reauthorizes two key grant programs: the Long Island Sound Grants (under the Clean Water Act) and the Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants (under the 2006 Stewardship Act), both now covering 2025-2029 instead of 2019-2023. The primary mechanism is simply updating the funding period in existing law, ensuring continued support for state and local projects focused on water quality, habitat restoration, and ecosystem health in the Sound. This directly affects states (Connecticut and New York) and local communities receiving these grants to address pollution and protect the Sound's environment.
This bill establishes the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve water quality, restore ecosystems, and enhance resilience across the Ohio River Basin. It directly affects the 14 states in the basin (including Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania) and Tribal Governments within the region, authorizing $350 million annually from 2027-2031 for projects. Key mechanisms include creating an EPA Program Office led by a Director, requiring measurable goals for water quality and habitat restoration, and mandating public reporting on progress, projects, and funding. The program prioritizes natural infrastructure solutions, such as restoring wetlands and floodplains, and requires collaboration with states, tribes, and existing regional bodies like the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission.
This bill reauthorizes existing federal grant programs focused on restoring and stewarding the Long Island Sound through 2029. It extends the funding period for two key programs: the Long Island Sound Grants (under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act) and the Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants (under the 2006 Stewardship Act), changing their authorization from 2019-2023 to 2025-2029. These grants directly support states (Connecticut and New York), local governments, and non-profits working on water quality, habitat restoration, and public education projects in the Sound. The bill makes no new policy changes but continues current funding mechanisms for these established environmental programs.
This bill amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to strengthen federal efforts addressing harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia across marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. It establishes a new Task Force required to develop a comprehensive Action Strategy every five years, examining causes, ecological impacts, and economic consequences of HABs in diverse environments including the Great Lakes, coastal waters, and freshwater systems. The bill authorizes $19.5 million annually for NOAA and $8 million annually for the EPA (fiscal years 2026-2030) to implement these provisions, creates a national monitoring network for HABs, and establishes an incubator program to develop innovative prevention strategies. It mandates consultation with states, tribes, local governments, and affected industries like fisheries and agriculture to address HABs impacts on public health, ecosystems, and communities.
The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025 increases federal funding for cleaning up contaminated properties (brownfields) in communities. It raises the per-site remediation grant from $500,000 to $1,000,000 and boosts annual funding from $200 million to $250 million, covering fiscal years 2026 through 2030 instead of 2019-2023. The bill also updates state programs to allow them to implement new revitalization strategies beyond just enhancing existing efforts. This directly affects communities with abandoned industrial sites and state environmental agencies managing cleanup projects. The changes aim to accelerate redevelopment of underutilized properties by providing more stable, long-term funding.
The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act establishes two new programs to address water pollution in the Tijuana River and New River watersheds, which flow across the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to create action plans, develop priority project lists, and coordinate funding with Mexican entities to improve water quality through natural infrastructure, stormwater management, and water reuse projects. It authorizes $50 million annually from 2026-2036 for these programs to address chronic pollution issues affecting communities like Imperial Beach and San Diego, which have experienced beach closures due to sewage and contaminants flowing from Mexico. The legislation emphasizes collaboration between U.S. and Mexican governments, including the International Boundary and Water Commission, to manage transboundary water quality concerns.
