The National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security Act of 2026 establishes a new Chief Resilience Officer within the National Security Council to lead federal efforts in preparing for natural hazards like wildfires, sea level rise, and drought. This official will create interagency working groups and a Partners Council on Resilience to coordinate with state, local, tribal, and private sector partners, ensuring that funding and resources prioritize the most vulnerable communities. The bill mandates the development of a National Resilience Strategy within two years, which must outline how federal agencies will reduce redundancies, improve disaster mitigation, and support infrastructure that can withstand environmental changes. Additionally, the act requires the creation of a central clearinghouse to share data and technical assistance, with all requirements set to expire after 10 years or upon the submission of a third assessment report.
The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct numerous feasibility studies and modify existing projects focused on flood risk management, coastal storm protection, navigation improvements, and ecosystem restoration across the United States. It establishes new grant programs and funding authorizations for the Environmental Protection Agency to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including specific provisions for small and disadvantaged communities, lead reduction, and cybersecurity resilience. The legislation also directs the EPA to create initiatives for water sector cybersecurity, combats plastic waste, and updates regulations regarding nonpotable aquifer use for industrial wells.
This bill establishes a pilot program to help local governments in large urban areas create and share better maps that show the risk of urban flooding, which includes water damage from heavy rain and overwhelmed drainage systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will award grants to up to 12 cities and stormwater authorities to develop technology-based tools that provide specific flood risk assessments for individual buildings and incorporate climate trends. Funding is available for fiscal years 2027 through 2030, with grants covering up to 75% of project costs and prioritizing communities that are highly vulnerable to sea-level rise or have populations facing socioeconomic challenges. Recipients must complete their projects within 18 months and submit reports on their progress and lessons learned to the agency and Congress.
This bill, known as the Doug LaMalfa Sacramento River Basin Water Security and Reliability Act of 2026, aims to improve water management and environmental health in California's Sacramento River Basin by extending deadlines and funding specific restoration efforts. It extends the timeline for completing feasibility studies for federal water storage projects until 2041 and authorizes the federal government to contribute up to 50 percent of the costs for operating and maintaining state-led storage projects that provide public benefits like flood control and ecosystem improvements. The legislation also allocates $500 million over ten years for habitat restoration, fish passage improvements, and scientific monitoring to support endangered species such as Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Additionally, the bill establishes a new Federal Leadership Committee to coordinate between various government agencies and state partners to accelerate the implementation of water and habitat projects. Finally, it allows water sellers to keep revenue from temporary water transfers to invest in dam safety, drought resilience, or extraordinary maintenance, provided unused funds are returned to the federal reclamation fund after a decade.
This bill establishes the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area as a unit of the National Park System to protect the natural, cultural, and recreational resources along the Texas Gulf Coast. The area would be created only after the Secretary of the Interior acquires sufficient land through voluntary means such as donations, purchases from willing sellers, or exchanges, with no use of condemnation. A new partnership involving federal, state, local, and private stakeholders will develop a management plan that coordinates activities across both federally owned lands and participating private or state lands. The legislation ensures that private landowners retain their rights and that existing economic activities like hunting, fishing, and oil and gas operations continue without new regulations, while allowing the National Park Service to provide technical assistance and interpretive services.
The Federal Flood Risk Management Act of 2026 requires federal agencies to evaluate and manage flood risks when planning, building, or funding projects in floodplains. Under this law, agencies must use climate-informed science to determine flood zones and generally add a safety margin of two to three feet above standard flood levels to ensure structures remain safe over their intended lifetimes. The bill mandates that agencies consider nature-based solutions to avoid building in flood-prone areas, notify local governments and the public of proposed projects in these zones, and update their standards every five years based on new scientific data. Additionally, the act requires agencies to inform private parties about flood hazards before approving financial transactions for structures in at-risk areas and to report annually on how these new requirements affect their operations.
The Federal Flood Risk Management Act of 2026 requires federal agencies to evaluate and manage flood risks when undertaking projects in or affecting floodplains. Under this law, agencies must use climate-informed science to determine flood levels, adding a safety margin of two to three feet above current base flood elevations depending on the project's criticality. The bill mandates that federal construction and funding comply with a specific risk management standard, which includes elevating structures, preserving natural floodplain functions, and notifying the public of potential flood hazards. Federal agencies are also required to inform private parties about flood risks before approving financial transactions in vulnerable areas and must submit regular reports to Congress on how these new requirements are being implemented.
The Saving the OOI Act of 2026 directs the National Science Foundation to stop using federal money to shut down or reduce the scope of the Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments located off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and in the Irminger Sea. Instead, the bill requires the NSF to keep these ocean monitoring systems fully operational until a comprehensive review of the initiative is conducted with input from scientists and coastal communities. This legislation ensures that the existing network continues to function without interruption while the evaluation process takes place.
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 This bill provides FY2027 appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and several independent agencies. The bill provides appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, including for Investigations, Construction, Mississippi River and Tributaries, Operation and Maintenance, the Regulatory Program, Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies, Expenses, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program. The bill provides appropriations to the Department of the Interior for the Central Utah Project and the Bureau of Reclamation. The bill provides appropriations to DOE for energy programs, including Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation; Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response; Electricity; Nuclear Energy; Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy; Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves; the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve; the Energy Information Administration; Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup; the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund; Science; Nuclear Waste Disposal; the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy; the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program; the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program; the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program; Indian Energy Policy and Programs; Departmental Administration; and the Office of the Inspector General. The bill also provides appropriations to DOE for Atomic Energy Defense Activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Environmental and Other Defense Activities, and the Power Marketing Administrations. The bill provides appropriations to several independent agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
This bill establishes a pilot program to help local governments in large urban areas create better maps for urban flooding, which occurs when heavy rain overwhelms drainage systems in built-up areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide grants to eligible cities and stormwater authorities to develop easy-to-understand digital tools that show specific flood risks for individual buildings and factor in climate trends. Funding is available for up to 12 locations over several years, with a preference for communities that are highly vulnerable to flooding or sea-level rise, and recipients must share their results and lessons learned online with the public.
