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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-FLO26683-4K8-G6-R1R"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>104 S5352 IS: Desalination Reauthorization Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-08-06</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>119th CONGRESS</congress><session>2d Session</session><legis-num>S. 5352</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20260806">August 6, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S413">Mr. Padilla</sponsor> (for himself and <cosponsor name-id="S287">Mr. Cornyn</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSEG00">Committee on Energy and Natural Resources</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and the Water Desalination Act of 1996 to reauthorize certain desalination programs, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body><section id="S1" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Desalination Reauthorization Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="ida3ec2460adde431d84aefc7272241aa8"><enum>2.</enum><header>Desalination program reauthorization</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3d2190c809ed448d88b034393166083d"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Duration</header><text>Section 4013 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/390b">43 U.S.C. 390b</external-xref> note; <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/114/322">Public Law 114–322</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1278450960ac4defad94f439bdc8ef3b"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking <quote>its enactment</quote> and inserting <quote>enactment of this Act</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id514a176fb3de4d888739bcccded81bd9"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (1), by striking <quote>the date of its enactment; and</quote> and inserting <quote>that date of enactment;</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0ee1f0e04fa74b7d927563a95dc5d76e"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in paragraph (2), by striking <quote>in sections 4007, 4009(a), and 4009(c).</quote> and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id2a644f0bf26b4d83b29a437c53a111a7"><text>under section 4007 or the amendment made by section 4009(c); and</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3a6dc55c2c9f4096ad0d9365dd987c3c"><enum>(3)</enum><text>projects carried out under paragraph (2) of section 4(a) of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/10301">42 U.S.C. 10301</external-xref> note; <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/104/298">Public Law 104–298</external-xref>) (as amended by section 4009(a)), which shall expire on the date that is 15 years after that date of enactment.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8bf35a08613e435b80009cdd8e1d32d0"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Desalination demonstration and development</header><text>Section 4(a)(2) of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/10301">42 U.S.C. 10301</external-xref> note; <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/104/298">Public Law 104–298</external-xref>) is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id942b0501f47347e996c93a8711f63c87"><subparagraph id="ida28040d9ad9f4387a7cc2e07bbd82413"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Definition of eligible desalination project</header><text>In this paragraph, the term <term>eligible desalination project</term> means a project—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfa5cb68e92e04a4eb076a91e6f38020f"><enum>(i)</enum><subclause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id918b7ede25774bdaa08046073813ba1f"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">that is located in a Reclamation State; or</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id85c5b4c2ad1a41a79c434cb0a0c82bdd" indent="up1"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the construction, operation, sponsorship, or funding of which is the responsibility of, and the primary water supply benefit of which accrues to, 1 or more entities in a Reclamation State;</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id6877672b37ec42d796bd8ea0320b0703"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>that involves an ocean or brackish water desalination facility—</text><subclause id="id65f018ec14e3463bb8534d53a21d7954"><enum>(I)</enum><text>constructed, operated, and maintained by a State, Indian Tribe, irrigation district, water district, or other organization with water or power delivery authority; or</text></subclause><subclause id="id3dd6da645d8346c8bdffe968de812017"><enum>(II)</enum><text>sponsored or funded by any combination of a State, department of a State, political subdivision of a State, or public agency organized pursuant to State law, including through direct sponsorship or funding of not less than 25 percent of the planning, design, and construction costs of the project, including through in-kind contributions; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id949fb23a0b024d428fbaea6994628edb"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>that provides a Federal benefit in accordance with the reclamation laws (including regulations).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idf76a82ec442447bf88a58cda843c3268"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Participation by Secretary</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide5088a62352540ecb640f60c83939488"><enum>(i)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text>Subject to the requirements of this subsection, the Secretary may participate in an eligible desalination project in an amount equal to not more than 25 percent of the total cost of the eligible desalination project.</text></clause><clause id="idc524519a77af4d2ab0b9261e470c6412"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>No project cost cap</header><text>The Secretary shall not impose any dollar limitation on participation in an eligible desalination project under this subparagraph.</text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id68ce0e9125ca408c9f2d5fe3fa13576e"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Desalination research program</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 3 of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/10301">42 U.S.C. 10301</external-xref> note; <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/104/298">Public Law 104–298</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0e5846d633174db4b93e9c7e60a32850"><subsection id="idb3d5c88581d1469e8db840fe486a6fc5"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Advanced pilot technology grants</header><paragraph id="idf9fb9a0331674443bbbea133b38cc329"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>In order to validate the effective performance of innovations in desalination technologies, including the technologies described in this section, the Secretary shall provide grants on a competitive basis for the development and operation of advanced pilot desalination technologies and first-of-a-kind systems in realistic operating environments for purposes of establishing technical feasibility and validating the technical performance and levelized cost of processes for—</text><subparagraph id="id58c22c000ded4a8ba5ebff2a3c6f5868"><enum>(A)</enum><text>converting saline water, brackish water, seawater, or wastewater into usable water; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idc405aa5dca1e43c7991213ab6b07d503"><enum>(B)</enum><text>cost-effectively treating, managing, or disposing of brine discharges.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ide4a81b0d929645d49cc43b3ffa7a6254"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Technoeconomic analyses</header><text>In administering grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that all advanced pilot system studies include rigorous and quantitative technoeconomic analyses in order to estimate the levelized cost of water produced by those systems at full scale.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcd5fdd4836214325b211d4b312846719"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Engagement of others; prioritization</header><text>Subsections (c) and (e) shall apply to grants provided under this subsection.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="idb348b9f6e4bb44a6b31f519ceea5d038"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Cost sharing</header><text>Section 7 of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/10301">42 U.S.C. 10301</external-xref> note; <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/104/298">Public Law 104–298</external-xref>) is amended, in the first sentence, by striking <quote>study, or</quote> and inserting <quote>study, advanced pilot, or</quote>.</text></subsection></section></legis-body></bill>

