[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2662-H2665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICAN WATER STEWARDSHIP ACT
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6422) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to
reauthorize certain EPA geographic programs, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6422
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 ``American Water Stewardship
Act''.
SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE.
Section 118(c)(7)(J)(i)(VI) of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1268(c)(7)(J)(i)(VI)) is amended by
striking ``fiscal year 2026'' and inserting ``each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2031''.
SEC. 3. LONG ISLAND SOUND.
Section 119(h) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
(33 U.S.C. 1269(h)) is amended by striking ``2023'' and
inserting ``2031''.
SEC. 4. COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN RESTORATION.
Section 123(d)(6) of the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act (33 U.S.C. 1275(d)(6)) is amended by striking ``and
2021'' and inserting ``through 2031''.
SEC. 5. SAN FRANCISCO BAY RESTORATION PROGRAM.
Section 125 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1276a) is amended--
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(1) in the section heading, by striking ``grant''; and
(2) in subsection (e)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Grant
Program'' and inserting ``Program Implementation'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or other means to State
and local agencies, special districts, and public or
nonprofit agencies'' and inserting ``interagency agreements,
contracts, or other funding mechanisms to Federal, State, and
local agencies, special districts, public or nonprofit
agencies, and other public or private entities''; and
(C) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) Maximum amount.--Amounts provided for a project,
activity, or study under this section shall not exceed an
amount that is equal to 75 percent of the total cost of such
project, activity, or study.
``(3) Assistance to non-federal entities.--Not less than 25
percent of the cost of any project, activity, or study
carried out using amounts provided to a non-Federal entity
under this section shall be provided from non-Federal
sources.''.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking ``and Pensacola
and Perdido Bays, Florida'' and inserting ``Pensacola and
Perdido Bays, Florida; and Mississippi Sound, Mississippi'';
and
(2) in subsection (i)(1), in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A), by striking ``2026'' and inserting
``2031''.
(b) Ineligibility With Respect to Fiscal Years 2026 and
2027.--With respect to the amendment made by subsection
(a)(1), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency may not use for the implementation of that amendment,
including, with respect to Mississippi Sound, Mississippi,
convening a management conference, developing or carrying out
a comprehensive conservation and management plan, or
providing grants under section 320 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330)--
(1) any amounts appropriated to carry out the national
estuary program under that section for fiscal year 2026; or
(2) unless the total amount appropriated to carry out that
program for fiscal year 2027 is at least $850,000 more than
the total amount appropriated to carry out that program for
fiscal year 2024, any amounts appropriated to carry out that
program for fiscal year 2027.
SEC. 7. COASTAL RECREATION WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND
NOTIFICATION.
(a) In General.--
(1) Program development and implementation grants.--Section
406 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.
1346) is amended--
(A) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(I) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(II) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
(III) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) in the case of a State that uses such grant to
identify specific sources of contamination pursuant to
paragraph (5), any data relating to such identified sources
of contamination; and''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Identification of specific sources of
contamination.--A State or local government receiving a grant
under this subsection may use such grant to identify specific
sources of contamination for coastal recreation waters
adjacent to beaches or similar points of access that are used
by the public.''; and
(B) in subsection (i), by striking ``2001 through 2005''
and inserting ``2026 through 2031''.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 8 of the
Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of
2000 (Public Law 106-284; 114 Stat. 877) is amended by
striking ``2001 through 2005'' and inserting ``2026 through
2031''.
(b) Coastal Recreation Waters Defined.--Section
502(21)(A)(ii) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1362(21)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking ``(including
coastal estuaries)'' and inserting ``(including coastal
estuaries, the mouths of rivers and streams, nearby shallow
waters, and waters present on beaches)''.
(c) Guidance.--In providing guidance to States and local
governments receiving grants under section 406 of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1346), the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall
ensure that such guidance reflects innovations in testing
technologies for water contamination.
SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.
No Federal funds made available for any of fiscal years
2026 through 2031 to carry out section 118, 119, 123, 125,
320, or 406 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act may be
provided to any non-Federal entity--
(1) that is domiciled in, headquartered in, or organized
under the laws of, or the principal place of business of
which is located in, a foreign country of concern (as defined
in section 10638 of the Research and Development,
Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19237)); or
(2) for projects conducted with a foreign country of
concern.
SEC. 9. GEOGRAPHIC PROGRAM REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a
report on EPA geographic programs.
(b) Required Evaluation.--In preparing the report required
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall include
an evaluation, with respect to each EPA geographic program,
of--
(1) the management of funds, including the efficiency and
effectiveness of program operations and the use of Federal
funds;
(2) the progress towards achieving program purposes, goals,
and objectives, including the status of program goals and
objectives and the extent to which the program has
demonstrated measurable outcomes;
(3) obstacles to program success or progress;
(4) the efficacy of coordination with other Federal, State,
Tribal, and local programs and actions, including whether
there is any duplication of efforts among such programs and
actions; and
(5) the ethics policies and practices of the office of the
Environmental Protection Agency responsible for implementing
the program.
(c) Recommendations.--The Comptroller General shall include
in the report required under subsection (a) recommendations,
as appropriate, to improve EPA geographic program efficiency,
accountability, and effectiveness in achieving program
purposes, goals, and objectives.
(d) EPA Geographic Program Defined.--In this section, the
term ``EPA geographic program'' means--
(1) the Chesapeake Bay Program under section 117 of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1267);
(2) the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under section
118 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.
1268);
(3) the Long Island Sound program under section 119 of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269);
(4) the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program under
section 120 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1270);
(5) the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program under
section 121 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1273);
(6) the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program under
section 123 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1275);
(7) the San Francisco Bay Restoration Program under section
125 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.
1276a);
(8) the Puget Sound program under section 126 of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1276b);
(9) the Gulf of America Program carried out by the
Administrator;
(10) the South Florida Program carried out by the
Administrator; or
(11) the Southeast New England Program carried out by the
Administrator.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Taylor) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 6422, as
amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 6422, as amended, reauthorizes several
longstanding EPA programs through fiscal year 2031, including the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Long Island Sound Program, the
Colombia River Basin Restoration Program, the National Estuary Program,
and the BEACH Act Program, among others.
{time} 1710
It also includes strong oversight provisions, requiring the GAO to
study the management, effectiveness, and ethical practices of these and
additional EPA geographic programs and report back to Congress.
Additionally, the programs included in H.R. 6422 have bipartisan
support. This legislation includes the ESTUARIES Act, which would
reauthorize the National Estuary Program that helps local communities
protect important estuaries and improve water quality, and the BEACH
Act, which would reauthorize a program that helps local communities
keep Americans recreating in coastal waters, safe from diseases and
pollution.
I am proud to say that these bills were previously reported out of
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with strong bipartisan
support and that H.R. 6422 was approved by voice vote.
Madam Speaker, it is our constituents on the ground who know what is
best for their communities. Reauthorizing these programs will continue
to empower them to address water quality and pollution issues where
they live,
[[Page H2664]]
yielding better results for all Americans.
Madam Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 6422, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6422, the American Water
Stewardship Act, as amended, a bipartisan bill that combines several
standalone bills that all have broad support.
I am proud to have sponsored the ESTUARIES Act, which reauthorizes
the National Estuary Program and is included in section 6 of this bill.
The National Estuary Program is an important resource supporting
locally led efforts to restore and protect the environmental health of
estuaries of national significance, one of which is in my district and
my hometown, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program.
H.R. 6422, as amended, reauthorizes several other EPA programs that
have strong bipartisan support due to their proven success. The Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative covers a wide geographic area and works to
protect and restore the country's largest source of freshwater.
Other programs include the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program,
as well as the BEACH Act, which Representative Pallone has championed
for years.
I, again, recognize my Democratic committee colleagues,
Representatives McDonald Rivet, Scholten, Sykes, Gillen, Hoyle,
Brownley, Pappas, Huffman, Moulton, Pou, and Norton--there are a lot of
us--for their leadership on this comprehensive package, and my
Republican colleagues, as well.
Reauthorizing each of these EPA programs will allow them the Federal
support that they need to continue the comprehensive, complex work that
they do locally to restore and protect local aquatic ecosystems.
The health of our water resources supports the health of our
communities by providing flood protection, storing clean water, and
supporting our water-based economies.
Madam Speaker, I support the American Water Stewardship Act, as
amended, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).
Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, my legislation, the American Water
Stewardship Act, is a comprehensive package that brings together six
standalone bills to reauthorize and strengthen key EPA water quality
and ecosystem restoration programs.
The package includes the BEACH Act, introduced by Representatives
David Joyce, Frank Pallone, David Rouzer, and Emilia Sykes, which
supports coastal water monitoring and helps local communities to
protect public health.
It also reauthorizes the National Estuary Program, championed by
Representatives Figures and Mast, that protects and restores the water
quality of estuaries of national significance.
The package also reauthorizes several geographic programs with strong
track records, including the Long Island Sound program, led by
Representative LaLota, and the Columbia River Basin Restoration
Program, led by Representative Hoyle.
Most important to me, however, is that this bill reauthorizes the
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative has long been championed by Representative David Joyce of
Ohio, as well as many other Members of the Great Lakes region.
I have always appreciated working with such a strong bipartisan group
of Members to ensure that this important program is recognized,
reauthorized, and well funded.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, or the GLRI, represents the
largest Federal investment in the Great Lakes, which are vitally
important to my home State of Minnesota.
The GLRI is the largest and, arguably, the most successful EPA
geographic program. Its work focuses on cleaning up the Great Lakes,
reducing pollution, addressing invasive species, and restoring critical
habitat for local species.
To date, more than 8,000 projects have been completed through the
GLRI, generating over $3 in economic activity for every $1 in Federal
investment. This is an incredible rate of return for a Federal program,
and it is just one of the reasons why I have strongly advocated for the
GLRI during my time here in Congress.
I would be remiss if I did not extend my gratitude to Congressman
David Joyce and all the other Great Lakes champions for their work on
this effort. I am happy we have found a legislative vehicle to move
this important program forward.
At its core, this package reflects a commonsense approach to water
stewardship, supporting community-led efforts, encouraging
collaboration, and demonstrating that responsible environmental
protection goes hand in hand with economic growth and fiscal
responsibility.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this package.
Mr. FIGURES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
To date, the National Estuary Program covers 28 unique coastal
habitats nationwide, and with passage of this, it would add another
one. The Columbia River Basin is one of our largest watersheds. The
Great Lakes are the largest system of fresh surface water in the world.
The Long Island Sound provides benefits to millions of residents in New
York and Connecticut, and it is habitat to more than 1,200
invertebrates, 170 species of fish, and dozens of species of migratory
birds.
These water bodies are worth protecting, and there are major
economic, recreational, and human health benefits to restoring them
all.
Further, as the weather warms up, I know we are all looking forward
to visiting our favorite beaches and coastal areas, which means that we
need to know that our coastal waters are safe from contaminants. This
bill pulls together reauthorizations of five critical programs, all of
which are broadly supported by Members on both sides of the aisle.
The bill provides these programs with 5 additional years of flat
funding and also ensures the GAO evaluates the continued success of
each of EPA's geographic programs. The American Water Stewardship Act
is just that: thoughtful stewardship of our most critical water
resources.
Madam Speaker, I support this bill, as amended, and I urge my
colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 6422, the American Water Stewardship Act, is an
important bipartisan bill that will empower local communities to
continue to take the lead on improving water quality in coastal areas,
as well as to ensure strong oversight of these EPA programs by
Congress.
I thank Mr. Stauber and Ms. McDonald Rivet for their leadership on
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as
Representatives Joyce, Larsen, Figures, Rouzer, Sykes, Huffman,
Bonamici, LaLota, Pallone, Ezell, Scholten, Mast, Haridopolos, and
Hoyle for their leadership on specific initiatives contained within
H.R. 6422.
Madam Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of
legislation before the House today reauthorizing the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative or GLRI.
The Great Lakes form the largest surface freshwater system on Earth.
More than 30 million people live in the Great Lakes basin and their
daily activities directly affect these bodies of water.
One of my top priorities as a member of Congress has been, and
remains, ensuring that we protect the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes face
numerous challenges, including the growing threat from invasive
species, ongoing development, and pollution of the waters by toxic
chemicals.
That is why I have consistently supported programs like the GLRI
which address some of the most pressing issues facing the Great Lakes.
Created by President Obama, the GLRI has helped focus federal efforts
and funds on the threats facing the Great Lakes. Just in my home state
of Wisconsin, more than $962 million through the GLRI, has made over
1,300 projects possible throughout the Great Lakes basin.
The GLRI is helping protect our environment while driving our
economy. Businesses are opening up again along or near waterways
[[Page H2665]]
that have long been neglected. The reduction of beneficial use
impairments are allowing fisherman and others to return to areas that
for a long time have been off limits.
Among the greatest strengths of this initiative has been its strong
bipartisan support. Members of the region from both sides of the aisle
have rallied to this program. And it has been effective. For example,
since its creation, work around the U.S. Areas of Concerns--or AOC's--
has accelerated. These areas are the focus of comprehensive cleanup and
restoration efforts because they have been seriously degraded by
pollution and contaminants.
As of October 2025, eight AOCs have been delisted and an additional
nine AOCs have completed all management actions necessary for
delisting. I know that work is happening at the AOC in my district, the
Milwaukee Estuary, which I hope will soon join that list. Industrial
activities have caused toxic pollution to accumulate in the sediments
at the bottom of over 12 miles of Milwaukee's rivers and the Lake
Michigan harbor. The GLRI supported cleanup will improve public health
and safety, provide clean water, bring back healthy fish and wildlife,
and enhance economic and recreational opportunities for residents and
visitors alike.
The GLRI is scheduled to expire at the end of 2026 and it is clear
that we can't afford to lose the progress or stop the momentum it has
unleashed across the Great Lakes region.
I support the reauthorization of this program through FY 2031.
I am disappointed that this legislation does not, however, include an
increase in the authorized funding level to $500 million. Failing to
make the necessary investments in restoring and protecting the Great
Lakes will cost us much more in the long run. Trust me.
I know that this oversight doesn't signal a lack of resolve on my
part to keep fighting for the highest possible funding for this program
each year.
I urge support of this legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 6422, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. TAYLOR. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________