[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3257-S3258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6043. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1094. REAUTHORIZATION OF WATER PROGRAM.
(a) Reauthorization of Large-scale Water Recycling and
Reuse Program.--Section 40905 of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3205) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by inserting ``feasibility studies
and'' before ``the planning'';
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting
``for a feasibility study for the eligible project or''
before ``to an eligible project''; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``30'' and inserting
``60''; and
(3) in subsection (k)--
(A) by striking ``5 years'' and inserting ``10 years''; and
(B) by inserting ``, except for any project under
construction as of that termination date'' before the period
at the end.
(b) Reauthorization of Recycling Program and Environmental
Restoration Program, and Offset.--
(1) Reauthorization of water recycling and environmental
restoration programs, and offset.--Section 4013 of the Water
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (43 U.S.C.
390b note; Public Law 114-322) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``in'' and inserting
``under'';
[[Page S3258]]
(C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) section 4009(c) (including the amendments made by
that section), section 4010(b)(2), and subsections (a), (b),
(c), (d), and (f) of section 4011, which shall expire 15
years after that date of enactment; and''.
(2) Ceiling on federal share for water recycling
projects.--Section 1631(d)(1) of the Reclamation Wastewater
and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h-
13(d)(1)) is amended by striking ``$20,000,000 (October 1996
prices)'' and inserting ``$50,000,000 (in December 2025
prices, as automatically adjusted each January based on the
percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban
consumers (United States city average) over the previous
year, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics)''.
(3) Actions for benefit of endangered species, important
habitat, and water bodies.--Section 4010(b) of the Water
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (Public Law
114-322; 130 Stat. 1872) is amended by striking paragraph (2)
and inserting the following:
``(2) Actions for benefit of endangered species, important
habitat, and water bodies.--The Secretary of the Interior
(acting through the Commissioner) may undertake or enter into
cooperative agreements to support activities during the
period of fiscal years 2028 through 2032--
``(A) for the restoration of habitat or improvement of
conditions at the Great Salt Lake and other saline inland
lakes affected by the operation of the Central Utah Project
or Bureau of Reclamation water projects or deliveries;
``(B) for--
``(i) gravel and rearing area additions, fish passage
improvements, barrier removal, and habitat restoration to the
Sacramento River, its tributaries, or other rivers or river
basins affected by the operation of Bureau of Reclamation
facilities to benefit species listed as threatened or
endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including Chinook salmon and steelhead
trout;
``(ii) scientifically improved and increased real-time
monitoring to inform real-time operations of Bureau of
Reclamation facilities, and alternative methods, models, and
equipment to improve temperature modeling, science, and
monitoring to support flow benefits for fish species, and
related forecasted information for purposes of predicting
impacts to salmon, salmon habitat, species listed as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), or other species of concern as
a result of water management at Bureau of Reclamation
facilities;
``(iii) aquatic habitat restoration activities, including
floodplain reconnection and reactivation projects (such as
off-channel and managed floodplain inundation projects that
enhance biological productivity and food web support for
fish) that enhance the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation
to meet contractual obligations for water deliveries;
``(iv) fish hatchery modernization and construction
projects; and
``(v) structural or operational improvements, including
temperature control and associated facilities, necessary to
implement activities described in clauses (i) through (iv);
and
``(C) for planning, design, scientific studies, resource
and biological monitoring, environmental reviews, permitting,
construction, implementation, and adaptive management
associated with any of the activities described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B).''.
(c) Deauthorization of Inactive Projects Offset.--
(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this subsection are--
(A) to establish an efficient and transparent process for
deauthorizing Reclamation projects that have failed to
receive a minimum level of investment to ensure active
Reclamation projects can move forward while reducing the
backlog of authorized Reclamation projects; and
(B) to allow for exceptions for the deauthorization of
Reclamation projects under subparagraph (A) based on--
(i) action by Congress;
(ii) funding to completion by the non-Federal project
sponsor; or
(iii) a finding by the Secretary that certain Reclamation
projects should continue to be authorized to meet vitally
important needs of a State or the United States.
(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Reclamation project.--The term ``Reclamation project''
means a project that is--
(i) owned by the United States; and
(ii) constructed and operated under the direction of the
Bureau of Reclamation.
(B) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of
Reclamation).
(3) Interim deauthorization list.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives and make available on a publicly
accessible internet website in a manner that is downloadable,
searchable, and sortable--
(A) an interim deauthorization list of Reclamation
projects--
(i) that are authorized; and
(ii) for which funding was not obligated during the fiscal
year in which this Act is enacted or any of the preceding 7
fiscal years; and
(B) for each Reclamation project listed under subparagraph
(A)--
(i) the date of authorization of the Reclamation project,
including any subsequent modifications to the original
authorization;
(ii) a brief description of the Reclamation project;
(iii) the estimated cost of completion of the Reclamation
project; and
(iv) any remaining amounts authorized, but not
appropriated, for the Reclamation project.
(4) Final deauthorization list.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the interim deauthorization list is submitted under
paragraph (3), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and make
available on a publicly accessible internet website in a
manner that is downloadable, searchable, and sortable, a
final deauthorization list of all Reclamation projects
identified in the interim deauthorization list, other than
any Reclamation project--
(i) for which funding has been provided by an Act of
Congress after the date of submission of the interim
deauthorization list; or
(ii) that the Secretary excludes under subparagraph (B).
(B) Exclusions.--The Secretary may exclude from the final
deauthorization list under subparagraph (A) a Reclamation
project that the Secretary determines is vitally important
for the interests of the United States or a particular State,
based on consideration of the effects of the Reclamation
project on--
(i) public health and safety;
(ii) the economy; or
(iii) the environment.
(5) Deauthorization; congressional review.--Effective
beginning on the date that is 1 year after the date of
submission of the final deauthorization list under paragraph
(4), a Reclamation project included on the final
deauthorization list under that paragraph is deauthorized,
unless, prior to that date--
(A) a joint resolution disapproving the final
deauthorization report is enacted into law;
(B) funding for the Reclamation project has been provided
by an Act of Congress; or
(C) the non-Federal sponsor of the Reclamation project
provides sufficient funds to complete the Reclamation
project.
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