Sponsors (2)
The bill directs federal IIJA funds to repair and replace aging Carey Act dams—improving rural water infrastructure and reducing safety risks for downstream communities—at the cost of diverting IIJA resources and potentially increasing taxpayer spending or delaying other projects.
Downstream residents and rural communities near Carey Act dams will face lower risk of dam failure because federal funding would support rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement of aging dams.
Rural communities that rely on Carey Act dams will get improved local water infrastructure (storage and delivery) through federal funds for major dam work.
Local governments, water districts, and utilities operating Carey Act dams can reduce their repair and capital costs by accessing federal funding for rehabilitation or replacement.
Taxpayers and communities waiting on other IIJA projects may see those projects delayed or receive less funding because funds under section 40901(2)(B) would be used for additional Carey Act dam projects.
Taxpayers could face higher federal spending or a re-prioritization of infrastructure dollars to cover expanded dam projects, increasing fiscal burden or shifting resources away from other priorities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows the Interior Secretary to use specified IIJA funds to rehabilitate, reconstruct, or replace operating Carey Act dams after already-eligible dams are funded and funds remain available.
Introduced April 2, 2025 by James Risch · Last progress April 2, 2025
Allows the Secretary of the Interior to use certain Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds to pay for rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement of Carey Act dams that are still functioning, but only after already-eligible dams have been funded and only if the specific IIJA funds remain available. The change reorganizes existing paragraphing and adds this explicit additional-projects authority without creating new appropriations.