Sponsors (11)
The bill provides near-term, targeted federal funding and clearer priorities to advance regional water research and reuse solutions, but it imposes mandated priorities and a set-aside that can reduce local flexibility and is only authorized through FY2029, creating funding and planning uncertainty for some local projects.
State and local water agencies, regional water managers, and research institutes receive stable new federal funding ($16 million per year for FY2026–FY2029) to support water research and planning.
Interstate coalitions, regional managers, and communities with cross-boundary water issues gain dedicated support because at least 20% of annual funds must target interstate/regional water problems.
Researchers and grant applicants benefit from clearer, more transparent eligible research priorities (regional problems, Secretary-and-institute priorities, and Congress-identified issues), which improves predictability for proposals.
Institutes, state and local governments, and utilities may see reduced flexibility and possible loss of support for locally urgent projects if mandated priorities or narrowed research eligibility (from Secretary/institute and Congress-identified priorities) override local needs.
The 20% set-aside for interstate/regional problems reduces the share of the annual $16M available for single-state or local research priorities, potentially limiting funding for some local projects.
Appropriations are only authorized for FY2026–FY2029, creating significant uncertainty for longer-term research programs and planning beyond 2029 if Congress does not reauthorize funding.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes $16M/year (FY2026–FY2029) for water research institutes and requires a 20% annual set‑aside for interstate water research while clarifying eligible categories and grant rules.
Official title: To amend the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to reauthorize the water resources research and technology institutes program, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 9, 2026 by Robert J. Wittman · Last progress March 9, 2026
Authorizes $16 million per year for FY2026–FY2029 for water resources research and technology institutes and amends the Water Resources Research Act purpose language. It directs that 20% of the annual authorized funds be set aside each year for research focused on interstate water problems, clarifies eligible research categories, revises cost‑share and competitive grant language, and restructures cross‑references and internal organization of the statute.