Sponsors
Introduced February 12, 2025 by Brian Jeffrey Mast · Last progress February 12, 2025
The bill increases federal support and cost‑share flexibility for nature‑based restoration of impaired waters—helping states and communities improve water quality and habitat—while creating additional federal spending, eligibility limits that may leave some projects uncompensated or rule out engineered options, and added administrative work for states.
State and local governments gain access to federal funding and may count allocated funds toward non‑Federal cost shares, reducing the additional state/local cash needed to carry out restoration projects on impaired waters under the Clean Water Act.
Local communities (including rural and urban areas) benefit from support for nature‑based restoration (wetlands, living shorelines, estuarine restoration) that can improve water quality, habitat, recreation, and property values, and EPA coordination increases the likelihood projects meet federal priorities and technical standards.
Taxpayers could face increased federal spending to fund eligible restoration projects, creating additional budgetary outlays without a specified appropriation amount or clear fiscal offset.
Local and state governments that recently completed or fully funded eligible projects may be ineligible for reimbursement, leaving recent local investments uncompensated.
Limiting eligible support toward natural hydrological solutions may exclude engineered or other infrastructure treatments that some communities prefer or need, constraining local planning and adaptation options.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires SCORPs to identify 303(d) impaired waters and allows the Interior to fund nature-based water-quality projects that restore hydrology and reduce nutrient loads.
Adds water-quality requirements to Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORPs) and authorizes the Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance for certain water-quality restoration projects. States must identify waters listed as impaired under Clean Water Act section 303(d) in their SCORPs and may propose projects to address those impairments. Defines eligible “water quality projects” as those listed in a State water quality control plan to restore 303(d) waters, allows the Secretary to fund projects that restore or improve natural hydrological systems (wetlands, marshes, living shorelines, near-shore estuarine waters, or similar natural features to reduce nutrient loads), requires consultation with EPA, permits State funds to count toward non‑Federal cost shares, and places limits so funds cannot reimburse completed or fully funded projects and do not expand Federal regulatory authority over nonnavigable waters or authorize the Secretary to regulate project conduct.