Sponsor
Tammy Baldwin
Senator · D-WI
Senator · D-WI
Official title: Establish the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative to carry out projects for the protection and restoration of the Mississippi River Corridor, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 28, 2026 by Tammy Baldwin · Last progress July 28, 2026
The bill directs coordinated federal resources, science, and funding toward restoring the Mississippi River Corridor — improving water quality, resilience, Tribal participation, and scientific capacity — in exchange for new federal administrative costs, local matching requirements, potential impacts to private property and existing infrastructure, and some implementation and funding uncertainty.
Residents, anglers, and downstream communities along the Mississippi River Corridor (urban and rural) would see improved water quality, healthier fisheries, and reduced polluted runoff through coordinated, large-scale restoration and monitoring.
Property owners and municipalities in the corridor would gain greater resilience to floods and storms as projects restore floodplains, wetlands, and coastal habitats, lowering long‑term flood risk and disaster impacts.
State, Tribal, and local governments would get a coordinated federal partner (a National Program Office plus program planning) to align resources, target projects with science-based plans, and leverage funding across jurisdictions.
Private landowners, farmers, and homeowners could face permanent acquisition or conservation easements on targeted land, limiting property-use options and imposing long-term restrictions.
Taxpayers would likely shoulder new federal administrative costs to establish and operate a National Program Office, regional centers, forums, and planning processes.
Non‑federal project partners (municipalities, nonprofits, landowners) may need to provide up to 20% matching funds for many projects, straining local budgets or limiting smaller applicants' participation.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Establishes MRRRI, creates an EPA Mississippi River National Program Office and USGS-hosted research centers, and requires coordinated science and action plans for river restoration and resilience.
Creates the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (MRRRI), establishes a Mississippi River National Program Office within the Environmental Protection Agency, and authorizes a network of USGS-hosted Mississippi River Corridor Research Centers to coordinate federal, state, tribal, and local work to restore and increase resilience of the Mississippi River and its floodplain. The measure defines program terms, identifies participating federal agencies, requires development of action and science plans with regular updates and public input, and sets up monitoring, success metrics, and interagency coordination without directly appropriating funds in the text provided. The bill organizes research, monitoring, and program leadership: an EPA-based Program Office led by a Director located in a Mississippi River state, plus one national and two regional USGS-university research centers to carry out coordinated science and advise on monitoring and project impacts. It emphasizes collaboration across Federal, State, Tribal, and local partners and regular public engagement on science planning and performance measures.