Sponsors (27)
Official title: To establish the New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration Program, and for other purposes.
Introduced October 14, 2025 by Paul Tonko · Last progress October 14, 2025
The bill directs targeted, prioritized federal funding, grants, and technical assistance to restore habitat, water quality, and resilience in the New York–New Jersey watershed — especially for disadvantaged communities — at the cost of new federal spending, program geographic limits, potential advantages for well-resourced actors, and planning/administrative trade-offs including a sunset that creates future uncertainty.
State, local, Tribal, and watershed communities will receive steady federal funding and a dedicated grant program ($20M/year, 2026–2031) to support restoration and management projects.
Local governments, nonprofits, and disadvantaged communities gain competitive grants, strong technical assistance, and high federal cost-share (up to 90% and waivers to 100%), lowering financial barriers to implement restoration projects.
Overburdened and underserved neighborhoods are prioritized — the program explicitly incorporates environmental justice to direct investments and workforce development toward communities facing disproportionate pollution and vulnerability.
Taxpayers face new federal costs — the $20M/year appropriation (about $120M total 2026–2031) plus grants, studies, and administrative expenses will increase federal spending and budgetary obligations.
Competitive grants, broad 'approved plan' definitions, and Secretary discretion may favor well-resourced regional actors and listed partners, disadvantaging smaller community-led groups and local proposals.
The program's geographic scope is narrowly defined to the New York–New Jersey Harbor drainage, excluding adjacent communities with related water-quality issues from benefits and funding.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a coordinated watershed restoration program and competitive grant program for the New York–New Jersey Watershed and authorizes $20M/year for FY2026–FY2031.
Creates a coordinated, nonregulatory New York–New Jersey Watershed Restoration Program and a competitive grant program to fund restoration, water‑quality improvements, habitat protection, natural climate solutions, planning, monitoring, technical assistance, and community capacity building across the New York–New Jersey Watershed. Authorizes $20 million per year for FY2026–FY2031 (with at least 75% for grants), establishes cost‑share rules (higher federal shares for small, rural, or disadvantaged communities), requires annual reporting to Congress, and sunsets on October 1, 2031.