Sponsors (2)
The bill channels multi-year federal funding toward nature-based restoration and water-quality improvements in the Ohio River Basin—boosting community resilience, recreation, and Tribal participation—while increasing federal spending and posing risks of funding overlap and unequal access for smaller local entities.
Residents and communities throughout the Ohio River Basin will receive coordinated federal funding and grants to improve water quality, benefiting drinking water safety and recreational access.
Communities in the basin will gain increased resilience to floods and storms because restoration projects will prioritize nature-based, non-structural solutions that reduce damage and protect infrastructure.
Tribal governments are explicitly included in planning and advisory roles, increasing Tribal involvement in projects that affect Tribal lands and resources.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending tied to the program—about $350 million per year from FY2027–FY2031—raising the federal budget burden over that period.
Emphasizing nature-based, non-structural solutions could limit funding for traditional hard infrastructure projects (e.g., navigation and conventional flood control) that some communities and workers expect.
Federal grants and transfers could overlap or duplicate existing state or Army Corps projects if coordination is imperfect, wasting resources and reducing program effectiveness.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 5, 2026 by John Karl Fetterman · Last progress February 5, 2026
Creates an EPA Ohio River Basin Restoration Program to coordinate federal, state, tribal, and local efforts to improve water quality, restore habitat, control invasive species, remediate toxic pollution, expand public access, and strengthen monitoring and outreach across the Ohio River Basin. The bill requires an EPA program office and director, a basin-wide advisory council, measurable goals within one year, an action plan within two years, five-year updates, authority to make grants and enter interagency agreements, and a separate budget line item. Authorizes $350,000,000 per year for FY2027 through FY2031 for program activities and requires public reporting of the action plan and annual reports to Congress and the public.