Sponsors (3)
The bill lets post-disaster restorations exceed pre-disaster conditions to improve resilience and reduce future damages for communities and farms, but it raises the risk of higher federal costs, more administrative burden, and uncertainty for landowners about what will be approved.
Watersheds and downstream communities will gain improved long-term flood protection and water quality when post-disaster restoration is allowed to exceed pre-disaster conditions.
Farmers and landowners will experience reduced future damage to property and crops from stronger, more resilient land and water infrastructure enabled by higher-standard restorations.
State and local governments will face fewer repeated recovery costs because restorative upgrades that increase resilience can be approved after disasters.
Taxpayers could face higher federal or program costs if allowing restorations above pre-disaster conditions increases spending or diverts funds from other programs.
State and local governments may encounter additional administrative complexity and project delays as agencies assess whether upgrades are in the 'best interest' of watershed health before approving projects.
Farmers, homeowners, and landowners could face uncertainty about what restoration will be approved under a vague 'best interest' standard, complicating planning and insurance claims.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Gives the Secretary of Agriculture authority to allow post-disaster restoration that exceeds pre-disaster conditions when it benefits long-term watershed health.
Introduced September 10, 2025 by Zach Nunn · Last progress September 10, 2025
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to allow restoration after natural disasters to go beyond pre-disaster conditions when doing so is in the best interest of long-term watershed health and protection. The change amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to give the Secretary explicit discretion to approve restorations that improve watershed resilience rather than simply returning land to its prior state. The amendment is limited to granting authority and does not itself appropriate funds or create a new program; implementation would rely on existing USDA authorities and any guidance the Secretary issues about when and how above-pre-disaster restoration is permitted.