Sponsor
David J. Taylor
Representative · R-OH
Representative · R-OH
The bill preserves and extends eligibility for USDA rural water grants through 2026–2031 to support planning and construction of water infrastructure, but creates a 2019–2026 statutory coverage gap and may increase federal spending to finance the extension.
Rural communities and local governments keep eligibility for USDA water and wastewater grants through 2026–2031, supporting continued planning, construction, and access to safer drinking water and sewage services.
Maintains the funding/authority window for rural water projects through 2031, enabling project planning and economic activity (construction jobs, contracts for small businesses) tied to those infrastructure projects.
Rural communities and local governments face a multi-year statutory coverage gap (2019–2023 coverage ends and new coverage doesn't start until 2026), which could leave projects without authorized grant support for several years.
Taxpayers may face increased federal outlays if the extended eligibility renews grant funding for 2026–2031, raising federal spending over that period.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Replaces the statutory covered years for a USDA water/waste disposal grant provision from 2019–2023 to 2026–2031, extending the program's temporal authority.
Official title: To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize certain water infrastructure grants, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 10, 2026 by David J. Taylor · Last progress February 10, 2026
Amends existing USDA water and waste disposal grant authority by replacing the covered fiscal years “2019 through 2023” with “2026 through 2031,” effectively extending the statutory time window for the program. The bill also provides the short title "Water Infrastructure Assistance Reauthorization Act." The change updates the operative timeframe for the grant authority in 7 U.S.C. § 1926(a)(2)(B)(vii) so that eligibility and authority tied to that clause apply during 2026–2031 instead of the expired 2019–2023 period.