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Water Security and Drought Resilience Act
To amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance for water storage projects in Reclamation States.
- Expands the small storage program to include groundwater recharge projects and extends the program authorization from 5 to 10 years.
- Authorizes $20 million per year from fiscal years 2027 through 2033 for small water storage projects.
- Creates a grant program for natural water retention and release projects that use natural materials to increase water availability through aquifer recharge and floodplain management.
- Requires the Secretary to distribute water project grants across multiple Reclamation States.
- Limits federal cost-share for natural water retention projects to 90 percent and authorizes $15 million per year from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ)
2 cosponsors
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ)
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA)
Actions (4)
- Jul 29, 2026 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. · senate
- Mar 17, 2026 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. · senate
- Jan 29, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. · senate
- Jan 29, 2026 Introduced in Senate
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Committee action
What happened to this bill in committee — the meetings where it was considered and every recorded vote taken on it.
Meetings where this bill was on the agenda
- Business meeting to consider S.365 and H.R.1729, bills to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to allow for additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado, S.764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, S.791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, S.888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, S.945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, S.1005, to provide for conservation and economic development in the State of Nevada, S.1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, S.1195, to promote conservation, improve public land management, and provide for sensible development in Pershing County, Nevada, S.1257, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act projects, S.1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, S.1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws, S.1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, S.1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, S.1777, to amend the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 to expand the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park, to redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park as the "Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center", S.1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, S.2498, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain leases within units of the National Park System without opening the lease to bidding, S.2767 and H.R.5254, bills to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation to host private events in Gateway Arch National Park buildings, S.2801, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area, S.2887, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Route 66 National Historic Trail, S.2933, to redesignate a playground in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in the State of West Virginia as the "Hearts of Gold Playground: In Honor of West Virginia Children and Families Impacted by Childhood Cancer", S.2968, to ensure access to certain public land, S.3194, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land in California as the Monterey Bay National Heritage Area, S.3313 and H.R.6365, bills to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on certain National Park Service land in the State of Virginia, S.3409, to reaffirm that the Bureau of Reclamation retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, ensuring long-term conservation of the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native aquatic species in the Yellowstone River while protecting the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and District from undue financial and operational burdens, S.3635 and H.R. 7250, bills to reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000, S.3715 and H.R.6380, bills to establish the Chiricahua N
- Business meeting to consider S.365 and H.R.1729, bills to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to allow for additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado, S.764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, S.791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, S.888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, S.945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, S.1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, S.1175, to amend section 6903 of title 31, United States Code, to provide for additional population tiers, S.1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, S.1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws, S.1413, to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act, S.1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, S.1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, S.1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, S.2554, to provide for the recognition of certain Alaska Native communities and the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, S.2754 and H.R.5911, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the City of Ouray, Colorado, certain land managed by the Forest Service, together with a reservoir, S.3526, to provide for the protection of and investment in certain Federal land in the State of California, S.3725, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to expand the capacity and reach of the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, Inc. (doing business as "Lewis & Clark Regional Water System"), in the States of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, S.3732, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, H.R.249, to redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr, and the nominations of William Hague, of Washington, to be an Assistant Secretary, Kevin Lilly, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife, both of the Department of the Interior, and Kaveh Farzad, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (International Affairs).
- Business meeting to consider S.140, to address the forest health crisis on the National Forest System and public lands, S.332, to require a study on Holocaust education efforts of States, local educational agencies, and public elementary and secondary schools, S.365 and H.R.1729, bills to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to allow for additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado, S.764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, S.789, to require reports on critical mineral and rare earth element resources around the world and a strategy for the development of advanced mining, refining, separation, and processing technologies, S.791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, S.888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, S.945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, S.1088 and H.R.2290, bills to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, S.1288, to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to designate as a component of the National Heritage Area System the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area in the State of New York, S.1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, S.1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws, S.1413, to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act, S.1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, S.1547, to amend title 54, United States Code, to reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, S.1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, S.1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, S.2437 and H.R.3857, bills to amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act, S.2753, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to authorize certain extraordinary operation and maintenance work for urban canals of concern, S.3500 and H.R.3657, bills to amend the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to annually submit to Congress a report on the status of ongoing hydropower relicensing applications, S.3518, to amend the Federal Power Act to address certain alterations in, and the maintenance and repair of, project works, to provide for the licensing of micro hydrokinetic energy projects, S.3526, to provide for the protection of and investment in certain Federal land in the State of California, S.3693, to extend the authorization for a large-scale water recycling and reuse grant program, S.3723, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water from the Missouri River to the Western Dakota Regional Water System, S.3732, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, S.3736, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System service area in the States of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, S.3743, to direct the Secretary of
- Hearings to examine S.1034, to establish the Southwestern Power Administration Fund, S.1242, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out watershed pilots, S.2437 and H.R.3857, bills to amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act, S.2753, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to authorize certain extraordinary operation and maintenance work for urban canals of concern, S.3409, to reaffirm that the Bureau of Reclamation retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, ensuring long-term conservation of the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native aquatic species in the Yellowstone River while protecting the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and District from undue financial and operational burdens, S.3500, to amend the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to annually submit to Congress a report on the status of ongoing hydropower relicensing applications, S.3518, to amend the Federal Power Act to address certain alterations in, and the maintenance and repair of, project works, to provide for the licensing of micro hydrokinetic energy projects, S.3635, to reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000, S.3684, to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to reauthorize water power research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities, S.3693, to extend the authorization for a large-scale water recycling and reuse grant program, S.3723, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water from the Missouri River to the Western Dakota Regional Water System, S.3725, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to expand the capacity and reach of the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, Inc. (doing business as "Lewis & Clark Regional Water System"), in the States of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, S.3732, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, S.3736, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System service area in the States of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, S.3737, to amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 to provide financial and technical assistance to eligible entities for the conduct of innovative approaches to voluntary water partnership agreements among multiple water users and projects conducted by individual agricultural entities, S.3738, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the large-scale water recycling and reuse program, to establish a Water Conveyance Improvement Program, S.3743, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a feasibility study on a selective water withdrawal system at Glen Canyon Dam, S.3792, to provide for the establishment of a Water Project Navigators Program, S.4040, to amend Public Law 89-108 to modify the authorization of appropriations for State and Tribal, municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies, and S.4041, to reauthorize the Cooperative Watershed Management Program.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 29, 2026
Mr. Gallego (for himself, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Water Security and Drought Resilience Act”.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR STORAGE PROGRAM.
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b note; Public Law 114-322) is amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
“(d) Authority To Provide Assistance.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary of the Interior may provide financial assistance under this subtitle to carry out projects within any Reclamation State.
“(2) Additional project.—Notwithstanding subsection (i) or section 4013, any project for which a feasibility study is authorized under subsection (a)(1)(B)(i) of section 40902 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3202) shall, pursuant to the construction funding requirements under subsection (a)(2) of that section, as applicable, be eligible for funding under this section.
“(3) Distribution among multiple reclamation states.—In providing financial assistance under this subtitle, the Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that the financial assistance is distributed among projects across multiple Reclamation States.”.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF SMALL STORAGE PROGRAM.
(a) Eligibility and Selection.—Section 40903(b) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:
“(B) Eligible projects.—A project shall be considered eligible for consideration for a grant under this section if the project—
“(i)(I) has water storage capacity of not less than 200 acre-feet and not more than 30,000 acre-feet; and
“(II)(aa) increases surface water or groundwater storage; or “(bb) conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or from surface water or groundwater storage; or
“(ii)(I) has water storage capacity for recharges of not less than 200 acre-feet and not more than 150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis over the life of the project for storage or use; and
“(II)(aa) increases groundwater aquifer storage; “(bb) conveys water, directly or indirectly, to, or recovers water from, groundwater storage;
“(cc) both increases groundwater aquifer storage and conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or recovers water from groundwater storage; and
“(dd) stabilizes groundwater levels.”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) Distribution among multiple reclamation states.—In awarding grants to projects under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that grants are distributed across multiple Reclamation States.”.
(b) Termination of Authority.—Section 40903 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); and
(2) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated), by striking “5” and inserting “10”.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations; Effect.—Section 40903 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203) is amended by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
“(e) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2033.
“(f) Effect.—Nothing in this section—
“(1) supersedes or in any manner affects or conflicts with State water law, Federal water law, interstate compacts, or treaty obligations;
“(2) authorizes any acquisition of water by the Federal Government; or
“(3) supersedes or infringes on any water rights.”.
SEC. 4. NATURAL WATER RETENTION AND RELEASE PROJECT GRANTS.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means—
(A) a State, Indian Tribe, municipality, irrigation district, water district, wastewater district, or other organization with water or power delivery authority;
(B) a State, regional, or local authority, the members of which include 1 or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; or
(C) a qualified partner.
(2) Natural water retention and release project.—The term “natural water retention and release project” means a project that is designed and developed to increase water availability for optimal management through aquifer recharge, floodplain retention, the alteration of the timing of runoff to allow increased utilization of existing storage facilities, or another mechanism that—
(A) uses primarily natural materials appropriate to the specific site and landscape setting;
(B) substantially mimics natural riverine, wetland, ecosystem, or hydrologic processes; and
(C) may include multiple distributed natural water retention and release projects across a watershed.
(3) Qualified partner.—The term “qualified partner” means a nonprofit organization operating in a Reclamation State that is acting with the written support of an eligible entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1).
(4) Reclamation state.—The term “Reclamation State” has the meaning given the term in section 4014 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b note; Public Law 114-322).
(5) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation.
(b) Authorization for Grants.—The Secretary may award to an eligible entity a grant for a natural water retention and release project under this section, if—
(1) in the case of a natural water retention and release project that costs not more than $20,000,000, the eligible entity demonstrates that the natural water retention and release project would help optimize the storage or delivery of water in a watershed in which a Bureau of Reclamation facility is located; and
(2) in the case of a natural water retention and release project that costs more than $20,000,000—
(A) the requirements described in paragraph (1) have been met with respect to the natural water retention and release project; and
(B) the eligible entity determines, and the Secretary concurs, that—
(i) the natural water retention and release project would produce or allow additional retention or delivery of water in a watershed in which a Bureau of Reclamation facility is located; and
(ii) there is a credible estimate of the quantity of the storage benefit of the natural water retention and release project during each of a wet year, a normal year, and a dry year.
(c) Distribution Among Multiple Reclamation States.—In providing grants for natural water retention and release projects under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that grants are distributed across multiple Reclamation States.
(d) Federal Cost-Share.—The Federal share of the cost of a natural water retention and release project provided a grant under this section shall not exceed 90 percent of the total cost of the natural water retention and release project.
(e) Reimbursability.—Any Federal funds provided by the Secretary to an eligible entity under this section shall be considered nonreimbursable to the United States.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. <all>
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