Environment (Water Quality)

in committee · United States · House Apr 1, 2025

HR 1265: To amend the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act to expand eligibility for certain wastewater infrastructure grants, and for other purposes.

This bill expands eligibility for wastewater infrastructure grants under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. It allows states and Indian Tribes to directly apply for these grants - previously, only municipalities and local governments could apply. The changes specifically update two sections of the law to include "States," before "municipalities" and "units of local government" in grant application criteria. This means coastal states and tribal governments can now seek funding to improve wastewater systems and reduce ocean pollution. The policy change directly affects communities managing coastal water infrastructure seeking federal grant support.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands funding for wastewater infrastructure grants to states and tribes, directly improving pollution control and water quality systems under Save Our Seas 2.0 Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Drinking Water Water Quality

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in committee · United States · House Jan 10, 2025

HR 284: GLRI Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through fiscal year 2031, providing $500 million annually for Great Lakes cleanup and restoration projects. It directly affects federal agencies (like the EPA), state governments, tribes, and environmental groups working on Great Lakes water quality, habitat restoration, and pollution prevention. The key provision extends existing funding levels for five additional years (2027-2031), ensuring continued support for projects addressing invasive species, toxic pollutants, and coastal wetlands restoration across the Great Lakes region. This is a funding authorization bill, not a policy change to the program's scope.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReauthorizes $500M annual federal funding for Great Lakes cleanup, directly increasing budget allocation for environmental programs without tax changes.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill reauthorizes $500M annual funding for Great Lakes cleanup, restoration, and pollution prevention, directly advancing environmental protection and conservation efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Water Quality

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 11, 2025

S 513: Help Our Kelp Act of 2025

S 513, the Help Our Kelp Act of 2025, creates a federal grant program to fund projects restoring and conserving kelp forest ecosystems. It directly affects eligible entities like fishing industry groups, tribal governments, nonprofits, and coastal local governments, which can apply for grants covering up to 85% of project costs. Key provisions require projects to address declining kelp forests through methods such as removing sea urchins, restoring natural food chains, integrating Indigenous knowledge, and monitoring ecosystems. The bill authorizes $5 million annually (2026-2030), with at least $750,000 reserved specifically for tribal-led projects.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates federal grant program funding kelp restoration projects, directly allocating government spending for environmental conservation.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill creates federal grants to restore kelp forests, directly conserving marine ecosystems through habitat restoration, sea urchin removal, and Indigenous knowledge integration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Forestry Water Quality

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in committee · United States · House Apr 21, 2025

HR 2977: MRRRI Act

The MRRRI Act establishes a federal initiative to protect and restore the ecological health of the Mississippi River and its floodplain by creating a Mississippi River National Program Office within the Environmental Protection Agency. The program focuses on five key areas: improving water quality, enhancing community resilience to floods, protecting fish and wildlife habitat, preventing invasive species spread, and improving scientific monitoring. It will fund projects through grants to states, tribes, local governments, and organizations that address these focus areas, with specific requirements for Tribal involvement and environmental monitoring. The initiative requires the development of actionable goals, an action plan, and a science plan, and mandates regular reporting to Congress on progress.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill creates EPA office to protect Mississippi River ecosystem through water quality, habitat restoration, invasive species prevention, and federal grants for environmental projects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Conservation Water Quality

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in committee · United States · House Jun 13, 2025

HR 3888: Water Quality Criteria Development and Transparency Act

This bill requires the EPA Administrator to develop new or revised water quality criteria through formal rulemaking (not guidance) and mandates judicial review for these criteria. It directly affects the EPA's process for setting national water quality standards that states use to regulate pollution in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Key changes include amending the Clean Water Act to specify that criteria must be issued "by rule" and adding judicial review authority for EPA's criteria decisions under section 304(a)(10). The bill does not change the criteria themselves, only the procedural steps for their development and legal challenge.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentMandates judicial review for EPA water criteria, potentially delaying or blocking stricter standards under Clean Water Act, weakening regulatory enforcement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Drinking Water Water Quality

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in committee · United States · House Jul 24, 2025

HR 4675: Columbia River Clean-Up Act

This bill extends the funding period for Columbia River Basin restoration projects under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. It amends Section 123(d)(6) by changing the timeframe from "2020 and 2021" to "2026 through 2030," allowing agencies to use allocated funds over this new seven-year period. The change directly affects federal and state environmental agencies managing river cleanup efforts, such as the EPA and Pacific Northwest states. It modifies the existing legal timeline for project implementation without altering funding amounts or new requirements. The bill focuses solely on adjusting the period for utilizing current restoration funds.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExtends funding period for Columbia River cleanup under pollution control act, directly advancing environmental restoration efforts through sustained financial support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Water Quality

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in committee · United States · House Feb 28, 2025

HR 605: Headwaters Protection Act of 2025

The Headwaters Protection Act of 2025 reauthorizes and updates the Water Source Protection Program under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act. It expands eligible partners to include acequia associations, stormwater/wastewater entities, land-grant mercedes, and water-delivery private groups, while requiring landowner consent for projects on adjacent non-Federal land within the same watershed. The bill prioritizes projects addressing drought, wildfire, and climate resilience, mandates 10% of annual funding ($30 million per year from 2025-2033) for partner capacity-building, and ensures projects protect water supply systems and forest health. It explicitly states the law does not override state water rights or authorize federal land acquisition.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands water source protection program, prioritizes climate resilience/drought/wildfire projects, and requires landowner consent for watershed protection - directly advancing environmental protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Water Quality

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passed · United States · Senate Apr 5, 2025

SRES 157: A resolution designating April 2025 as "National Native Plant Month".

SRES 157 designates April 2025 as "National Native Plant Month" to recognize the environmental and ecological benefits of native plants. The resolution highlights that native plants - indigenous species adapted to specific regions - support biodiversity, improve air and water quality, stabilize soils, and provide essential food and habitat for wildlife like birds and pollinators. As a non-binding Senate resolution, it does not create new laws or funding but aims to raise public awareness about conserving native plant species, which face threats from habitat loss and invasive species.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentResolution explicitly highlights native plants' environmental benefits including biodiversity, air/water quality, and wildlife habitat, aligning with conservation and pollution control goals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Water Quality Wildlife

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in committee · United States · House Jan 22, 2025

HR 583: BEACH Act of 2025

Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025 or the BEACH Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and expands an existing program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that awards grants to states and local governments to (1) monitor the water quality of coastal recreational waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access that are used by the public; and (2) notify the public, local governments, and the EPA when the water is not safe for recreational activities. Specifically, the bill expands the program to allow the EPA to award grants for identifying sources of contamination (i.e., pathogens) for coastal recreation waters. It also allows grants to be used for monitoring and notification of contamination in (1) shallow waters upstream from recreational waters, and (2) recreational waters on beaches.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentReauthorizes EPA grants for coastal water quality monitoring and public safety notifications, directly protecting recreational waters from pollution per BEACH Act summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Coastal & Flood Protection Drinking Water Water Quality

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in committee · United States · Senate Jul 23, 2025

S 2421: CLEAR Waters Act

The CLEAR Waters Act (S 2421) clarifies the definition of "navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act by explicitly excluding certain water features from federal regulation. It directly affects wastewater treatment facilities (like lagoons and ponds), seasonal streams that flow only after rain, and groundwater by removing them from the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction. Key provisions add specific exclusions to the definition, including waste treatment systems, ephemeral features, groundwater, and future exclusions determined by the EPA and Army Corps. This changes which water bodies require federal permits for pollution control, shifting oversight away from these excluded features.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentExcludes seasonal streams, groundwater, and wastewater systems from Clean Water Act jurisdiction, directly weakening federal environmental protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Water Quality

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