H.R. 6422

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6422 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6422

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 25, 2026

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize certain 
EPA geographic programs, 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 ``American Water Stewardship Act''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE.

Section 118(c)(7)(J)(i)(VI) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1268(c)(7)(J)(i)(VI)) is amended by striking ``fiscal 
year 2026'' and inserting ``each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031''.

SEC. 3. LONG ISLAND SOUND.

Section 119(h) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1269(h)) is amended by striking ``2023'' and inserting ``2031''.

SEC. 4. COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN RESTORATION.

Section 123(d)(6) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1275(d)(6)) is amended by striking ``and 2021'' and inserting 
``through 2031''.

SEC. 5. SAN FRANCISCO BAY RESTORATION PROGRAM.

Section 125 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1276a) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``grant''; and
(2) in subsection (e)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Grant 
Program'' and inserting ``Program Implementation'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or other means 
to State and local agencies, special districts, and 
public or nonprofit agencies'' and inserting 
``interagency agreements, contracts, or other funding 
mechanisms to Federal, State, and local agencies, 
special districts, public or nonprofit agencies, and 
other public or private entities''; and
(C) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
following:
``(2) Maximum amount.--Amounts provided for a project, 
activity, or study under this section shall not exceed an 
amount that is equal to 75 percent of the total cost of such 
project, activity, or study.
``(3) Assistance to non-federal entities.--Not less than 25 
percent of the cost of any project, activity, or study carried 
out using amounts provided to a non-Federal entity under this 
section shall be provided from non-Federal sources.''.

SEC. 6. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking ``and Pensacola 
and Perdido Bays, Florida'' and inserting ``Pensacola and 
Perdido Bays, Florida; and Mississippi Sound, Mississippi''; 
and
(2) in subsection (i)(1), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ``2026'' and inserting ``2031''.
(b) Ineligibility With Respect to Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027.--With 
respect to the amendment made by subsection (a)(1), the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency may not use for the 
implementation of that amendment, including, with respect to 
Mississippi Sound, Mississippi, convening a management conference, 
developing or carrying out a comprehensive conservation and management 
plan, or providing grants under section 320 of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330)--
(1) any amounts appropriated to carry out the national 
estuary program under that section for fiscal year 2026; or
(2) unless the total amount appropriated to carry out that 
program for fiscal year 2027 is at least $850,000 more than the 
total amount appropriated to carry out that program for fiscal 
year 2024, any amounts appropriated to carry out that program 
for fiscal year 2027.

SEC. 7. COASTAL RECREATION WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND NOTIFICATION.

(a) In General.--
(1) Program development and implementation grants.--Section 
406 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1346) 
is amended--
(A) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(I) in clause (i), by striking 
``and'' at the end;
(II) by redesignating clause (ii) 
as clause (iii); and
(III) by inserting after clause (i) 
the following:
``(ii) in the case of a State that uses 
such grant to identify specific sources of 
contamination pursuant to paragraph (5), any 
data relating to such identified sources of 
contamination; and''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Identification of specific sources of 
contamination.--A State or local government receiving a grant 
under this subsection may use such grant to identify specific 
sources of contamination for coastal recreation waters adjacent 
to beaches or similar points of access that are used by the 
public.''; and
(B) in subsection (i), by striking ``2001 through 
2005'' and inserting ``2026 through 2031''.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 8 of the 
Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 
(Public Law 106-284; 114 Stat. 877) is amended by striking 
``2001 through 2005'' and inserting ``2026 through 2031''.
(b) Coastal Recreation Waters Defined.--Section 502(21)(A)(ii) of 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362(21)(A)(ii)) is 
amended by striking ``(including coastal estuaries)'' and inserting 
``(including coastal estuaries, the mouths of rivers and streams, 
nearby shallow waters, and waters present on beaches)''.
(c) Guidance.--In providing guidance to States and local 
governments receiving grants under section 406 of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1346), the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall ensure that such guidance 
reflects innovations in testing technologies for water contamination.

SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.

No Federal funds made available for any of fiscal years 2026 
through 2031 to carry out section 118, 119, 123, 125, 320, or 406 of 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act may be provided to any non-
Federal entity--
(1) that is domiciled in, headquartered in, or organized 
under the laws of, or the principal place of business of which 
is located in, a foreign country of concern (as defined in 
section 10638 of the Research and Development, Competition, and 
Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19237)); or
(2) for projects conducted with a foreign country of 
concern.

SEC. 9. GEOGRAPHIC PROGRAM REPORT.

(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of 
the Senate a report on EPA geographic programs.
(b) Required Evaluation.--In preparing the report required under 
subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall include an evaluation, 
with respect to each EPA geographic program, of--
(1) the management of funds, including the efficiency and 
effectiveness of program operations and the use of Federal 
funds;
(2) the progress towards achieving program purposes, goals, 
and objectives, including the status of program goals and 
objectives and the extent to which the program has demonstrated 
measurable outcomes;
(3) obstacles to program success or progress;
(4) the efficacy of coordination with other Federal, State, 
Tribal, and local programs and actions, including whether there 
is any duplication of efforts among such programs and actions; 
and
(5) the ethics policies and practices of the office of the 
Environmental Protection Agency responsible for implementing 
the program.
(c) Recommendations.--The Comptroller General shall include in the 
report required under subsection (a) recommendations, as appropriate, 
to improve EPA geographic program efficiency, accountability, and 
effectiveness in achieving program purposes, goals, and objectives.
(d) EPA Geographic Program Defined.--In this section, the term 
``EPA geographic program'' means--
(1) the Chesapeake Bay Program under section 117 of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1267);
(2) the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under section 
118 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1268);
(3) the Long Island Sound program under section 119 of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269);
(4) the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program under 
section 120 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1270);
(5) the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program under 
section 121 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1273);
(6) the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program under 
section 123 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1275);
(7) the San Francisco Bay Restoration Program under section 
125 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1276a);
(8) the Puget Sound program under section 126 of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1276b);
(9) the Gulf of America Program carried out by the 
Administrator;
(10) the South Florida Program carried out by the 
Administrator; or
(11) the Southeast New England Program carried out by the 
Administrator.

Passed the House of Representatives March 24, 2026.

Attest:

KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

Clerk.