The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 on July 14, moving a broad water-infrastructure package to the next stage of congressional consideration.
H.R. 9497 would authorize 133 new feasibility studies requested by communities and 14 Army Corps of Engineers projects that have completed review and are ready for construction authorization. Its scope includes ports, harbors, inland navigation, flood and coastal-storm risk, water supply and dam safety.
The bill also proposes changes to how the Army Corps works with state, local and other non-federal partners. Those provisions are intended to expand technical assistance, streamline project delivery and make greater use of multi-year contracts. Authorization identifies what Congress permits; it does not guarantee that every project immediately receives construction funding.
Committee approval is an important bipartisan step, but it is not final passage. The full House and Senate must approve legislation before it can go to the president, and the text may change during that process.
Source: U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ↗
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