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LAST ACTION SEP 16, 2026  UPDATED OCT 7
S. 5402SENATE BILL · 119TH CONGRESS119TH

Western Water Reinvestment Act

Extends water-program authorizations and adds watershed grants, drought planning, and habitat support across Western states.

WHERE IT STANDS

In the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee since Sept. 15, 2026, 23 days after it was introduced. Most bills never leave committee.

  1. INTRODUCEDINTROSEP 15, 2026
  2. COMMITTEECOMM.IN COMMITTEE
  3. SENATESENATE—
  4. HOUSEHOUSE—
  5. LAWLAW—
Read the text
WHAT IT DOES

What the bill would do, and why it matters

BASED ON THE TEXT AS INTRODUCED
tl;drWRITTEN OCT 4 FROM THE TEXT AS INTRODUCED

Western water management has to balance water use with healthy rivers, wetlands, and fisheries. The bill would extend several water-program authorizations and revise watershed grants, including tribal participation. It would also support farm bird habitat, drought planning and fisheries restoration, and a streamlined review path for specified aquatic restoration projects.

  • INTRODUCED ONLY This bill has been introduced and possibly referred to a committee, but it has not passed any vote. Most introduced bills never become law — they die in committee without a hearing.
  • DATA NOTE No Congressional Research Service summary was available.
WHAT IT WOULD DO · 6 PROVISIONSINTRODUCED IN SENATE
  1. Extends water-program authorizations

    The bill would extend the authorization for the aquatic ecosystem restoration program through 2031 and for the Reclamation basin study program through 2033. It would authorize $40 million per year for the Cooperative Watershed Management Program for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 and change the WaterSMART program’s authorized appropriations from $1 billion to $1.4 billion.

  2. Expands watershed grants and tribal participation

    The bill would include tribes with ancestral lands in a watershed among eligible watershed groups and add drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster as a basis for demonstrating need. First-phase grants could provide $150,000 per year for at least three years, with up to two additional years available for recipients performing satisfactorily; the bill would also require regular funding opportunities and allow applications to be submitted and evaluated multiple times during the year.

  3. Plans for drought-hit fisheries

    The Interior Secretary would prepare plans every three years to help sustain important fisheries through drought, considering steps such as habitat restoration, hatchery changes, and voluntary compensated water actions. The bill would also add native biodiversity to drought-planning provisions and reauthorize the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act program for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

  4. Pays farms to create bird habitat

    The Interior Secretary would provide payments or credits to eligible agricultural producers in Reclamation States for creating or maintaining waterbird and shorebird habitat that would not otherwise be created or maintained. The program would be capped at $3.5 million in assistance per fiscal year.

  5. Creates streamlined review for aquatic restoration

    The Interior Secretary would develop a categorical exclusion for specified aquatic restoration activities, such as certain culvert work, wetland restoration, and habitat improvements. The Secretary would still have to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and consider extraordinary circumstances when deciding whether to use the exclusion.

  6. Reauthorizes the Deschutes working group

    The bill would continue the Deschutes River Conservancy Working Group through 2032 and set its board membership and representation, including members from environmental, agricultural, tribal, government, and hydroelectric communities. It would also raise the share of funds that may be used for administrative costs from 5 percent to 10 percent.

THE CONTEXT

The bill addresses water management needs that involve watershed health, drought preparation, fish recovery, and habitat for birds. It would extend or renew authorizations for several programs and add tools for planning and restoration, so the terms and duration of those federal efforts would change.

Written from the bill text.

KEY DATES
JAN. 1, 2027, AND EVERY 3 YEARS THEREAFTER
Secretary prepares fisheries drought plan
OCT. 1, 2027, AND EVERY 2 YEARS THEREAFTER
Secretary reports on bird-habitat program performance
WITHIN 1 YEAR AFTER ENACTMENT
Secretary develops aquatic-restoration categorical exclusion
MONEY
$40,000,000
authorized for cooperative Watershed Management Program, Fiscal years 2027 through 2031
$1,400,000,000
authorized for waterSMART program, Not specified
$3,500,000
authorized for waterbird and shorebird habitat creation program, Fiscal years 2027 through 2031
TEXT VERSIONS
  1. ISIntroduced in SenateSEP 15, 20262,765
THE JOURNEY

The path it took, step by step

FROM THE OFFICIAL ACTIONS ON CONGRESS.GOV
  1. IntroducedSEP 15, 2026
    SENATE
    SEP 15, 2026
    By Sen. Wyden with 1 original cosponsor
    Referred to Energy and Natural Resources
  2. SAME DAYNOW
    Senate committeeSEP 15, 2026
    ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES NOW
    SEP 15, 2026
    In committee for 23 days
    Hearing Sept. 16, 2026
  3. 23 DAYS SO FAR
    Passed the Senate—
    SENATE FLOOR
    —
    Not scheduled
  4. House committee—
    HOUSE
    —
  5. Passed the House—
    HOUSE FLOOR
    —
    Not scheduled
  6. Resolve differencesONLY IF NEEDED
    BOTH CHAMBERS
    ONLY IF NEEDED
    Skipped if the other chamber passes the same text
  7. Signed into law—
    PRESIDENT
    —
    10 days to sign or veto
KEY ACTIONS3 OF 3 · PROCEDURAL STEPS FOLDED
  1. SEP 162026SEP 16, 2026HEARINGCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
  2. SEP 152026SEP 15, 2026REFERREDRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  3. SEP 152026SEP 15, 2026INTRODUCEDSENATEIntroduced in Senate
HOW LONG LAWS TAKE119 LAWS THIS CONGRESS

At day 23, this bill is already older than 8% of the laws passed this Congress were when they were signed.

DAYS FROM INTRODUCTION TO SIGNING · ○ CEREMONIAL
YOUR MEMBERS

Where your members stand on it

WHO’S BEHIND IT · 1 COSPONSOR

Support from one state

PARTY MIX
0 REPUBLICANS1 DEMOCRAT

Plus the sponsor, a Democrat. Every cosponsor is from one party.

COSPONSORS BY STATEEACH BAR IS ONE OF THE STATE’S TWO SENATORS
AK
ME
VT
NH
WA
ID
MT
ND
MN
IL
WI
MI
NY
RI
MA
OR
NV
WY
SD
IA
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
CA
UT
CO
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
AZ
NM
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
DEMOCRATDEMREPUBLICANREPINDEPENDENTINDSPONSORNOT A COSPONSORNONE
PARTY MIX
0 REPUBLICANS1 DEMOCRAT

Plus the sponsor, a Democrat. Every cosponsor is from one party.

MOMENTUM
SEP 2026 · 1 ORIGINALNOW · 1

Sen. Wyden’s record: sponsored 98 bills this Congress. 4 passed the Senate; 0 became law.

EVERY COSPONSOR · IN THE ORDER THEY JOINED1 ACTIVE
HEARINGS · 2

Who testified

SEP 30, 2026 · SENATEVIDEO ↗
Energy and Natural Resources

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.462, to provide for economic development and conservation in Washoe County, Nevada, S.465, to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of certain projects, S.730, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of establishing the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the African Burial Ground National Monument, 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.1254 and H.R.331, bills to amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes, S.1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, S.1342, to amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to improve the weatherization assistance program, 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.1568, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to modify standards for general service lamps, 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.2570, to amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to reauthorize the weatherization assistance program, S.2970, to authorize the use of off-highway vehicles in certain areas of the Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, S.3371, to designate the Museum of the Blind People's Movement in Baltimore, Maryland, as the "National Museum of the Blind People's Movement", S.3499 and H.R.3638, bills to direct the Secretary of Energy to prepare periodic assessments and submit reports on the supply chain for the generation and transmission of electricity, S.3524 and H.R.7618, bills to amend title 54, United States Code, to modify certain cost-sharing requirements for grant programs under the American Battlefield Protection Program, S.3526, to provide for the protection of and investment in certain Federal land in the State of California, S.3542, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the Upper Raritan River Watershed in the State of New Jersey for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, S.3695, to amend Public Law 96-586 to modernize the authority of the Forest Service to acquire

On S. 5402 and 59 other bills
SEP 16, 2026 · SENATEVIDEO ↗
Energy and Natural Resources

Hearings to examine S.5402, to extend authorizations for aquatic ecosystem restoration projects, multi-benefit watershed health projects, and WaterSMART grants, S.456, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas, S.1568, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to modify standards for general service lamps, S.2644, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to assess the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Camden Battlefield area in the State of South Carolina as a unit of the National Park System, S.4103 and H.R. 2709, bills to improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias, S.4116, to advance next-generation geothermal electricity generation demonstration projects in new regions, S.4166, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require States to include supporting the physical security, cybersecurity, and resilience of local distribution systems in State energy security plans, S.4023, to establish the America's Living Library Project, S.4489, to authorize the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System in the State of Montana, S.4787, to expedite resolution of certain administrative proceedings at the Department of the Interior, S.4846, to amend the United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act to reauthorize the United States-Mexico transboundary aquifer assessment program, S.4870, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, S.4955, to amend the Act of May 17, 1954, to revise the boundary of Gateway Arch National Park, S.5048, to amend the Federal Power Act to modernize the hydropower licensing process, S.5101, to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from taking any action to expand the Mid-Continent Limestone Quarry located near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, S.5169, to expand the boundaries of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, to recognize and enhance the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District partnership model, S.5338, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to prohibit the Secretary of Energy from prescribing any new or amended energy conservation standards for a product that is not technologically feasible and economically justified, S.5293, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish prepositioning protocols for aerial wildfire suppression for early-season fine fuel wildland fires, S.5352, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and the Water Desalination Act of 1996 to reauthorize certain desalination programs, S.5359, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to Pennington County, South Dakota, certain National Forest System land, S.5360, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program, S.5374, to facilitate the conveyance of certain land in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, platted under section 2387 of the Revised Statutes, H.R.900, to direct the Director of the United States Geological Survey to establish a program to map zones that are at greater risk of sinkhole formation, H.R.1682, to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes for family members of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives while serving their country.

On S. 5402 and 24 other bills
  • Michael Bennet
    United States Senator (D-CO)
  • Alex Fitzsimmons
    Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy, US Department of Energy
  • Sarah J. Ryker
    Associate Director, Geology, Energy, and Minerals Mission Area, United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior
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