Referred in Senate — H.R. 3962

IIB

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3962

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

December 16, 2025

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 the National Estuary 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 Enhancing Science, Treatment, and Upkeep of America’s Resilient and Important Estuarine Systems Act or the ESTUARIES Act.

Sec. 2. National estuary program

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.

Sec. 3. Ineligibility with respect to fiscal years 2025 and 2026

With respect to the amendment made by section 2(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 2025; or

(2)

unless the total amount appropriated to carry out that program for fiscal year 2026 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 2026.