March 25, 2026
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
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.