H.R. 9497

Water Resources Development Act of 2026

Sponsor: Sam Graves

3 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Water Resources Development Act of 2026

This bill authorizes and modifies certain water resource infrastructure projects and programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and makes related requirements. For example, the bill authorizes and modifies various water resources feasibility studies and projects of the Corps of Engineers, such as studies or projects to

  • maintain ports and harbors,
  • make certain waterways more navigable,
  • reduce flood and storm damage,
  • restore aquatic ecosystems and protect fish and wildlife,
  • protect shorelines,
  • address harmful algal blooms,
  • rehabilitate dams,
  • manage recreational sites and facilities,
  • support water supply and storage projects, and
  • support other water resources infrastructure.

The bill also directs the Corps of Engineers to establish an Office on Alternative Delivery Methods in order to accelerate project delivery of infrastructure. 

In addition, the bill directs the Corps of Engineers to issue a rule that establishes categorical permissions for certain harbor or river improvements that will cause only minimal adverse environmental effects.

Text of the bill

Expand all

I General Provisions

II Studies and Reports

III Deauthorizations and Modifications

Sec. 310. Planning assistance to States Changed · Sep 3

Where this section came from

  1. Jun 29, 2026 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Jun 29
  2. Sep 3, 2026 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Jul 14 Reported by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Sep 3 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
What changed in the text

Section 22(a)(2)(B) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 1962d – - 16(a)(2)(B)) is amended to read as follows:

… 7 unchanged passages …

What is a markup?

A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.

Section 22(a)(2)(B) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 1962d-16(a)(2)(B)) is amended to read as follows:

Text this section adds to the law

(B) Types of assistance. Technical assistance under this paragraph may include—

(i) provision and integration of hydrologic, economic, and environmental data and analyses;

(ii) assessment of the structural integrity of a water resources development project;

(iii) development of integrated floodplain management programs that both reduce flood risk and protect and restore floodplain functions; and

(iv) title research for abandoned structures.

IV Water Resources Infrastructure

V Dam Safety