To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize certain EPA geographic programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Stauber (for himself and Ms. McDonald Rivet) introduced the …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The American Water Stewardship Act extends federal funding for major EPA regional water restoration programs through 2031, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Long Island Sound program, Columbia River Basin, San Francisco Bay, and coastal beach monitoring programs. It also adds Mississippi Sound, Mississippi to the National Estuary Program and requires the Government Accountability Office to review how well these programs are working.
Who Benefits and How
- State and local water management agencies receive continued grant funding for water quality and restoration projects
- Environmental consulting firms and contractors gain new business opportunities, especially in the San Francisco Bay area where private entities can now directly receive federal funds
- Mississippi coastal communities gain access to estuary program funding for the first time
- Water testing laboratories benefit from extended beach monitoring grants through 2031
- Domestic environmental organizations face less competition as foreign-affiliated entities from countries of concern are barred from receiving funds
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Non-federal grant recipients must provide 25% matching funds for San Francisco Bay projects
- The Government Accountability Office must conduct a comprehensive review of 11 EPA geographic programs
- EPA program offices face additional oversight and reporting requirements
- Organizations with ties to foreign countries of concern (China, Russia, etc.) are prohibited from receiving any funds under these programs
Key Provisions
- Extends authorization for Great Lakes, Long Island Sound, Columbia River, and coastal monitoring programs through fiscal year 2031
- Adds Mississippi Sound to the National Estuary Program with protections against diverting existing program funds
- Expands San Francisco Bay program to allow private entities to receive federal grants with 75% federal / 25% local cost sharing
- Requires GAO to report on program effectiveness, fund management, and ethics practices
- Bars funding to any entity connected to foreign countries of concern
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Extends authorization and funding for multiple EPA regional water restoration and coastal monitoring programs through fiscal year 2031, while adding new geographic areas and restricting funds from entities connected to foreign countries of concern.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Consolidate and extend authorization for regional EPA water programs while adding oversight requirements and national security restrictions"
Likely Beneficiaries
- State and local water management agencies in covered geographic regions
- Environmental nonprofit organizations working on water restoration
- Coastal communities and beaches
- Mississippi Sound region (newly added to National Estuary Program)
- Environmental consulting and restoration contractors
Likely Burden Bearers
- EPA (increased reporting requirements to GAO)
- Entities affiliated with foreign countries of concern (excluded from funding)
- Non-Federal grant recipients (must provide 25% cost share for San Francisco Bay projects)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- "the_comptroller_general"
- → Comptroller General of the United States
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
As defined in section 10638 of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19237)
Includes Chesapeake Bay Program, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Long Island Sound program, Lake Champlain Basin Program, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program, Columbia River Basin Restoration Program, San Francisco Bay Restoration Program, Puget Sound program, Gulf of America Program, South Florida Program, and Southeast New England Program
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology