Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill defines Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. as the non-Federal project entity for a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior. It also defines the reclamation feasibility standards that would govern the study: the eligibility criteria and feasibility study requirements in part 404 of title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
The bill then allows the Secretary, in consultation with Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. and through a cooperative agreement, to conduct a feasibility study for constructing a project that would supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem service area in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. The study must comply with reclamation feasibility standards. The federal share of study costs may not exceed 50 percent, the bill authorizes $10,000,000 for the work, and the authority expires 10 years after enactment.
Who Benefits and How
Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. benefits because the bill gives the named nonprofit a federal cooperative-agreement pathway for a feasibility study and potential federal funding support. Municipal, rural, and industrial water users in the Dakota Mainstem service area benefit if the study moves a regional water supply project closer to a later construction authorization. State and local water planners in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota benefit from a federally recognized feasibility process tied to existing reclamation standards.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Secretary of the Interior must decide whether to undertake the study, consult Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc., administer the cooperative agreement, and ensure the study complies with reclamation feasibility standards. Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. must operate as the non-Federal project entity under the cooperative agreement and must carry the non-Federal portion of study costs because the federal share is capped at 50 percent. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of the $10,000,000 authorization and any federal study share used under the bill.
Key Provisions
- Defines Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. as the non-Federal project entity for the cooperative agreement.
- Defines reclamation feasibility standards by reference to federal eligibility criteria and feasibility study requirements.
- Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of a Dakota Mainstem water project serving South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota.
- Limits the federal share of feasibility-study costs to 50 percent.
- Authorizes $10,000,000 for the feasibility study and ends the authority 10 years after enactment.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of a Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System project serving parts of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, with a $10 million authorization.
Key Policy Areas
Environment, Infrastructure, Government Operations
Primary Purpose
The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of a Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System project serving parts of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, with a $10 million authorization.
Policy Domains
Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Feasibility Study
Identified Gains
- Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc.
- Dakota Mainstem service-area municipal water users
- Dakota Mainstem service-area rural water users
- Dakota Mainstem service-area industrial water users
Identified Costs
- Secretary of the Interior
- Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc.
- Federal taxpayers
Sponsors
Mike Rounds
R-SD | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
ReportedCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and …
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and …
Introduced in Senate
Mr. Rounds (for himself and Mr. Thune) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc., Dakota Mainstem service-area municipal water users, Dakota Mainstem service-area rural water users
Secretary of the Interior, Taxpayers
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "reclamation_feasibility_standards"
- → Eligibility criteria and feasibility study requirements in part 404 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations
- "dakota_mainstem_regional_water_system"
- → Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc.
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc., a nonprofit corporation serving as the non-Federal project entity under the cooperative agreement.
Eligibility criteria and feasibility study requirements described in part 404 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulations.
The Secretary of the Interior.
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