S654-118

Reported

To amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to reauthorize Delaware River Basin conservation programs, and for other purposes.

118th Congress Introduced Mar 6, 2023

Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.

Summary

What This Bill Does

This bill reauthorizes the Delaware River Basin Conservation program, extending it from 2023 through 2030. It expands the geographic scope from a 4-state region (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) to include Maryland as a 5th state. The bill also modifies federal cost-sharing rules.

Who Benefits and How

  • Small, rural, and disadvantaged communities in the Delaware River Basin receive increased federal funding - up to 90% of project costs (up from the previous share), with potential waivers to 100% for those with financial hardship.
  • Maryland conservation organizations and local governments can now participate in and receive grants from the program for the first time.
  • Environmental groups and watershed organizations benefit from continued program funding through 2030.

Who Bears the Burden and How

  • Federal taxpayers bear the increased costs of higher federal matching rates for disadvantaged communities and the extension of the program for 7 more years.
  • No significant new burdens are placed on private entities or state/local governments. The changes primarily benefit recipients.

Key Provisions

  • Extends program authorization from 2023 to 2030
  • Adds Maryland to the eligible 5-state region
  • Increases federal cost-share to 90% for small, rural, and disadvantaged communities
  • Allows waiver to 100% federal share for communities with significant financial hardship

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Reauthorizes and expands the Delaware River Basin Conservation program through 2030, adding Maryland to the 5-state partnership and increasing federal cost-share for disadvantaged communities.

Key Policy Areas

Water Conservation, Environmental Protection, Regional Development

Primary Purpose

Reauthorizes and expands the Delaware River Basin Conservation program through 2030, adding Maryland to the 5-state partnership and increasing federal cost-share for disadvantaged communities.

Policy Domains

Water Conservation Environmental Protection Regional Development

Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act

Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Small and disadvantaged communities in Delaware River Basin
  • Maryland local governments and conservation organizations
  • Environmental and watershed groups
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: rs

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Federal taxpayers
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: rs

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Legislative Progress

Reported
Introduced Committee Passed
Sep 27, 2023

Reported by Mr. Carper, without amendment

Mar 6, 2023

Mr. Carper (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Casey, …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

State & Local Government
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Maryland local governments and conservation organizations

Environment
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Environmental and watershed conservation groups in 5-state region

Taxpayers
1 mention across 1 clause
-1 negative

Taxpayers

1/2
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Water Conservation Environmental Protection
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ 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