House committee advances U.S. water infrastructure bill

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House advances water bill

Highlights

H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, unanimously cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to upgrade U.S. ports, waterways, and flood management infrastructure.
The approved bill authorizes 133 new feasibility studies and 14 construction-ready projects, aiming to accelerate infrastructure delivery and strengthen non-federal stakeholder roles.
The legislation reauthorizes alternative delivery programs, expands Corps accountability, and renews the High Hazard Potential Dam program under FEMA to address dam safety concerns.

Committee approval and bill scope

As reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the panel unanimously approves H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, to support upgrades across the nation’s water resources network. The bill targets ports and harbors, the inland waterway navigation system, flood and storm risk management, environmental priorities and other infrastructure tied to U.S. water resources.

The committee says Congress has enacted a WRDA every two years since 2014, making the legislation a regular vehicle for authorizing locally driven Corps projects with regional and national economic benefits. Chairman Sam Graves says the 2026 bill also streamlines Army Corps of Engineers processes, improves project delivery and gives local stakeholders a stronger role.

Ranking Member Rick Larsen says the measure continues the committee’s effort to expand water infrastructure, improve access to Corps expertise and build resilience against more frequent and severe storms. He adds that investment in ports, harbors and inland waterways supports jobs in the Pacific Northwest and across the country.

Project pipeline and industry impact

Under the version approved by the committee, the bill authorizes 133 new feasibility studies for locally proposed projects and 14 projects that the Corps has vetted and deemed ready for construction authorization by Congress. It also includes policy changes aimed at speeding infrastructure delivery and improving coordination with non-federal partners.

Those changes include reauthorizing and strengthening alternative project delivery programs, increasing non-federal input in feasibility studies and creating offices focused on inland navigation, alternative delivery, water supply and technical assistance. The measure is also designed to help local sponsors access technical support, fund construction faster and encourage broader use of multi-year contracts.

The legislation further backs the Corps’ navigation mission, seeks to improve accountability to Congress and expands support for flood and coastal storm risk management. It also addresses dam safety through reauthorization of the High Hazard Potential Dam program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Dam Safety Program.

Our earlier article on GSA’s push to expand procurement of American-made products via the GSA Advantage! marketplace explained how federal purchasing rules are being tightened to steer more demand toward domestic suppliers. We noted the agency’s request for industry input on improving identification of U.S.-made items and its stepped-up enforcement of Trade Agreements Act compliance to remove non-compliant products and reduce supply-chain risk.

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