United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 4 D · 4 R cosponsors

HR 338 — Every Drop Counts Act

Last action — Subcommittee Hearings Held

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced January 13, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 8 sponsors

    1 primary, 7 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (4 D · 4 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Every Drop Counts ActThis bill expands the Bureau of Reclamation's Small Storage Program, which is a grant program for small surface water or groundwater storage projects in certain western states.First, the bill expands the types of projects that are eligible for grants under the program. Specifically, the bill makes a project eligible for a grant if the project (1) has water storage capacity of recharges no less than 200 acre-feet and no more than 150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis over the life of the project for storage or use; and (2) increases groundwater aquifer storage, conveys water to or recovers water from groundwater storage, and stabilizes groundwater levels.Next, it extends Reclamation's authority to carry out the grant program for another five years.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

1 section in 1 law

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-121).

Western water infrastructure · 43 U.S.C. ch. 50 1 section
  • § 3203 Small water storage and groundwater storage projects Amends

    43 U.S.C. § 3203 — at 3203(b)(1)(B) and 3203(e)

    The law today

    (a) Establishment of a competitive grant program for small water storage and groundwater storage projects The Secretary shall establish a competitive grant program, under which the non-Federal project sponsor of any project in a Reclamation State, including the State of Alaska or Hawaii, determined by the Secretary to be feasible under subsection (b)(2)(B) shall be eligible to apply for funding for the planning, design, and construction of the project. (b) Eligibility and selection (1) Submission to the Secretary (A) In general A non-Federal project sponsor described in subsection (a) may submit to the Secretary a proposal for a project eligible to receive a grant under this section in the form of a completed feasibility study. (B) Eligible projects A project shall be considered eligible for consideration for a grant under this section if the project— (i) has water storage capacity of not less than 200 acre-feet and not more than 30,000 acre-feet; and (ii) (I) increases surface water or groundwater storage; or (II) conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or from surface water or groundwater storage. (C) Guidelines Not later than 60 days after November 15, 2021, the Secretary shall issue guidelines for feasibility studies for small storage projects to provide sufficient information for the formulation of the studies. (2) Review by the Secretary The Secretary shall review each feasibility study received under paragraph (1)(A) for the purpose of determining whether— (A) the feasibility study, and the process under which the study was developed, each comply with Federal laws (including regulations) applicable to feasibility studies of small storage projects; (B) the project is technically and financially feasible, in accordance with— (i) the guidelines developed under paragraph (1)(C); and (ii) the reclamation laws; and (C) the project provides a Federal benefit, as determined by the Secretary. (3) Submission to Congress Not later than 180 days after the date of receipt of a feasibility study received under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that describes— (A) the results of the review of the study by the Secretary under paragraph (2), including a determination of whether the project is feasible and provides a Federal benefit; (B) any recommendations that the Secretary may have concerning the plan or design of the project; and (C) any conditions the Secretary may require for construction of the project. (4) Eligibility for funding (A) In general The non-Federal project sponsor of any project determined by the Secretary to be feasible under paragraph (3)(A) shall be eligible to apply to the Secretary for a grant to cover the Federal share of the costs of planning, designing, and constructing the project pursuant to subsection (c). (B) Required determination Prior to awarding grants to a small storage project, the Secretary shall determine whether there is sufficient non-Federal funding available to complete the project. (5) Priority In awarding grants to projects under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to projects that meet 1 or more of the following criteria: (A) Projects that are likely to provide a more reliable water supply for States, Indian Tribes, and local governments, including subdivisions of those entities. (B) Projects that are likely to increase water management flexibility and reduce impacts on environmental resources from projects operated by Federal and State agencies. (C) Projects that are regional in nature. (D) Projects with multiple stakeholders. (E) Projects that provide multiple benefits, including water supply reliability, ecosystem benefits, groundwater management and enhancements, and water quality improvements. (c) Ceiling on Federal share The Federal share of the costs of each of the individual projects selected under this section shal...

    4 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

How this bill changes current law

8 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill expands the eligibility criteria for water storage projects and extends the authority's expiration date.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)

    A project shall be considered eligible for consideration for a grant under this section if the project— → The following projects shall be eligible for consideration for a grant under this section:

    The eligibility criteria for water storage projects is being redefined to include new types of projects.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)

    (ii)(I) increases surface water or groundwater storage; or → (ii) Average annual project life acre-feet capacity.--A project that--

    Introduces a new category of projects based on average annual recharge capacity.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)

    and not more than 30,000 acre-feet; and → and not more than 150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis over the life of the project for storage or use; and

    Increases the maximum allowable storage capacity for certain water storage projects.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)

    (II)(I) has water storage capacity of not less than 200 acre-feet and not more than 30,000 acre-feet; and → (II)(aa) increases groundwater aquifer storage;

    Adds specific requirements for projects that aim to increase groundwater aquifer storage.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)

    (II)(bb) conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or from surface water or groundwater storage. → (bb) conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or recovers water from groundwater storage;

    Refines the language to better describe eligible projects that deal with groundwater activities.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)

    (II)(bb) conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or from surface water or groundwater storage. → (cc) both increases groundwater aquifer storage and conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or recovers water from groundwater storage;

    Allows projects that simultaneously increase groundwater storage and manage conveyance.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)

    (II)(bb) conveys water, directly or indirectly, to or from surface water or groundwater storage. → (dd) stabilizes groundwater levels.

    Introduces stabilization of groundwater levels as an additional goal for eligible projects.

  • 43 U.S.C. 3203(e)

    5 → 10

    Extends the termination authority for the grant program from 5 years to 10 years.

Action History

  1. Subcommittee Hearings Held

  2. Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 539 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (7)

Not signed on (539)

539 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 539 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

environment
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HR 338 do?
Every Drop Counts ActThis bill expands the Bureau of Reclamation's Small Storage Program, which is a grant program for small surface water or groundwater storage projects in certain western states.First, the bill expands the types of projects that are eligible for grants under the program. Specifically, the bill makes a project eligible for a grant if the project (1) has water storage capacity of recharges no less than 200 acre-feet and no more than 150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis over the life of the project for storage or use; and (2) increases groundwater aquifer storage, conveys water to or recovers water from groundwater storage, and stabilizes groundwater levels.Next, it extends Reclamation's authority to carry out the grant program for another five years.
Who sponsors HR 338?
HR 338 is sponsored by Costa, Jim (Democratic), Fulcher, Russ (Republican), Valadao, David G. (Republican), Gray, Adam (Democratic), Harder, Josh (Democratic), Fitzpatrick, Brian K. (Republican), Simpson, Michael K. (Republican), and Min, Dave (Democratic).
What is the current status of HR 338?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced January 13, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HR 338?
Track HR 338 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HR 338

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HR 338

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →