United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 1 R · 1 D cosponsors

S 2215 — Restoring America’s Floodplains Act

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

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

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced July 09, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

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

Prognosis

Advancing 34% · 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.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 R · 1 D) — 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

Restoring America’s Floodplains ActThis bill allows the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide for certain floodplain easement restoration and management activities under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. This program offers technical and financial assistance, including the purchase of floodplain easements, to safeguard people and property from floods, drought, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters that impair a watershed.Under the bill, USDA may provide financial and technical assistance to restore the adapted vegetative cover and the hydrologic functions and values of wetlands on these purchased floodplain easements. USDA also has the sole discretion to enter into compatible-use agreements with landowners, and agreements with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, to address the maintenance and management of the vegetative cover and wetlands restoration measures for these floodplain easements.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

3 changes Share ↗

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

The bill explicitly authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for floodplain easement restoration and management.

  • 16 U.S.C. § 2203(a)

    In general The Secretary is authorized to undertake emergency watershed protection measures, including the purchase of floodplain easements, for runoff retardation and soil-erosion prevention, in cooperation with landowners and land users, as the Secretary deems necessary to safeguard lives and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion on any watershed whenever fire, flood, or any other natural occurrence is causing or has caused a sudden impairment of that watershed. → (a) Authorizations.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary

    This change redefines the wording of the section heading and introduction to provide a clearer structure and intent.

  • 16 U.S.C. § 2203(a)

    (2) Easement restoration.--The Secretary may provide financial and technical assistance for restoring adapted vegetative cover and the hydrologic functions and values of wetlands on floodplain easements acquired under paragraph (1). (3) Easement management.--The Secretary shall have sole discretion for entering into compatible-use agreements with landowners and agreements with government agencies or nongovernmental organizations to address maintenance and management of the vegetative cover and wetlands restoration measures on floodplain easements acquired under paragraph (1).

    This addition gives the Secretary authority to provide assistance for restoration and management of floodplain easements.

  • 16 U.S.C. § 2203(b)

    Floodplain easements (1) Modification and terminationThe Secretary may modify or terminate a floodplain easement administered by the Secretary under this section if— → Modification and Termination of Floodplain Easements.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary

    This change redefines the heading and introduction of subsection (b) to clarify its purpose.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 545 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (545)

545 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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 agriculture
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 S 2215 do?
Restoring America’s Floodplains ActThis bill allows the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide for certain floodplain easement restoration and management activities under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. This program offers technical and financial assistance, including the purchase of floodplain easements, to safeguard people and property from floods, drought, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters that impair a watershed.Under the bill, USDA may provide financial and technical assistance to restore the adapted vegetative cover and the hydrologic functions and values of wetlands on these purchased floodplain easements. USDA also has the sole discretion to enter into compatible-use agreements with landowners, and agreements with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, to address the maintenance and management of the vegetative cover and wetlands restoration measures for these floodplain easements.
Who sponsors S 2215?
S 2215 is sponsored by Bennet, Michael F. (Democratic) and Ernst, Joni (Republican).
What is the current status of S 2215?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced July 09, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 2215?
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