HR 7889 — AWRC Act of 2025

changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

 WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH ACT OF 1984

 TITLE I

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 Sec. 103. It is the purpose of this Act to assist the Nation 
and the States in augmenting their water resources science and 
technology as a way to--
 (1) assure supplies of water sufficient in quantity 
 and quality to meet the Nation's expanding needs for 
 the production of food, materials, and energy;
 (2) discover practical solutions to the Nation's 
 water and water resources related problems, particulary 
 those problems related to impaired water quality;
 (3) assure the protection and enhancement of 
 environmental and social values in connection with 
 water resources management and utilization;
 (4) promote the interest of State and local 
 governments as well as private industry, including the 
 growing artificial intelligence industry, in research 
 and the development of technology that will reclaim 
 waste water and to convert saline and other impaired 
 waters to waters suitable for municipal, industrial, 
 agricultural, recreational, and other beneficial uses;
 (5) promote effective coordination of the Nation's 
 water resources research program;
 (6) promote the development of a cadre of trained 
 research scientists, engineers, and technicians for 
 future water resources problems; and
 (7) encourage long-term planning and research to meet 
 future water management, quality, and supply 
 challenges.
 Sec. 104. (a) Subject to the approval of the Secretary of the 
Interior (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 
``Secretary'') under this section, one water resources research 
and technology institute, center, or equivalent agency 
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``institute'') may be 
established in each State (as used in this Act, the term 
``State'' includes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, 
the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands and the Federated 
States of Micronesia) at a college or university which was 
established in accordance with the Act approved July 2, 1862 
(12 Stat. 503; 7 U.S.C. 301ff), entitled ``An Act donating 
public lands to the several States and territories which may 
provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the 
mechanic arts'' or at some other institution designated by act 
of the legislature of the State concerned. If there is more 
than one such college or university in a State established in 
accordance with such Act of July 2, 1862, the institute in such 
State shall, in the absence of a designation to the contrary by 
act of the legislature of the State, be established at the one 
such college or university designated by the Governor of the 
State. Two or more States may operate in the establishment of a 
single institute or regional institute, in which event the sums 
otherwise allocated to institutes in each of the cooperating 
States shall be paid to such single or regional institute.
 (b) Each institute shall--
 (1) plan, conduct, or otherwise arrange for competent 
 applied and peer reviewed research that fosters--
 (A) improvements in water supply reliability;
 (B) the exploration of new ideas that--
 (i) address water problems; or
 (ii) expand understanding of water 
 and water resources;
 (C) the entry of new research scientists, 
 engineers, and technicians into water resources 
 fields; and
 (D) the dissemination of research results to 
 water managers and the public; and
 (2) cooperate closely with other colleges and 
 universities in the State that have demonstrated 
 capabilities for research, information dissemination, 
 and graduate training in order to develop a statewide 
 program designed to resolve State and regional water 
 and related land problems.
Each institute shall also cooperate closely with other 
institutes and other organizations in the region to increase 
the effectiveness of the institutes and for the purpose of 
promoting regional coordination.
 (c) Grants.--
 (1) In general.--From the sums appropriated pursuant 
 to subsection (f), the Secretary shall make grants to 
 each institute to be matched on a basis of no less than 
 1 non-Federal dollar for every 1 Federal dollar.
 (2) Report.--Not later than December 31 of each 
 fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to the 
 Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
 Senate, the Committee on the Budget of the Senate, the 
 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
 House of Representatives, and the Committee on the 
 Budget of the House of Representatives a report 
 regarding the compliance of each funding recipient with 
 this subsection for the immediately preceding fiscal 
 year.
 (d) Prior to and as a condition of the receipt each fiscal 
year of funds appropriated under subsection (f) of this 
section, each institute shall submit to the Secretary for his 
approval a water research program that includes assurances, 
satisfactory to the Secretary, that such program was developed 
in close consultation and collaboration with the director of 
that State's department of water resources or similar agency, 
other leading water resources officials within the State, and 
interested members of the public. The program described in the 
preceding sentence shall include plans to promote research, 
training, information dissemination, and other activities 
meeting the needs of the State and Nation, and shall encourage 
regional cooperation among institutes in research into areas of 
water management, development, and conservation that have a 
regional or national character.
 (e) Evaluation of Water Resources Research Program.--
 (1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a 
 careful and detailed evaluation of each institute at 
 least once every 5 years to determine--
 (A) the quality and relevance of the water 
 resources research of the institute;
 (B) the effectiveness of the institute at 
 producing measured results and applied water 
 supply research; and
 (C) whether the effectiveness of the 
 institute as an institution for planning, 
 conducting, and arranging for research warrants 
 continued support under this section.
 (2) Prohibition on further support.--If, as a result 
 of an evaluation under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
 determines that an institute does not qualify for 
 further support under this section, no further grants 
 to the institute may be provided until the 
 qualifications of the institute are reestablished to 
 the satisfaction of the Secretary.
 [(f)(1) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section, to remain available until expended, $12,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025.
 [(2) Any sums ]
 (f) General Authorization of Appropriations.--
 (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2) 
 and subject to subsection (g)(1), there is authorized 
 to be appropriated to carry out this section 
 $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.
 (2) Failure to obligate.--Any amounts appropriated 
 under this subsection but which fail to be obligated by 
 the close of the fiscal ear for which they were 
 appropriated shall be transferred by the Secretary and 
 available for obligation during the succeeding fiscal 
 year under the terms of section 104(g) of this Act.
 [(g)(1) There is further authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of the Interior the sum of $3,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2025]
 (g) Additional funds for research focused on water problems 
of interstate nature._
 (1) In general.--Of the amounts made available under 
 subsection (f)(1) for each of fiscal years 2026 through 
 2029, 20 percent shall be used only for reimbursement 
 of the direct cost expenses of additional research or 
 synthesis of the results of research [by institutes 
 which focuses on water problems and issues of a 
 regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern 
 only to a single State and which relate to specific 
 program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary 
 and the institutes. Such funds when appropriated] by 
 institutes with respect to any of the following:
 (A) Research that focuses on water problems 
 and issues of a regional or interstate nature 
 beyond those of concern only to a single State.
 (B) Research that relates to specific program 
 priorities identified jointly by the Secretary 
 and the institutes.
 (C) Research that relates to water problems 
 identified by Congress as being of an 
 interstate nature.
 (2) Federal cost-share.--Funds made available under 
 this subsection shall be matched on a not less than 
 dollar-for-dollar basis by funds made available to 
 institutes or groups of institutes, by States or other 
 non-Federal sources. [Funds made]
 [(2) Research funds]
 (3) Availability of funds.--Funds made available 
 under this subsection shall remain available until 
 expended.
 (4) Competitive grants.--Research funds made 
 available under this subsection shall be made on a 
 competitive basis subject to the merit of the proposal, 
 the need for the information to be produced, and the 
 opportunity such funds will provide for training of 
 water resources scientists or professionals.
 (h) Coordination.--
 (1) In general.--To carry out this Act, the 
 Secretary--
 (A) shall encourage other Federal 
 departments, agencies (including agencies 
 within the Department of the Interior), and 
 instrumentalities to use and take advantage of 
 the expertise and capabilities that are 
 available through the institutes established by 
 this section, on a cooperative or other basis;
 (B) shall encourage cooperation and 
 coordination with other Federal programs 
 concerned with water resources problems and 
 issues;
 (C) may enter into contracts, cooperative 
 agreements, and other transactions without 
 regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes 
 (41 U.S.C. 5);
 (D) may accept funds from other Federal 
 departments, agencies (including agencies 
 within the Department of the Interior), and 
 instrumentalities to pay for and add to grants 
 made, and contracts entered into, by the 
 Secretary;
 (E) may promulgate such regulations as the 
 Secretary considers appropriate; and
 (F) may support a program of internships for 
 qualified individuals at the undergraduate and 
 graduate levels to carry out the educational 
 and training objectives of this Act.
 (2) Reports.--The Secretary shall report to Congress 
 annually on coordination efforts with other Federal 
 departments, agencies, and instrumentalities under 
 paragraph (1). As part of the annual budget submission 
 to Congress, the Secretary shall also provide a 
 crosscut budget detailing the expenditures on 
 activities listed under subsection (a)(1) and a report 
 which details the level of applied research and the 
 results of the activities authorized by this Act, 
 including potential and actual--
 (A) increases in annual water supplies;
 (B) increases in annual water yields;
 (C) advances in water infrastructure and 
 water quality improvements; and
 (D) methods for identifying, and determining 
 the effectiveness of, treatment technologies 
 and efficiencies.
 (3) Relationship to state rights.--Nothing in this 
 Act shall preempt the rights and authorities of any 
 State with respect to its water resources or management 
 of those resources.

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