Bill would fund staff positions to help communities plan and build multi-benefit water projects

The Interior Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, must create the Water Project Navigators Program. It may award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible entities for navigator positions. Eligible entities include States, Indian Tribes, local governments, water suppliers, and nonprofit conservation groups in the eligible States. Those States are the Western States and territories listed in the 1902 Act, plus Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The projects must build community or regional resilience to climate effects on water supplies and also benefit ecosystems and watersheds. The program must be created within 180 days after the bill becomes law.

In awarding money, the Secretary must prioritize applications that would serve Indian Tribes, disadvantaged communities, rural communities, and others with limited resources. Priority also goes to applicants that plan to improve natural or nature-based features, have support from multiple stakeholders, may create jobs in Tribal, disadvantaged, and rural communities, and can work with other Interior programs. The Secretary may not fund activities that meet existing environmental mitigation or compliance duties under Federal or State law.

Navigators would help plan, develop, and carry out water projects, including grant writing, project management, and technical help such as feasibility, design, early environmental review, and engineering. Each grant or cooperative agreement lasts up to 3 years. The Secretary may extend or continue it for up to 2 more years. An extension requires satisfactory performance, as the Secretary decides. Navigators must follow all applicable Federal and State laws.

The federal share of an activity's cost cannot be more than 75 percent. The non-Federal share may be cash or in-kind contributions. For awards to Indian Tribes, acequias, land grant-mercedes, disadvantaged communities, and groups working with or for them, the Secretary may reduce or waive the non-Federal share. The Secretary must determine the contribution would cause financial hardship. The Secretary must send a report on that determination to the appropriate committees of Congress.

Within 5 years after enactment, the Secretary must report to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee on how the program helps and what benefits it provides. The report covers reducing water supply-demand imbalances, boosting drought and ecosystem resilience, supporting projects and capacity, and a quantitative analysis of the benefits where practicable. One version of the text authorizes $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032, available until spent. A second version limits spending to $15,000,000 of Federal funds in any one fiscal year. The report is due within 5 years after enactment.