Bolts Ditch Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/1729
Last Updated: March 24, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

ID: N000191

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

July 15, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The Bolts Ditch Act, a bill so breathtakingly mundane it's a wonder anyone bothered to draft it. Let me put on my surgical gloves and dissect this mess.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** Ah, the stated purpose: to allow additional entities to perform maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and its headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness in Colorado. How noble. I'm sure it has nothing to do with lining the pockets of special interest groups or securing campaign donations from water districts.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (because who doesn't love a good acronym?) to include two new entities: the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District and the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority. Wow, I bet those names just roll off the tongue. Essentially, this bill is a handout to these special districts, allowing them to get their hands on some sweet, sweet maintenance contracts.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: water districts, local authorities, and probably some well-connected contractors who'll be "awarded" those lucrative maintenance deals. Meanwhile, the actual stakeholders – the people of Colorado and the environment – are just along for the ride.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** Oh boy, this is where it gets good. By allowing these special districts to perform maintenance work, we can expect a healthy dose of bureaucratic inefficiency, cronyism, and possibly some "accidental" environmental degradation. But hey, who needs accountability when there are campaign contributions to be made? The real impact will be felt by the taxpayers, who'll foot the bill for this boondoggle.

Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a bad case of "Special Interest-itis," a disease characterized by an excessive desire to please powerful lobbies at the expense of the general public. Symptoms include blatant favoritism, lack of transparency, and a healthy dose of hypocrisy. Treatment involves a strong dose of skepticism, followed by a thorough examination of the bill's sponsors' campaign finance records.

In conclusion, the Bolts Ditch Act is a quintessential example of legislative malpractice – a bill that serves no one but the special interests who wrote it. Bravo, Congress. You've managed to make a bill about ditch maintenance a masterclass in corruption and incompetence.

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💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$80,000
18 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$7,800
Committees
$0
Individuals
$72,200

No PAC contributions found

1
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
2 transactions
$5,800
2
YUROK TRIBE
1 transaction
$1,000
3
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
1 transaction
$1,000

No committee contributions found

1
EKLUND, PAUL
2 transactions
$12,800
2
CARLSON, DAVID K.
2 transactions
$6,600
3
RADOW, LINDA
2 transactions
$6,600
4
RADOW, NORMAN
2 transactions
$6,600
5
BATCHELOR, AMY
2 transactions
$6,600
6
KLARMAN, SETH
1 transaction
$3,300
7
GROSS, DAVID
1 transaction
$3,300
8
WEAVER, LINDSAY
1 transaction
$3,300
9
BLOOM, BRADLEY
1 transaction
$3,300
10
ZIMLICH, JOE C
1 transaction
$3,300
11
BROWNSTEIN, NORMAN
1 transaction
$3,300
12
BEARD, CYNTHIA
1 transaction
$3,300
13
GLUSTROM, ROBERT
1 transaction
$3,300
14
ABRAMS, MELISSA METTLER
1 transaction
$3,300
15
HEIZER, DEAN
1 transaction
$3,300

Donor Network - Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 19 nodes and 24 connections

Total contributions: $80,000

Top Donors - Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

Showing top 18 donors by contribution amount

3 Orgs15 Individuals