Federal Water Projects Consultation Improvement Act of 2026
Download PDFSponsored by
Rep. Bentz, Cliff [R-OR-2]
ID: B000668
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Subcommittee Hearings Held
April 28, 2026
Introduced
Committee Review
📍 Current Status
Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.
Floor Action
Passed House
Senate Review
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 intellectually bankrupt minds in Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Federal Water Projects Consultation Improvement Act of 2026 is a laughable attempt to improve "meaningful consultation and cooperation" between federal and local entities operating federal water projects. Because, you know, the current system isn't already a bureaucratic nightmare. The real purpose? To further entrench the interests of contractors, water users associations, and other stakeholders who want to ensure their grip on federal water projects remains unchallenged.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** This bill is a veritable Christmas tree of goodies for special interest groups. It mandates "routine and continuing opportunities" for covered entities (read: contractors and water users associations) to influence the development of biological assessments, which will inevitably lead to more water being allocated to these interests at the expense of environmental concerns. The bill also requires the Secretary to inform and engage with covered entities on various aspects of the consultation process, because God forbid they might actually have to follow the law without being hand-held through it.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are affected: contractors, water users associations, public agencies, and quasi-municipal corporations. You know, the same folks who've been gaming the system for decades. And, of course, the environment, which will continue to take a backseat to the interests of these stakeholders.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a prescription for disaster, a symptom of the deeper disease of corruption and greed that plagues our political system. By further empowering special interest groups, it will lead to more water being diverted from environmental uses to serve the interests of contractors and water users associations. The Endangered Species Act, already a toothless tiger, will be rendered even more ineffective. And the public? They'll be left to foot the bill for this legislative monstrosity, as their tax dollars are used to subsidize the profits of these special interest groups.
In conclusion, HR 8259 is a masterclass in legislative obfuscation, a cynical attempt to serve the interests of the powerful at the expense of the environment and the public. It's a disease, and the only cure is to excise this tumor from our political system. But don't hold your breath; after all, this is Congress we're talking about – the land of the corrupt, the home of the stupid, and the playground of the greedy.
Related Topics
💰 Campaign Finance Network
Rep. Bentz, Cliff [R-OR-2]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1]
ID: F000469
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Rep. Bentz, Cliff [R-OR-2]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 25 nodes and 33 connections
Total contributions: $86,200
Top Donors - Rep. Bentz, Cliff [R-OR-2]
Showing top 20 donors by contribution amount
Industry Impact
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 helped.
- +Agribusiness confidence 0.80
Section 2(a) ensures consultation and cooperation between Federal and local entities in the operation of Federal water projects, which may benefit agricultural water supply contractors (Sec. 2(a)(2))
- +Construction & Engineering confidence 0.60
The bill's focus on Federal water projects could imply potential benefits for construction and engineering firms involved in these projects (Sec. 2(a))
Project 2025 Policy Matches
This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document. AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.
Introduction
AI Analysis:
"The bill and Project 2025 policy are tangentially related through their focus on water management and environmental protection, but the bill's emphasis on consultation and cooperation between federal and local entities does not directly align with the policy's objectives of clarifying regulations and promoting efficient use of resources. The bill's provisions may even counter some of the policy's goals by prioritizing special interest groups over environmental concerns."
— 429 — Environmental Protection Agency As a matter of broad practice, OW should be complying with statutorily estab- lished deadlines in all situations with only minimal exceptions. In cases where statutory deadlines will not be met, senior management should be made aware of the delay and should have an opportunity to determine whether alternative courses should be taken. Depending on the outcome of regulations from the Biden Administration as well as intervention by the Supreme Court on both waters of the United States (WOTUS) and CWA Section 401,29 the repeal and reissuance of new regulations should be pursued. New Policies New regulations should include the following: l A WOTUS rule that makes clear what is and is not a “navigable water” and respects private property rights. Coordinate with Congress to develop legislation, if necessary, to codify the definition in Rapanos v. United States that “waters of the United States” can refer only to “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water…as opposed to ordinarily dry channels through which water occasionally or intermittently flows.”30 l A rule that provides clarity and regulatory certainty regarding the CWA Section 401 water quality certification process to limit unnecessary delay for needed projects, including by establishing a discharge-only approach with a limited scope (from point sources into navigable waters), assessing only water quality factors that are consistent with specific CWA sections, and excluding speculative analysis regarding future potential harm. l A rule to ensure that CWA Section 30831 has a clear and enforced time limit. l A rule to clarify the standard for criminal negligence under CWA Sections 40232 and 404.33 l A rule to prohibit retroactive or preemptive permits under CWA Section 404. l A rule to promote and shape nutrient trading that utilizes a carrot-versus- stick approach when dealing with nutrient compliance. l A rule to update compensatory mitigation that imposes no new or additional requirements beyond current law. l A rule on updates necessary for the effective use of the CWA needs survey. — 430 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l An executive order requiring EPA to find avenues and expedite the process for states obtaining primacy in available CWA and SDWA programs. This order would require coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Interior. l Implementation of additional policies to address challenges in water workforce, issues surrounding timely actions on primacy applications, and cybersecurity. Budget While the overall goal is certainly to reduce government spending, there is one very targeted area where increased spending would be in the nation’s interest. The Clean Water Act needs survey is the entire basis for how congressionally appro- priated funds directed to state revolving funds—standard annual appropriations that are the true underpinning of all infrastructure funding for drinking water and clean water—are distributed by EPA across the country. Because this program is currently underfunded, money is being thrown at untargeted locations while water infrastructure is crumbling at other locations. Increased targeted funding would greatly benefit water systems across the country at a time when intervention is crucial, leaving fewer communities with significant water service challenges. Personnel OW would benefit greatly from the reshifting of SES employees to different programs and from headquarters out to regional offices. OFFICE OF LAND AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (OLEM) OLEM’s mission is to partner with other federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, and communities to clean up legacy pollution and revitalize land for reuse. OLEM executes this mission by protecting human health and the envi- ronment while leveraging economic opportunities and creating jobs. OLEM also oversees the agency’s emergency response. The main statutes that OLEM exe- cutes are the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)34 to regulate waste management; the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)35 to clean up Superfund sites and provide resources for cleaning up brownfields sites; and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act36 to reduce the likelihood of accidental chemical releases. Needed Reforms OLEM’s main function is to oversee the execution of cleanups under CERCLA and RCRA; therefore, it is critical that OLEM staff focus on project management more than policy creation. Emphasizing productivity more than process and policies
About These Correlations
Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.