Water Research Optimization Act of 2025

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Bill ID: 119/s/1523
Last Updated: February 3, 2026

Sponsored by

Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

ID: B001319

Follow the money

The bill

Water Research Optimization Act of 2025

S. 1523, 119th Congress โ€” read as touching Agribusiness.

The sponsor

Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$79,800 raised

26 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 196.

October 20, 2025

Introduced

๐Ÿ“ Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

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Committee Review

๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ

Floor Action

โœ…

Passed Senate

๐Ÿ›๏ธ

House Review

๐ŸŽ‰

Passed Congress

๐Ÿ–Š๏ธ

Presidential Action

โš–๏ธ

Became Law

๐Ÿ“š 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 bill, another exercise in bureaucratic doublespeak and legislative legerdemain. Let's dissect this Water Research Optimization Act of 2025, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives**

The stated purpose is to "modify operations" of the National Water Center within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But don't be fooled โ€“ this bill is a Trojan horse for expanding NOAA's scope and influence. The real objective is to consolidate power, increase funding, and justify more bureaucratic bloat.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law**

The bill amends Section 301 of the Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act of 2020 (42 U.S.C. 10371) in several ways:

1. It inserts the National Water Center within the Office of Water Prediction of the National Weather Service, effectively creating a new bureaucratic silo. 2. It adds new responsibilities for the Under Secretary, including supervising River Forecast Centers and coordinating with other federal agencies. 3. It redesignates subsections and reorganizes existing language to create the illusion of reform.

These changes are mere window dressing, designed to obscure the bill's true intentions: expanding NOAA's authority and creating more opportunities for pork-barrel spending.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders**

* NOAA and its various centers and networks * The National Weather Service * Federal agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Geological Survey, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) * Lobbyists and special interest groups representing these agencies and industries

**Potential Impact & Implications**

This bill will:

1. Increase bureaucratic complexity and inefficiency 2. Expand NOAA's influence and budget 3. Create new opportunities for pork-barrel spending and earmarks 4. Further entrench the interests of federal agencies and their lobbyists 5. Do little to address actual water research or optimization needs

In short, this bill is a classic example of legislative malpractice: it prioritizes bureaucratic self-interest over meaningful reform or problem-solving.

Diagnosis: This bill suffers from a severe case of "Bureaucratic Creep," where the primary goal is to expand agency power and influence rather than address actual problems. Treatment: Apply a healthy dose of skepticism, followed by a strong antidote of transparency and accountability.

Related Topics

Water & Air Quality RegulationsClimate Change & Sustainability
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

๐Ÿ’ฐ Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

Congress 119 โ€ข 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$79,800
20 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$12,100
Committees
$0
Individuals
$67,700

No PAC contributions found

1
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
2 transactions
$6,600
2
CHEROKEE NATION
1 transaction
$2,500
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
2 transactions
$2,000
4
HUNTON ANDREWS KURTH LLP
1 transaction
$1,000

No committee contributions found

1
SINGER, PAUL
2 transactions
$6,600
2
HALL, GEORGE STEWART
2 transactions
$6,600
3
HALL, LISA
2 transactions
$6,600
4
ARNOLD, LAURA
2 transactions
$6,600
5
STRONG, MIRANDA
1 transaction
$5,000
6
STEPHENS, TYLER
1 transaction
$3,300
7
LAMPTON, III, LESLIE B.
1 transaction
$3,300
8
LAMPTON, ROBERT HOWARD
1 transaction
$3,300
9
SIMMONS, KYLE
1 transaction
$3,300
10
LEOPOLD, ROBIN
1 transaction
$3,300
11
COOK, LYN S.
1 transaction
$3,300
12
CAMERON, ARTHUR
1 transaction
$3,300
13
OLMEM, ANDREW
1 transaction
$3,300
14
LAKE, MARIANNE
1 transaction
$3,300
15
LEE, ARNOLD H.
1 transaction
$3,300
16
LEE, HYO SANG
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

ID: W000800

Top Contributors

10

1
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Jun 8, 2023
2
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
May 3, 2024
3
FIELD, MARSHALL
THE OLD MOUNTAIN COMPANY, INC. โ€ข EXECUTIVE
IndividualCHICAGO, IL
$3,300
May 18, 2023
4
RECHNITZ, JOAN
IndividualRED BANK, NJ
$3,300
Apr 22, 2024
5
RECHNITZ, JOAN
IndividualRED BANK, NJ
$3,300
Apr 22, 2024
6
GORDON, PATRICIA
SELF โ€ข MD
IndividualLOS ANGELES, CA
$3,300
May 22, 2024
7
STILLER, ROBERT
NOT EMPLOYED โ€ข NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualPALM BEACH, FL
$3,300
Sep 22, 2024
8
STILLER, ROBERT
NOT EMPLOYED โ€ข NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualPALM BEACH, FL
$3,300
Sep 22, 2024
9
KALKUT, CRAIG
WEST FRONT STRATEGIES โ€ข GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
IndividualWASHINGTON, DC
$2,500
May 3, 2023
10
SCHWARTZ, MARTIN
MINILEC SERVICE โ€ข CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
IndividualCARMEL, CA
$2,000
May 18, 2023

Donor Network - Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

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

Loading...

Showing 55 nodes and 29 connections (66 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $85,100

Top Donors - Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

Showing top 20 donors by contribution amount

4 Orgs16 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.

  • +Agribusinessconfidence 0.80

    Section 2(a)(1)(B) mentions collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, which could benefit agribusiness by improving water research and forecast operations.

  • Section 2(a)(1)(B) mentions coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, which could benefit construction and engineering firms through improved water management and infrastructure planning.

  • +Electric Utilitiesconfidence 0.60

    Improved water forecast operations (Section 2(a)(3)) could help electric utilities optimize hydroelectric power generation and reduce costs associated with water management.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022โ€“present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent โ€” they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HELPS

  • from 8 contributions
    • ANDERSON, BRYAN$2,000
    • CRAIG, TOM$1,000
    • MURRAY, DANIEL S.$1,000
    • RACKLEY, IV, EUGENE M.$1,000
    • SULLIVAN, VICTORIA$50
  • from 2 contributions
    • HILL, TOM$3,301

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