Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act

Lauren Boebert

Republican · CO · Representative

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Adam Gray (D-CA-13)Original· 2026-02-11

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 21 - 14.

2026-05-14

Source: Congress.gov

This bill would likely expand hydropower development on federal lands and waterways in rural areas, potentially allowing more dams or water power projects to be built or modified. The legislation aims to create jobs in rural communities through construction and operation of these hydroelectric facilities while increasing renewable energy production. Rural landowners, construction workers, and energy companies would be the primary beneficiaries, though environmental groups may have concerns about impacts on rivers and wildlife.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7487 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7487 To amend the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to encourage non-Federal hydropower development with respect to Bureau of Reclamation projects. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 11, 2026 Ms. Boebert (for herself and Mr. Gray) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to encourage non-Federal hydropower development with respect to Bureau of Reclamation projects. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act''. SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO RECLAMATION PROJECT ACT. Section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (53 Stat. 1194) is amended-- (1) by striking ``(1) The Secretary is authorized'' and inserting ``The Secretary is authorized''; (2) by striking ``small conduit hydropower using Bureau of Reclamation facilities and pumped storage hydropower exclusively using Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs'' and inserting ``hydropower using all Bureau of Reclamation facilities''; (3) by striking ``No contract relating to municipal water supply'' and inserting the following: ``(1) No contract relating to municipal water supply''; (4) in paragraph (2)(A)-- (A) by striking ``applicable transferred conduit'' and inserting ``applicable transferred works facility''; (B) by striking ``applicable reserved conduit'' and inserting ``applicable reserved works facility''; and (C) by striking ``power privilege offer for a small conduit'' and inserting ``power privilege offer for the''; (5) in paragraph (3), by striking ``small conduit'' and inserting ``applicable''; (6) in paragraph (4), by striking ``small conduit hydropower''; (7) in paragraph (6)-- (A) by striking ``conduit'' before ``hydropower generation''; and (B) by striking ``transferred conduit'' and inserting ``transferred works facility''; (8) in paragraph (7), by striking ``conduit''; (9) in paragraph (8)-- (A) by inserting ``(referred to in this section as an `authorization')'' before ``issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission''; (B) by striking ``August 9, 2013,'' and inserting ``the date of the enactment of the Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act''; and (C) by adding at the end ``Any authorization issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with respect to a project shall remain in place until such authorization becomes inactive. As allowed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an authorization may be renewed and remain active. Once the authorization becomes inactive, project site jurisdiction shall shift to the Bureau of Reclamation exclusively.''; (10) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (10); (11) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following: ``(9) Nothing in this section shall expand or otherwise amend the Bureau of Reclamation lease of power privilege authorities outside the project boundary.''; and (12) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated-- (A) by striking subparagraphs (A), (C), (D), and (E); (B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (A); and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(B) Reserved works facility.--The term `reserved works facility' means those facilities owned by the Bureau of Reclamation where the Bureau of Reclamation has retained responsibility for carrying out operation and maintenance activities. ``(C) Transferred works facility.--The term `transferred works facility' means a project facility where the operations and maintenance of that facility is carried out by a non-Federal entity under the provisions of a formal operations and maintenance transfer contract.''. <all>

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