Text of Senate Amendment 6447

On 2026-06-24, Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6447" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6447

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3569-S3571] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6447. Mr. ROUNDS (for himself and Ms. Cortez Masto) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following: SEC. 1094. DAKOTA MAINSTEM WATER SUPPLY PROJECT FEASIBILITY STUDY. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Dakota mainstem water supply project.--The term ``Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project'' means the proposed project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System service area in the States of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. (2) Non-federal project entity.--The term ``non-Federal project entity'' means the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc., a nonprofit corporation established and operated substantially in accordance with the reclamation feasibility standards to serve as a non-Federal project entity for purposes of the cooperative agreement entered into under subsection (b)(1). (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation). (b) Study.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the non-Federal project entity, shall carry out a study to determine the feasibility of constructing the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project in accordance with the reclamation laws and reclamation feasibility standards. (2) Feasibility report.--After completion of the feasibility study for the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (A) develop a feasibility report that includes a recommendation of the Secretary on-- (i) whether the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project is found to be technically and financially feasible in accordance with the reclamation laws; (ii) whether the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project should be authorized for construction; and (iii) the appropriate non-Federal share of construction costs for the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project, which shall be at least 25 percent of the total construction costs; (B) submit the report under subparagraph (A) to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and (C) make the report under subparagraph (A) publicly available, along with associated feasibility study documents. (3) Consultation and cooperation.--In addition to the non- Federal project entity, the Secretary shall consult and cooperate with appropriate Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and local authorities during the conduct of the feasibility study and development of the feasibility report under this section. (c) Cost-sharing Agreement for Feasibility Study Costs.-- The Secretary shall enter into a cost-sharing agreement (or an appropriate financial assistance agreement, as determined by the Secretary) with the non-Federal project entity to conduct a study under subsection (b) that complies with the reclamation feasibility standards. (d) Federal Share of Feasibility Study Costs; Funding.-- (1) Federal share; funding.--The Federal share of the total costs of carrying out the feasibility study under this section-- (A) shall not exceed 50 percent; and (B) shall be paid for by the Secretary using appropriated funds. (2) Identification of funds.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall identify sources of available funds to pay the Federal share under paragraph (1)(B). (e) Limitation on Expenditures.--Not more than $10,000,000 of Federal funds may be expended to carry out the feasibility study under this section. (f) Termination of Authority.--The authority provided by this section expires on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 1095. WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA WATER SUPPLY PROJECT FEASIBILITY STUDY. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Non-federal project entity.--The term ``non-Federal project entity'' means the Western Dakota Regional Water System, Inc., a nonprofit corporation. (2) Western south dakota water supply project.--The term ``Western South Dakota Water Supply Project'' means the proposed project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water from the Missouri River to the Western Dakota Regional Water System. (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation). (b) Study.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the non-Federal project entity, shall carry out a study to determine the feasibility of the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project in accordance with the reclamation laws and reclamation feasibility standards. (2) Feasibility report.--After completion of the feasibility study for the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (A) develop a feasibility report that includes a recommendation of the Secretary on-- (i) whether the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project is found to be technically and financially feasible in accordance with the reclamation laws; (ii) whether the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project should be authorized for construction; and (iii) the appropriate non-Federal share of construction costs, which shall be at least 25 percent of the total construction costs; (B) submit the report under subparagraph (A) to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and (C) make the report under subparagraph (A) publicly available, along with associated feasibility study documents. (3) Consultation and cooperation.--In addition to the non- Federal project entity, the Secretary shall consult and cooperate with appropriate Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and local authorities during the conduct of the feasibility study and development of the feasibility report under this subsection. (c) Cost-sharing Agreement for Feasibility Study Costs.-- The Secretary shall enter into a cost-sharing agreement (or an appropriate financial assistance agreement, as determined by the Secretary) with the non-Federal project entity to conduct a study under subsection (b) that complies with the reclamation feasibility standards. (d) Federal Share of Feasibility Study Costs; Funding.-- (1) Federal share; funding.--The Federal share of the total costs of carrying out the feasibility study under subsection (b)-- (A) shall not exceed 50 percent; and (B) shall be paid for by the Secretary using appropriated funds. (2) Identification of funds.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall identify sources of available funds to pay the Federal share under paragraph (1)(B). (e) Limitation on Expenditures.--Not more than $10,000,000 of Federal funds may be expended to carry out the feasibility study under subsection (b). (f) Termination of Authority.--The authority provided by this section expires on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 1096. SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM. The Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act (43 U.S.C. 1477) is amended-- (1) in subsection (c)(2)-- (A) in subparagraph (A)-- (i) by striking ``develop'' and inserting ``continue developing''; and (ii) by striking ``culminating in the report required under subsection (d)(3)'' and inserting ``with an emphasis on development and deployment of more accurate, timely, and cost-effective snow monitoring technologies and water supply forecasting, including technologies that integrate snowpack measuring and modeling''; and (B) in subparagraph (B)-- (i) by striking ``after submitting the report required by subsection (d)(3),''; and (ii) by inserting ``and to improve water supply forecasting'' after ``watersheds''; (2) in subsection (d)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``and water supply forecasting'' after ``data''; (ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``emerging technologies for snowpack measurement, such as'' and inserting ``technologies for snowpack measurements and methods to forecast water supply, including''; (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end; and (iv) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following: ``(C) imaging spectroscopy; ``(D) machine learning; ``(E) snowpack and hydrologic modeling; and ``(F) other technologies that the Secretary determines are likely to provide more accurate or timely snowpack measurement data or analytical methods utilizing snowpack [[Page S3570]] data that can improve water supply forecasting to inform water management and reservoir operations.''; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``emerging technologies for snowpack measurement'' and inserting ``technologies for snowpack measurement and models, including the Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration''; and (C) by striking paragraph (3); (3) in subsection (e)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) by striking ``After submitting the report required under subsection (d)(3), the'' and inserting ``The''; and (ii) by striking ``in particular watersheds'' and inserting ``and water supply forecasts in particular watersheds and to explore new statistical, machine learning, or physical models to generate improved water supply forecasts utilizing snowpack data''; and (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: ``(2) F