Text of Senate Amendment 6043

On 2026-06-24, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6043" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6043

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3257-S3258] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6043. Mr. PADILLA 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. REAUTHORIZATION OF WATER PROGRAM. (a) Reauthorization of Large-scale Water Recycling and Reuse Program.--Section 40905 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3205) is amended-- (1) in subsection (b), by inserting ``feasibility studies and'' before ``the planning''; (2) in subsection (d)-- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ``for a feasibility study for the eligible project or'' before ``to an eligible project''; and (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``30'' and inserting ``60''; and (3) in subsection (k)-- (A) by striking ``5 years'' and inserting ``10 years''; and (B) by inserting ``, except for any project under construction as of that termination date'' before the period at the end. (b) Reauthorization of Recycling Program and Environmental Restoration Program, and Offset.-- (1) Reauthorization of water recycling and environmental restoration programs, and offset.--Section 4013 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b note; Public Law 114-322) is amended-- (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``in'' and inserting ``under''; [[Page S3258]] (C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: ``(2) section 4009(c) (including the amendments made by that section), section 4010(b)(2), and subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f) of section 4011, which shall expire 15 years after that date of enactment; and''. (2) Ceiling on federal share for water recycling projects.--Section 1631(d)(1) of the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h- 13(d)(1)) is amended by striking ``$20,000,000 (October 1996 prices)'' and inserting ``$50,000,000 (in December 2025 prices, as automatically adjusted each January based on the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) over the previous year, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics)''. (3) Actions for benefit of endangered species, important habitat, and water bodies.--Section 4010(b) of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (Public Law 114-322; 130 Stat. 1872) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: ``(2) Actions for benefit of endangered species, important habitat, and water bodies.--The Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner) may undertake or enter into cooperative agreements to support activities during the period of fiscal years 2028 through 2032-- ``(A) for the restoration of habitat or improvement of conditions at the Great Salt Lake and other saline inland lakes affected by the operation of the Central Utah Project or Bureau of Reclamation water projects or deliveries; ``(B) for-- ``(i) gravel and rearing area additions, fish passage improvements, barrier removal, and habitat restoration to the Sacramento River, its tributaries, or other rivers or river basins affected by the operation of Bureau of Reclamation facilities to benefit species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including Chinook salmon and steelhead trout; ``(ii) scientifically improved and increased real-time monitoring to inform real-time operations of Bureau of Reclamation facilities, and alternative methods, models, and equipment to improve temperature modeling, science, and monitoring to support flow benefits for fish species, and related forecasted information for purposes of predicting impacts to salmon, salmon habitat, species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), or other species of concern as a result of water management at Bureau of Reclamation facilities; ``(iii) aquatic habitat restoration activities, including floodplain reconnection and reactivation projects (such as off-channel and managed floodplain inundation projects that enhance biological productivity and food web support for fish) that enhance the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation to meet contractual obligations for water deliveries; ``(iv) fish hatchery modernization and construction projects; and ``(v) structural or operational improvements, including temperature control and associated facilities, necessary to implement activities described in clauses (i) through (iv); and ``(C) for planning, design, scientific studies, resource and biological monitoring, environmental reviews, permitting, construction, implementation, and adaptive management associated with any of the activities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).''. (c) Deauthorization of Inactive Projects Offset.-- (1) Purposes.--The purposes of this subsection are-- (A) to establish an efficient and transparent process for deauthorizing Reclamation projects that have failed to receive a minimum level of investment to ensure active Reclamation projects can move forward while reducing the backlog of authorized Reclamation projects; and (B) to allow for exceptions for the deauthorization of Reclamation projects under subparagraph (A) based on-- (i) action by Congress; (ii) funding to completion by the non-Federal project sponsor; or (iii) a finding by the Secretary that certain Reclamation projects should continue to be authorized to meet vitally important needs of a State or the United States. (2) Definitions.--In this subsection: (A) Reclamation project.--The term ``Reclamation project'' means a project that is-- (i) owned by the United States; and (ii) constructed and operated under the direction of the Bureau of Reclamation. (B) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation). (3) Interim deauthorization list.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and make available on a publicly accessible internet website in a manner that is downloadable, searchable, and sortable-- (A) an interim deauthorization list of Reclamation projects-- (i) that are authorized; and (ii) for which funding was not obligated during the fiscal year in which this Act is enacted or any of the preceding 7 fiscal years; and (B) for each Reclamation project listed under subparagraph (A)-- (i) the date of authorization of the Reclamation project, including any subsequent modifications to the original authorization; (ii) a brief description of the Reclamation project; (iii) the estimated cost of completion of the Reclamation project; and (iv) any remaining amounts authorized, but not appropriated, for the Reclamation project. (4) Final deauthorization list.-- (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the interim deauthorization list is submitted under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and make available on a publicly accessible internet website in a manner that is downloadable, searchable, and sortable, a final deauthorization list of all Reclamation projects identified in the interim deauthorization list, other than any Reclamation project-- (i) for which funding has been provided by an Act of Congress after the date of submission of the interim deauthorization list; or (ii) that the Secretary excludes under subparagraph (B). (B) Exclusions.--The Secretary may exclude from the final deauthorization list under subparagraph (A) a Reclamation project that the Secretary determines is vitally important for the interests of the United States or a particular State, based on consideration of the effects of the Reclamation project on-- (i) public health and safety; (ii) the economy; or (iii) the environment. (5) Deauthorization; congressional review.--Effective beginning on the date that is 1 year after the date of submission of the final deauthorization list under paragraph (4), a Reclamation project included on the final deauthorization list under that paragraph is deauthorized, unless, prior to that date-- (A) a joint resolution disapproving the final deauthorization report is enacted into law; (B) funding for the Reclamation project has been provided by an Act of Congress; or (C) the non-Federal sponsor of the Reclamation project provides sufficient funds to complete the Reclamation project. ______