Rep. Dingell Pushes Bipartisan Bill to Toughen Safety Standards for Hydropower Dams
This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and is currently sitting with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The committee must review the bill before it can move forward, but no action has been taken since it was introduced on May 18, 2026. Most bills do not receive a committee vote, so it is unclear if this proposal will move ahead.
The bill has support from both parties and addresses a clear safety need, but it still has to go through the long committee process before it can become law.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 9893 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 9893 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small hydropower operators could face higher compliance costs due to new financial viability assessments and stricter safety requirements for licensing and relicensing. While these requirements protect public safety, they may burden smaller operators who lack the resources of large utility companies. On the other hand, the bill also protects small businesses downstream from dam failures.
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall establish procedures to assess the financial viability of an applicant for a license under the Federal Power Act”
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
National Dam and Hydropower Safety Improvements Act of 2026
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.
