Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a new program to study and stop the golden mussel. This is an invasive species that can clog water pipes and hurt local fish. The program will focus on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta but can expand to any infested area in the country.
• It sets up a grant system to help colleges, local governments, and businesses find better ways to remove these mussels. They will look for ways to clean boat hulls, water intake pipes, and public docks where the mussels like to grow.
• The government will create an early warning system to tell local communities if the mussels are moving toward them. It also requires new rules for inspecting boats to make sure they are not accidentally carrying the mussels to new lakes or rivers.
• Congress would provide 15 million dollars every year through 2030 to pay for this work. This money will help experts understand how the mussels live and what kind of damage they do to water quality and the environment.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.