A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
Legislative Progress
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President
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Could go either way
Water issues often get bipartisan support in Western states, but the bill is in the early stages and must compete with other budget priorities.
Key Points
This bill aims to help rural towns in the West pay for expensive water projects like pipes and treatment plants. It specifically targets communities that are struggling financially and need help maintaining their water systems.
Right now, the federal government pays for a portion of these projects, and the local town must pay the rest. This bill would increase the government's share to 90 percent of the total cost for qualified areas.
By covering more of the bill, the government hopes to make it easier for poor areas to get clean and reliable water without raising local taxes or water fees too much.
The plan focuses on Western states where water is often scarce and infrastructure is aging. It uses a specific legal definition to decide which towns qualify as economically disadvantaged based on their income and employment levels.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Jul 14, 2026Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Jul 14, 2026
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Western Water Infrastructure Fairness Act
Bill NumberS 4971
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
