Bipartisan Water Resources Legislation Advances in Senate Committee

What happened: The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee May 4 unanimously approved biennial legislation to support water infrastructure enhancements to ports, harbors and inland waterways. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 continues the EPW committee’s tradition of developing and advancing bipartisan infrastructure bills. ARTBA urged support for the legislation in a May 4 letter to the committee.

Why it matters: Passage of a WRDA bill would authorize the study and construction of water resources that could help ease supply chain constraints and support existing transportation networks. While projects in WRDA authorizations are contingent on funding through the annual appropriations process, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided $17 billion in one-time resources for water resources projects.

What’s next: The House is working on its own WRDA legislation, though it has yet to advance out of committee. The two bills will then be reconciled and likely enacted later this year.