YourVoice.Now Summary
EnvironmentUSDA could rebuild flood defenses stronger after disasters — and pay up to 90% of old-dam repairs in low-resource areas
Environment
After a fire, flood, or other disaster, USDA's emergency watershed program could build protection higher than the immediate damage requires. USDA would do so when it decides this helps the watershed's long-term health or prevents repeat damage.
For repairs to old flood-control dams, USDA now pays 65% of the total cost. In areas USDA rates as low-resource, it could pay up to 90%, never more than the actual building cost.
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program pays for conservation work with farmers on a regional scale. Its goals would now name preventing flood and drought damage and making land more flood-resilient.
More about this bill
Places hit by floods or fires could get stronger repairs from the Agriculture Department (USDA). Today, after a disaster damages a watershed (the land that drains into a stream or river), USDA fixes the harm. Under the bill, USDA could build protection higher than needed for the immediate damage. It would do this to keep the watershed healthy and guard it from repeat damage. The bill also changes how USDA helps local groups fix aging flood-control dams. USDA would still pay 65% of the cost in most places. In low-resource areas, as USDA defines them, it could pay up to 90%. Local groups would still pay for water rights and permits. A USDA farm conservation program would also list flood and drought protection as one of its goals. Most households would see no direct change.
Congressional Summary
Flood Protection and Infrastructure Resilience Act of 2025 This bill expands Department of Agriculture (USDA) watershed programs. The bill modifies the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program to allow USDA to undertake certain measures that go beyond addressing the immediate impairment of the watershed. Specifically, USDA may undertake measures that increase the level of protection of the watershed if USDA determines that the restoration is in the best interest of the long-term health and the protection of the watershed from repetitive impairments. (The EWP Program assists sponsors, landowners, and operators in implementing emergency recovery measures for runoff retardation and erosion prevention to relieve imminent hazards to life and property created by natural disasters.) In addition, for Watershed Rehabilitation Program (REHAB) projects that serve a limited resource area, the bill increases the federal cost-share to up to 90% of the total rehabilitation costs. Currently, the federal cost-share for all projects is 65% of the total rehabilitation costs. (REHAB assists project sponsors in rehabilitating aging watershed dams that are reaching the end of their design life or no longer meet certain federal or state standards.) Further, the purpose of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is amended to include the prevention and mitigation of the effects of flooding and drought and the improvement or expansion of flood resiliency. (Under the RCPP, USDA enters into agreements with partners to deliver conservation projects in specific geographical areas. Within an RCPP project, producers enter into contracts and agreements with USDA to carry out eligible conservation activities.)
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-11-06
- Date Added
- 2026-10-03
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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