Katie Britt (R-AL)
Water Research Optimization Act of 2025
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 196.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
The Water Research Optimization Act of 2025 changes how the National Water Center operates within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It places the center within the Office of Water Prediction of the National Weather Service. The bill expands the center's role to lead the transition of federal water research into operations and to coordinate with other federal agencies. It also requires the use of supercomputing systems to improve water resources modeling. Additionally, the bill organizes the oversight of River Forecast Centers and the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +7
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?
Coordinates the National Water Center with FEMA to improve water-related disaster forecasting and response.
- Scored +6
Would farmers be better off under this?
Advanced hydrological modeling and consistent forecasting directly benefit agricultural water planning.
- Scored +5
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Enhanced water resource modeling is critical for rural infrastructure and water management.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Coordination: The bill establishes the National Water Center as the primary hub for collaboration between the Administration and other federal groups, such as FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers (Section 2(1)(B)). This could lead to better coordinated water research and forecast activities.
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Consistent Forecasting: The bill aims to integrate and promote consistency across national and regional hydrological forecast operations and service delivery (Section 2(1)(B)).
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Advanced Modeling: By requiring the use of the Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System, the bill supports the development of advanced water resources modeling within a unified forecast system (Section 2(1)(C)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals or groups are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — Advanced hydrological modeling and consistent forecasting directly benefit agricultural water planning. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Enhanced water resource modeling is critical for rural infrastructure and water management. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Improved flood and water forecasting reduces risks for vulnerable populations in flood-prone areas. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Better water modeling helps urban infrastructure planning and flood mitigation.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — Coordinates the National Water Center with FEMA to improve water-related disaster forecasting and response. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — Improved water resource modeling and forecasting can enhance environmental management of water systems. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — Better water modeling aids in the management of federal lands and water resources. Does this invest in rural communities? — Better hydrological forecasting supports rural water management and agricultural stability.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — Expands the National Water Center's role in transitioning federal water research into operational use.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Centralizes the coordination of water research and operations within a federal office.
- 10/21/2025
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-85.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 196.
- 5/21/2025
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 4/30/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont