Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act
A Democratic bill with 6 Democratic cosponsors · See all 7 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act directs efforts to restore and protect the 5-state Connecticut River Watershed region. It establishes a nonregulatory program managed by the Secretary of the Interior to coordinate conservation activities among various government and community entities. Additionally, the bill creates a voluntary grant and technical assistance program to fund these restoration and protection projects. The program aims to manage fish, wildlife, and plant populations while improving water quality and public access. It also focuses on community resilience, farmland conservation, and the promotion of traditional Tribal practices. The Act authorizes various sums of money for these efforts from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Yes· 3 of 14
- Scored +8
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill establishes a comprehensive program to restore and protect the Connecticut River Watershed.
- Scored +7
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill promotes traditional Tribal cultural practices and ecological knowledge.
- Scored +6
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?
The act directs the management and protection of lands and water within the watershed.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Environmental and Recreational Benefits: The program aims to restore fish, wildlife, and plant populations, improve water quality, and enhance opportunities for public access and recreation, such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing (Section 3(d)).
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Community Resilience: The act promotes the use of nature-based solutions to maximize the resilience of communities and natural systems against changing sea levels and storm risks (Section 3(d)).
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Improved Infrastructure and Access: There is a focus on improving access to open space and trails through the enhancement of trails and on-street active transportation like bike lanes and sidewalks (Section 3(d)).
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Food Security and Farmland Support: The program supports farmland conservation, food equity, and climate resilience on working farms and forests (Section 3(d)).
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Increased Support for Environmental Justice Communities: The bill provides higher Federal cost-sharing for projects serving environmental justice communities, covering up to 90 percent of project costs, and potentially up to 100 percent in cases of financial hardship (Section 4(d)).
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Cultural Preservation: The program works to identify, affirm, and promote traditional Tribal river and Watershed-related cultural practices and ecological knowledge (Section 3(d)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Financial Burden on Grant Recipients: While the Federal government provides significant help, many projects require a non-Federal share of the cost, which can be provided through cash or in-kind contributions (Section 4(d)(2)).
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.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill establishes a comprehensive program to restore and protect the Connecticut River Watershed. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — The act directs the management and protection of lands and water within the watershed. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill funds nature-based solutions to maximize resilience against storm risks and changing sea levels. Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport? — The bill includes improvements to active transportation such as bike lanes and public transportation. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill supports farmland conservation and food equity within the watershed. Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change? — The bill supports carbon sequestration on working farms and forests.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill promotes traditional Tribal cultural practices and ecological knowledge. Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill specifically supports farmland conservation and climate resilience for working farms. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill prioritizes environmental justice communities which often include low-income populations. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The focus on farmland and watershed protection provides benefits to rural areas within the five states.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill aims to increase scientific capacity for planning and monitoring environmental quality.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires annual reports to Congress regarding program implementation. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill empowers the Secretary of the Interior to manage a multi-state watershed program.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill increases federal cost-sharing for environmental justice communities to support resource equity.
- 5/14/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 7 Cosponsors 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.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts