John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Held at the desk.
Passed one chamber, waiting for the other to take it up
Passed one chamber, and the other has not yet sent it to a committee or put it on its calendar.
The other chamber will hand it to a committee, place it on its calendar, or leave it where it is. Nothing has been decided, and a bill can sit here indefinitely.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed Senate unanimous consent
- Awaiting House
The Senate by unanimous consent (no one objected, so there was no vote): no senator's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026. It updates and continues the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program. The legislation focuses on developing and deploying more accurate, timely, and cost-effective snow monitoring technologies and water supply forecasting. It incorporates methods like imaging spectroscopy, machine learning, and hydrologic modeling. Additionally, it authorizes $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
How the text last changed
Engrossed in Senate (9/30/2026), compared with Reported to Senate. Each change is on the Text tab.
The newer version of the bill changes the short title of the legislation to the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026. It removes an entire set of updates to a 43 U.S.C. 1477 Act that previously detailed instructions on snowpack measurement, integrated modeling, technology development, water management reporting, and specific funding amounts of $6,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The text that remains in the newer version is only the short title section of the bill.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 2(1)(A) emphasizes the development and deployment of more accurate, timely, and cost-effective snow monitoring technologies and water supply forecasting, which can help people by providing better data for water management.
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Section 2(2)(A) adds imaging spectroscopy, machine learning, and snowpack and hydrologic modeling to the program, which might be considered positive because it utilizes advanced methods to inform water management and reservoir operations.
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Section 2(3)(B) focuses on river basins where activities can inform water management decisions or models at a multi-water user, multi-basin, or multi-State scale, which is beneficial for coordinating interstate water management decisions.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2(5) authorizes $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, which could be considered a negative burden because it commits public funds to these specific fiscal years.
The version one chamber actually passed
What changed from Reported to Senate
The newer version of the bill changes the short title of the legislation to the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026. It removes an entire set of updates to a 43 U.S.C. 1477 Act that previously detailed instructions on snowpack measurement, integrated modeling, technology development, water management reporting, and specific funding amounts of $6,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The text that remains in the newer version is only the short title section of the bill.
Each change
- Section 1: The short title of the Act was changed from the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 to the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026.
- Across the bill text: Numerous provisions were removed that amended 43 U.S.C. 1477 regarding snowpack measurement, technology development and deployment, integrated modeling, reporting requirements, water management scale applications, partnerships, and authorization of appropriations of $6,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Written by an AI model from a comparison of this version’s text with the one before it, not by a person. .
- 10/5/2026
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Held at the desk.
- Received in the House.
- 9/30/2026
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5296-5297; text: CR S5296)
- 9/17/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 637.
- 6/10/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 3/17/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.
- 7/24/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 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.
John CurtisRepublican · Utah