John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Water Project Navigators Act
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 654.
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
This bill creates a program called the Water Project Navigators Program through the Department of the Interior. The goal is to help states, tribes, and local groups plan and build water projects that tackle climate issues and improve ecosystems. Under this program, the government will award grants and agreements to help hire project navigators who assist with grant writing, project management, and technical work. The bill prioritizes communities that have limited resources and face challenges building water projects. It also sets spending limits and requires a report to Congress on how the program performs.
Yes· 3 of 14
- Scored +5
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill prioritizes Indian Tribes for water project support and provides options for reduced cost-sharing.
- Scored +5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill funds water projects that protect water quality, ecosystem health, and watershed functions.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The program specifically targets rural communities for water project support and economic development.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 3(b) and Section 3(d): This provision provides grants to help eligible entities create navigator positions that assist with grant writing, project management, and technical assistance. This is a positive benefit because it gives communities the hands-on help they need to actually get water projects built instead of missing out due to a lack of staff.
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Section 3(c)(2): This section requires the Secretary to prioritize grant applications that directly serve Indian Tribes, disadvantaged communities, and rural communities. This ensures that federal help goes to the people who usually struggle the most with resources and capacity.
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Section 3(g)(3): This part allows the Secretary to reduce or waive the non-federal cost share for Indian Tribes, land grants, and disadvantaged communities if paying it would cause a financial hardship. This is positive because it ensures that poor communities are not left out of the program just because they do not have cash to match the federal funds.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Section 3(g)(1): This section sets the federal cost share for grants at no more than 75 percent, meaning that local entities generally have to come up with at least 25 percent of the funding on their own. This could put a financial burden on communities that are already strapped for cash, even with the possibility of a waiver.
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Section 3(c)(3): This provision prohibits the use of program grants to fund activities that meet existing environmental mitigation or compliance obligations under federal or state law. This might be seen as a burden because communities cannot use these funds to solve legal compliance problems they are already required by law to fix.
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 Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill prioritizes Indian Tribes for water project support and provides options for reduced cost-sharing. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The program specifically targets rural communities for water project support and economic development. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill prioritizes disadvantaged communities and access to safe drinking water. Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill supports water resource management which can benefit irrigation and agricultural production. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill includes benefits for municipal water districts and cities.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill funds water projects that protect water quality, ecosystem health, and watershed functions. Does this invest in rural communities? — The program explicitly prioritizes rural communities for water infrastructure and resource management support. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — The program assists in projects that conserve fish, wildlife, and natural ecosystem functions. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill focuses on increasing community resilience to climate-related impacts and drought.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill explicitly prioritizes water projects that may promote job creation and retention in Tribal, disadvantaged, and rural communities. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The program supports community resilience and economic investment through water infrastructure projects.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires a report to Congress detailing the program's effectiveness and benefits. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands the Secretary of the Interior's authority to manage the new Navigator Program.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill targets disadvantaged communities to improve resource access and economic resilience.
- 9/17/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee with amendments. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 654.
- 6/10/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- 3/17/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.
- 2/5/2026
- 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.
Jerry MoranRepublican · Kansas