Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act of 2025
- Sponsor
- Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]
- Committees
- Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Mar 27, 2025
Bottom line
The bill codifies and funds a federal program designed to improve urban water quality and community engagement through enhanced interagency collaboration.
What it actually does
This bill formally authorizes and mandates the continuation of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program, which aims to reconnect urban communities, especially those overburdened or economically distressed, with their local waterways. It establishes a steering committee for interagency coordination, defines partnership locations and activities, and authorizes appropriations for the program through fiscal year 2030.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that formalizing the Urban Waters program ensures its continuity and effectiveness, providing crucial federal coordination and resources to address environmental justice concerns in urban areas. They contend that the program fosters community revitalization, improves public health, and enhances ecological restoration by leveraging diverse agency expertise and funding.
Opponents contend
Critics might argue that while the program's goals are laudable, formalizing it could lead to bureaucratic inefficiencies or duplicate efforts already undertaken by existing federal, state, or local environmental initiatives. They might also question the necessity of a dedicated appropriation when agencies could achieve similar outcomes through their core missions, potentially leading to unnecessary federal spending.
The bill is concise and clearly structured, making it accessible for a quick but thorough review.
Section 1
Short Title
This section establishes the official short title of the Act as the "Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act of 2025," providing a concise and recognizable name for the legislation. This is a standard legislative practice that helps in referencing and discussing the bill.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that a clear short title makes the bill easier to reference and discuss, facilitating public and legislative understanding of its purpose.
Critics contend
No specific opposition is typically raised against short title provisions as they are standard legislative practice.
Tradeoffs
None, this is a standard procedural element.
Section 2
Definitions
This section defines key terms used throughout the Act, such as "Administrator" (EPA Administrator), "member agencies" (a list of 14 specific federal agencies plus others that elect to participate), "Secretaries" (Interior and Agriculture), "Urban Waters ambassador," "Urban Waters nonpartnership location," "Urban Waters partnership location," and "Urban Waters program." These definitions are crucial for understanding the scope and implementation of the program and the roles of various entities.
Section 3(a) and (b)
Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program Authorization and Purpose
This section formally authorizes the "Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program" to be administered by a partnership of member agencies. Its stated purpose is to reconnect urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their associated waterways by improving coordination among Federal agencies. This establishes the program as a permanent federal initiative.
Section 3(c)(2)
Steering Committee Establishment and Duties
This provision mandates the establishment of a steering committee for the Urban Waters program, chaired by the EPA Administrator and co-chaired by the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture. Its members will be senior officials from designated member agencies. The committee's duties include providing general guidance, identifying annual priority issues, and identifying funding opportunities. Crucially, it allows for interagency financing and direct fund transfers to support the committee's activities, overriding certain federal finance restrictions.
Section 3(e)
Authorization of Appropriations
This section authorizes the appropriation of $10,000,000 to the Administrator of the EPA for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the Urban Waters program. This provides a dedicated funding stream for the program for five years. It also clarifies that these funds can be used in conjunction with amounts made available from other member agencies and non-Federal entities, encouraging leveraged funding.
This provision allows member agencies to provide interagency financing and directly transfer funds to the Urban Waters steering committee, explicitly overriding specific federal finance laws, including section 1346 of title 31, United States Code, and section 708 of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
Section 3(c)(2)(C)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice for granting specific exceptions to general federal finance laws to enable particular program operations. It's not necessarily evasive but is a technical fix for common bureaucratic challenges in interagency programs.
Case for: Proponents argue this flexibility is crucial for efficient interagency collaboration, allowing resources to be pooled and deployed quickly without being bogged down by complex administrative hurdles designed for general appropriations. This streamlines operations for a multi-agency program.
Case against: Critics might contend that such "notwithstanding" clauses can reduce fiscal transparency and accountability, making it harder to track how taxpayer money is spent across different agencies and potentially bypassing traditional oversight mechanisms.
Estimated impact: This provision facilitates the efficient use and transfer of potentially millions of dollars across multiple agencies for program administration and projects, impacting how federal funds are managed for this specific initiative.