Clean Water Current

Congress is returning to Washington, DC for what is expected to be a final two or three-week legislative stretch before the November mid-term elections.  

The major focus over the coming weeks will be on passage of a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government at current levels to start Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), which begins on October 1^st.

While the House passed its appropriations bills in July and the Senate released its committee marker bills shortly after, election year politics have delayed any agreed upon final Omnibus Appropriations package until later this year – thus necessitating a CR until mid-December. 

Both chambers are currently negotiating the final details of the CR and potential inclusion of supplemental funding President Biden is seeking for further COVID-19 response efforts and aid to Ukraine, as well as legislation Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is seeking to include on energy permitting reform. 

Over the coming months, NACWA will continue working with Congressional appropriators to ensure the highest level of funding for clean water programs are provided for in any final FY23 Omnibus Appropriations package.

Additionally, both chambers are working to conference a final 2022 Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) with the hope of bringing it before the House and Senate for a final vote in the coming weeks.  Negotiations, however, may need longer and final passage of the bill may not occur until November or early December. Both the House and Senate WRDA bills included Environmental Infrastructure (EI) project earmark funding to support POTWs and municipalities with local water supply, wastewater, and stormwater projects.

The Senate is also looking to possibly take up and pass its version of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the coming weeks and then begin conferencing the bill with the House, which passed its version in July. Any final FY23 NDAA is unlikely to include any problematic provisions for clean water utilities related to PFAS; however, NACWA will continue to advocate to ensure that it does not. 

Please contact Jason Isakovic, NACWA’s Director of Legislative Affairs, with any questions or to discuss further.