BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT: Title
Adopt Recommended Positions on Federal Legislation: H.R. 6229 (Schrier) - Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act of 2025; H.R. 6204 (Lee) - Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization Act; H.R. 5414 (Van Drew) - Dam Assessment and Mitigation Support (DAMS) Act; And Other Legislation That May Require Consideration by the Board.
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
A. Adopt a Position of “Support” on H.R. 6229 (Schrier) - Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Amendments of 2025;
B. Adopt a Position of “Support” on H.R. 6204 (Lee) - Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization Act; and
C. Adopt a Position of “Support and Amend” on H.R. 5414 (Van Drew) - Dam Assessment and Mitigation Support (DAMS) Act.
Body
SUMMARY:
A. H.R. 6229 (Schrier) - Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Amendments of 2025
Recommended Position: Support
Priority Recommendation: 1
This bipartisan bill would make several improvements to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (WIFIA) to expand its applicability. These changes include:
• Broadening WIFIA eligibility to local project sponsors that have federal projects. This includes state-led water storage projects, transferred works of the Bureau of Reclamation, and congressionally authorized U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) projects.
• Authorizing the use of collaborative project delivery methods for WIFIA projects, allowing more flexibility and reducing the time and cost of the project.
• Allowing certain federal water infrastructure loans to have maturity dates of up to 55 years.
• Reauthorizing the Corps WIFIA program through FY2029. The Corps WIFIA program, known formally as the Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program, is administered through the Corps (as opposed to EPA) and currently funds non-federal dam rehabilitation projects. Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) has a pre-approved loan for our Dam Safety Program, and formal approval would make it the first loan in the nation under this program.
The Board voted to support similar bills in previous Congresses. This bill combines two such bills from previous years, both of which the Board supported.
Status:
The bill was introduced in the House on November 20, 2025, and it was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Importance to Valley Water:
For nearly a decade, the WIFIA Program at the Environmental Protection Agency has provided long-term, low-interest loans to finance large water infrastructure projects nationwide. Where federal appropriations for these complex projects are limited, this program has been an important source of federal support to supplement and leverage state and local funding.
As the recipient of two recent WIFIA loans to upgrade critical infrastructure, including Anderson Dam and Coyote Creek, Valley Water knows firsthand the value of the WIFIA Program in supplementing non-federal funding. Currently, the WIFIA Program does not allow financing for projects involving federal assets, such as a levee that is part of a congressionally authorized Corps project. Some of these assets are in significant need of repair and rehabilitation, yet the operating entities do not have sufficient capital to finance the upgrades. Expanding eligibility to these entities would help facilitate these critical infrastructure improvements that would otherwise be infeasible.
Pros:
• The bill would expand WIFIA eligibility to congressionally authorized Corps projects such as the Shoreline Project, Upper Guadalupe River Project, and more. WIFIA loans for these projects could save millions of dollars in costs, ultimately benefiting local taxpayers.
• The bill would allow for an extended maturity date of up to 55 years for certain WIFIA loans. Staff has been assured that this language does not require such an extended repayment term, as that may benefit some entities but is not necessarily preferable for all.
Cons:
• None identified.
B. H.R. 6204 (Lee) - Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization Act
Recommended Position: Support
Priority Recommendation: 2
This bipartisan bill would reauthorize the Large-Scale Water Recycling and Reuse Program at the Bureau of Reclamation, which expires in 2026. Originally authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Public Law 117-58), the Large-Scale Water Recycling and Reuse Program provides grants to water recycling and reuse projects that have a total cost of at least $500 million, with no cap on the award amount. The program was appropriated $450 million and nearly all those funds have been allocated. This bill would extend the program through 2031 and reauthorize its funding.
Status:
The bill was introduced in the House on November 20, 2025, and it was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
Importance to Valley Water:
Valley Water’s Recycled and Purified Water Program is an ambitious, large-scale effort to produce a locally sourced, drought-resilient supply of water. As climate change produces even more extreme and unpredictable weather throughout the West, having a more stable, sustainable, and locally controlled water supply is essential. The Large-Scale Water Recycling Program is the single largest source of federal funding available for water recycling projects of the size Valley Water is pursuing; the other existing sources provide much smaller awards, such as the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program that limits federal investment to $30M per project.
This bill would ensure that this important funding program remains past its expiration in 2026. Replenishing these funds is critical, as the program does not have an award cap and the projects that need this support are very costly. Having this program available past 2026 will be critical for supporting Valley Water’s Purified Water Project in San José and others that Valley Water pursues in the future. These projects will be essential to reducing our reliance on imported water and local groundwater supplies.
Pros:
• Reauthorizes a critical source of funding for large water recycling projects, which the other available funding programs (e.g., Title XVI) are simply not designed to do. This would help ensure there is continued funding available (assuming the funds are appropriated) for Valley Water’s Recycled and Purified Water Program in the future.
Cons:
• None identified at this time.
C. H.R. 5414 (Van Drew) - Dam Assessment and Mitigation Support (DAMS) Act
Recommended Position: Support
Priority Recommendation: 2
This bipartisan bill would reauthorize the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams Program at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through 2031. This program provides grants for the repair, removal, or other measures to rehabilitate eligible high hazard potential dams. The program was created under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016, and the funding authorization is set to expire in 2026. This bill would also amend the program to ensure that all states adopt a risk-based priority system for identifying eligible high hazard potential dams.
Proposed Amendment:
In order to better serve Valley Water’s interests, staff proposes an amendment that would eliminate the funding cap for grants under the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams Program. The program limits awards to $7.5 million or 12% of the total funds made available for the program, whichever is smaller. Valley Water will continue to advocate for increased funding for this important program, but eliminating this cap could help entities like Valley Water secure larger funding awards for dam retrofit projects that can cost billions of dollars.
Status:
The bill was introduced in the House on September 16, 2025, and it was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Importance to Valley Water:
Improving dam safety, particularly at our most vulnerable facilities, is of paramount concern to Valley Water. All ten Valley Water-managed dams have been classified as “high hazard potential” by dam regulators, indicating the significant potential for harm to life and property in the event of a failure. The Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams Program is one of the few sources of federal funding available for upgrading non-federal dams, and Valley Water could potentially access this funding in the future.
Pros:
• Supports additional federal investment in dam safety nationwide, particularly for the highest risk facilities.
• Reauthorizes a grant program for non-federal dam rehabilitation and repair that Valley Water could potentially access in the future.
Cons:
• None identified at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There are no direct Environmental Justice impacts associated with this item, as the Board’s position does not enact the legislation discussed above.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER: Manager
Marta Lugo, 408-630-2338