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: S. 1760 (Curtis) - Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act of 2025; H.R. 2907 (Stanton) - Save Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (Save BRIC) Act; S. 324 (Rosen) - Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025; And Other Legislation That May Require Consideration by the Board.
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
A. Adopt a Position of “Support” on S. 1760 (Curtis) - Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act of 2025;
B. Adopt a Position of “Support” on H.R. 2907 (Stanton) - Save Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (Save BRIC) Act; and
C. Adopt a Position of “Support” on S. 324 (Rosen) - Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025.
Body
SUMMARY:
A. S. 1760 (Curtis) - Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act of 2025
Recommended Position: Support
Priority Recommendation: 2
This bipartisan bill would amend the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (WIFIA) to change the budgetary treatment of financial assistance provided under the WIFIA Program. 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 funding for these complex projects is limited, this program has been an important source of federal financing to supplement and leverage state and local funding.
Currently, the WIFIA Program does not allow financing for projects involving federal assets (e.g., a levee in a congressionally authorized project or a Bureau of Reclamation facility that is operated by a local entity), regardless of who operates or manages those assets. Some of these assets are in significant need of repair or rehabilitation yet the operating entities do not have sufficient capital to finance the upgrades. In other cases, a local sponsor may be precluded from accessing WIFIA to fulfill its cost share responsibilities on an expensive U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps)-partnered project. Expanding WIFIA access to these entities would help facilitate these critical infrastructure improvements that may otherwise be infeasible.
Status:
The bill was introduced in the Senate on May 14, 2025, and it was referred to the Committee on the Budget.
Importance to Valley Water:
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. WIFIA loans can finance up to 49% of a project’s total cost, with no cap. On a $2.5B project like Anderson, a WIFIA loan enables capital investment while keeping annual water rates low.
Other infrastructure that Valley Water manages, however, is not eligible for WIFIA financing. One such example is the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project, a congressionally authorized project managed by the Corps in partnership with Valley Water and the State Coastal Conservancy. The Corps typically pays up to 65% of the project cost, while the local sponsor (Valley Water) must cover the remainder. The cost of the Shoreline Phase I Project has increased significantly in recent years, imposing a greater burden on Valley Water. Access to federal financing would provide Valley Water with greater flexibility to complete its critical flood protection projects.
Pros:
• The bill would provide eligibility to WIFIA for projects like the Shoreline Project that are currently ineligible for the program.
Cons:
• None identified.
B. H.R. 2907 (Stanton) - Save Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (Save BRIC) Act
Recommended Position: Support
Priority Recommendation: 2
This bipartisan bill would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fully fund the Building Resilient Communities and Infrastructure (BRIC) program, a grant program that has provided billions of dollars to communities, municipalities, Tribal Nations, and states so that they can prepare for natural disasters before they hit, saving lives and taxpayer dollars in the long term.
In 2018, Congress established BRIC to fund a wide variety of disaster mitigation activities, including preparation and planning, elevating or moving structures prone to flooding, wildfire prevention, stormwater management upgrades, and hardening structures to mitigate the effects of hurricanes or earthquakes. In 2024 alone, the United States experienced 27 weather and climate disasters with damages exceeding $1 billion.
On April 4, 2025, FEMA announced the immediate termination of the BRIC program. No applications submitted for Fiscal Year 2024 will be reviewed and no funds will be awarded. Additionally, all BRIC applications from Fiscal Years 2020-2023 have been canceled, and approximately $880 million in unspent funds will be returned to either the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury. This decision was made by FEMA, with the stated goal of eliminating waste and fraud.
This bill would protect BRIC, ensuring that the federal government continues to invest in disaster preparedness nationwide and reducing the cost of disasters in the long run.
Status:
H.R. 2907 was introduced in the House on April 14, 2025, and it was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Representative Sam Liccardo (CA-16) is an original cosponsor.
Importance to Valley Water:
Investing in pre-disaster mitigation projects allows communities to reduce the impact of natural disasters and protects from future hazards. It focuses on proactive measures rather than reactive responses, helping communities build resilience and save lives and money in the long run. The BRIC program fostered innovation in hazard mitigation, including nature-based solutions and multi-hazard resilience, while also promoting partnerships between different levels of government. Valley Water applied for BRIC funding in the past and was unsuccessful, partly due to the program’s high demand. There is tremendous local need, as taxpayers cannot shoulder the immense cost of mitigation projects alone. As our region continues to see more extreme weather, having access to federal pre-disaster mitigation assistance like BRIC will be critical.
Pros:
• BRIC program supports communities, municipalities, Tribal Nations, and states as they work to reduce their hazard risk before disasters hit.
• BRIC encourages and aids innovation, helps partnerships grow, supports infrastructure projects, and fosters flexibility and consistency in pre-disaster mitigation.
• Research has proven that every $1 invested in pre-disaster mitigation saves up to $13 in disaster recovery costs.
• The bill would ensure BRIC funded projects that were well under way when the BRIC program was terminated receive their awarded funding, protecting communities from future disasters.
Cons:
• None identified at this time.
C. S. 324 (Rosen) - Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025
Recommendation: Support
Priority: 3
This bill aims to improve weather forecasting accuracy, particularly for subseasonal and seasonal precipitation, to benefit water management, agriculture, and ranching. It directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish pilot projects to address challenges in forecasting and product development for water management in the western United States and for U.S. agriculture. The bill outlines specific objectives for these pilot projects, such as improving operational model resolution to better predict precipitation in mountainous regions and enhancing the modeling of atmospheric rivers. For agriculture, the focus is on improving the modeling of the land surface and hydrologic cycle, including soil moisture and drought processes. Each pilot project must include activities that engage with and leverage the resources of academic institutions and entities within NOAA, as well as achieve measurable objectives for operational forecast improvement. NOAA’s authority with respect to these pilot projects expires five years after the bill’s enactment. Additionally, the bill would authorize $45 million for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out the pilot programs.
Status:
S. 324 was introduced in the Senate on January 29, 2025, and it was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Senator Alex Padilla is an original cosponsor.
Importance to Valley Water:
This bill would improve weather research and forecasting activities and help communities better prepare for weather-related shifts or disasters. As Silicon Valley’s primary water agency, our duties include providing flood protection and environmental stewardship for Santa Clara County’s more than 800 miles of creeks and streams, and ensuring a clean, healthy, and reliable water supply for our county’s nearly two million residents. Severe weather routinely impacts our region, whether through extreme drought, high tides, or atmospheric rivers. Better information about these systems will lead to improved forecasting, ultimately helping to better predict both storms and drought impacts on our communities. For water management, flood preparedness, and the agricultural community, this information is critical.
Pros:
• The bill would support programs that lead to more accurate and timely forecasts, which can help farmers and water managers make better-informed decisions, ultimately boosting productivity and resource efficiency.
• The bill would support improved operational modeling of warm-season precipitation and prediction of certain spring and summer weather patterns, thus helping plan drought mitigation.
Cons:
• None identified at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY IMPACT:
There are no direct Environmental Justice impacts associated with this item, as the Board’s position does not enact the legislation discussed above. However, if these bills were to be enacted, it would further environmental justice goals nationwide and could benefit overburdened and disadvantaged communities in Santa Clara County.
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, 408-630-2237