# 119-hr-7264: Restoring America’s Floodplains Act

119-hr-7264, Restoring America’s Floodplains Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8] (R-IN); status in_committee (as of 2026-07-25).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7264
- As of: 2026-07-25
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7264
- Congress: 119
- Title: Restoring America’s Floodplains Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-01-27
- Sponsor: Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8] (R-IN)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Agriculture and Food
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-25

## Summary

**Expands restoration and management of floodplain easements.** This bill would let the Agriculture Secretary restore vegetation and hydrology on lands held under Emergency Watershed Program floodplain easements, monitor and maintain those restorations, make contracts with landowners, and strike agreements with States, nongovernmental organizations, and Indian Tribes. It would also allow certain compatible uses on easement lands, like hunting, fishing, managed timber harvest, periodic haying, or grazing, when those uses are consistent with long-term protection of floodplain functions and values. - Landowners and farmers: Could sign contracts for restoration and maintenance and may be allowed compatible economic uses such as grazing, haying, hunting, fishing, or managed timber harvest when they protect long-term floodplain values. - States, Indian Tribes, and nongovernmental organizations: Could enter agreements with the Agriculture Department to help restore, monitor, and maintain easement lands. - Watersheds and floodplain health: The Secretary could choose higher levels of restoration than needed for immediate fixes when doing so serves the long-term health and protection of the watershed.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2] (D-NM), 2026-01-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More floodplain restoration for landowners: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary would be authorized to restore plants, hydrological functions, and other values on land under a floodplain easement. The Secretary would be able to monitor, maintain, and enhance those restoration measures. The Secretary would be able to enter contracts with landowners and…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025
- 119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-7264 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7264)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4317)
- [119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-471)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3633)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7264 (as of 2026-07-25).