# 119-hr-8889: National Dam and Hydropower Safety Improvements Act of 2026

119-hr-8889, National Dam and Hydropower Safety Improvements Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8889
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8889
- Congress: 119
- Title: National Dam and Hydropower Safety Improvements Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-19
- Sponsor: Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Water Resources Development
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Federal dam safety oversight** would be strengthened by tying hydropower licenses to clear safety duties, new financial checks, and improved communication with States. - Licensees would have an affirmative duty to meet Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dam safety standards and to operate and maintain project works in a way that ensures dam and public safety. New licenses would be issued only if the dam meets safety requirements or the license contains a plan to fix any noncompliance. - FERC would be required to assess an applicant's financial viability to meet dam safety requirements and to operate the project under a license. - FERC would hold a technical conference with States by October 1, 2027 to discuss maintenance, risk informed decision making, climate and hydrological changes, and high hazard dams. FERC would also have to notify States when a repair finding requires action, when five years pass with no repairs, or when it begins noncompliance or revocation steps, and it must provide States full records if a license is revoked or surrendered.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2] (R-MI), 2026-05-19T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- State alerts, records, and conference: benefit, medium. If enacted, FERC would have to notify each State when a dam inspection finding requires repairs, when five years pass without those repairs, and when FERC starts a non-compliance case or takes steps to revoke a license. If FERC revokes or accepts surrender of a license, it would consult the State a…
- Stronger dam license and finance checks: benefit, medium. If enacted, FERC would only be able to issue a new hydropower license if the dam and project works meet FERC's dam safety rules or the new license includes a plan to fix any safety noncompliance. The bill would require licensees to manage, operate, and maintain dams and project works so they remain…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8889 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8889)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8889 (as of 2026-09-21).