# 119-s-4234: Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act of 2026 119-s-4234, Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4234 - As of: 2026-09-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-4234 - Congress: 119 - Title: Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act of 2026 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2026-03-26 - Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO) - Cosponsors: 2 - Policy area: unknown - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-12 ## Summary **Prioritize nationally coordinated, multibenefit watershed projects and stricter local sponsorship rules.** This bill would restructure federal watershed programs to favor projects that deliver multiple public benefits while tightening eligibility, cost sharing, and oversight for major works. - Local sponsors and Tribal organizations would face clearer obligations. They must secure land and water rights, arrange operation and maintenance funding, get conservation agreements from owners representing at least 50 percent of the drainage area above a retention reservoir, and provide repayment plans that generally recover future storage costs within the reservoir life and not past 50 years. - Conservation, recreation, and habitat outcomes get stronger weight. At least 50 percent of annual program funds would be reserved for multibenefit works, and every work must include agriculture or conservation benefits equal to at least 20 percent of total benefits. - Local control over planning rises and federal advances are capped. Local organizations could hire planning and design services and receive advances capped at 5 percent of estimated installation costs for flood or drought projects, and major projects with more than $50 million in federal construction funding trigger detailed committee notifications. ## Cosponsors (2) - Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] (R-NE), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Sustainable pipe materials funding: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would let the Secretary approve funding for pipe materials that are fully recyclable, last at least 100 years, and can be manufactured on-site. A project sponsor could still choose alternative materials if the State Conservationist recommends them. This could lower life-cycle c… - Land and recreation cost sharing limits: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would allow the federal government to pay up to 50% of the cost to buy land, easements, or rights-of-way for fish and wildlife mitigation. For public fish, wildlife, or recreational sites that a local group agrees to run, the Secretary would not pay more than 50% of land or bas… - Local financing, advances, and storage rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would let local organizations get reimbursed for planning and contracting costs and allow federal advances for those services. Advances could be up to 5% of estimated installation cost for flood/drought projects and up to 75% for projects primarily for fish habitat or water qua… - Priority funding and public data rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would require at least 50% of yearly program money to go to planning, design, or construction of multibenefit projects. USDA would have to publish project data on its website, including drought resilience and listed spending categories like water quality and fish habitat. The b… - Which watershed projects qualify: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would set which projects count as a "work of improvement." A project would have to be in a watershed or subwatershed no larger than 250,000 acres. A single structure would be excluded only if it both holds more than 12,500 acre-feet of flood detention and more than 25,000 acre-… - Agency power, delegation, and repeals: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would give the Secretary more discretion to set assistance terms. It would require the State Conservationist to decide when a watershed plan goes out for final public comment. The Secretary would generally be barred from constructing on non‑Federal land unless a local organizat… - Oversight and decision timelines for big plans: mixed, low. If enacted, plans with an estimated federal construction share over $50 million or structures over 2,500 acre-feet would need Secretary approval and at least 60 days' notice to Congress. Flood prevention projects with any single structure over 4,000 acre-feet would trigger notice to different congr… ## Related bills - 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026 - 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act - 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act - 119-s-3257: John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act - 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026 - 119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act ## Sources - [119-s-4234 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4234) ## Related - [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071) - [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022) - [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283) - [119-s-3257: John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3257) - [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990) - [119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3940) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4234 (as of 2026-09-12).