Water Resources Development Act of 2018
Latest action. Read twice. Placed on Senate legislative calendarThe list of measures reported out of committee and eligible for floor action. Being on the calendar is not a promise of a vote.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) under General Orders. Calendar No. 488.
Water Resources Development Act of 2018
TITLE I--GENERAL PROVISIONS
(Sec. 102) This bill amends the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to identify potential opportunities for the beneficial use of dredged materials obtained from harbors and inland harbors.
(Sec. 103) The bill reauthorizes through FY2023 the Levee Safety Initiative under WRDA 1986 and the dam inspection program under the National Dam Safety Program Act.
(Sec. 105) The bill increases funding limits for the rehabilitation of Corps of Engineers constructed dams.
(Sec. 106) The Corps of Engineers shall report to Congress on the results of the forecast-informed reservoir operations research study pilot program at Coyote Valley Dam, Russian River Basin, California, no later than one year after completion of the study pilot program.
(Sec. 107) The Corps of Engineers shall develop a list of its existing unpowered dams that have the greatest potential for hydropower development.
(Sec. 108) The bill authorizes the use of an emergency fund to repair or restore a federally authorized hurricane or shore protective structure or project damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster to the pre-storm level of protection, instead of the design level of protection, if the pre-storm level of protection provides greater protection.
(Sec. 109) The Corps of Engineers, in carrying out a water resources development feasibility study, shall consult with local governments to determine if local water management plans exist or are under development.
(Sec. 110) The Corps of Engineers shall issue guidance on the use of mitigation banks to meet requirements for water resources development projects in order to update mitigation bank credit release schedules to: (1) support the goal of achieving efficient permitting and maintaining appropriate environmental protections, and (2) promote increased transparency in the use of mitigation banks.
(Sec. 112) WRDA 2000 is amended to specify that assistance for Indian tribes displaced as a result of construction of the Bonneville Dam, Oregon may be in the form of housing and related improvements.
The summary continues for 47 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed House amended" stage on June 6, 2018. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on June 26, 2018: Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 488.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 115th Congress (2017-18), 442 of the 11,421 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Bill Shuster (R-PA) introduced it on May 18, 2018, and 32 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 18 Democrats, 14 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 18, 2018, 3037 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 2998 days ago, on June 26, 2018.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 115th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2019 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers