H.R. 291: Water in the 21st Century Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-01-13 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-01-13 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Water in the 21st Century Act

Plain summary

Water in the 21st Century Act or W21 This bill establishes within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a WaterSense program to identify, label, and promote water efficient products, buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and services. This bill establishes a program to provide financial incentives for consumers to purchase and install products, buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and services labeled under the WaterSense program. The EPA is required to make grants to owners or operators of water systems to address any ongoing or forecasted impact of climate change on a region's water quality or quantity. The Department of the Interior may: (1) provide financial assistance to water projects in specified states, including projects for water recycling, water infrastructure, enhanced energy efficiency, desalination, and water storage and conveyance; and (2) transfer to nonfederal entities title to any reclamation projects or facility in need of rehabilitation that are authorized before enactment of this Act. The U.S. Geological Survey must establish an open water data system to advance the availability, timely distribution, and widespread use of water data and information for water management, education, research, assessment, and monitoring purposes. This bill reauthorizes through FY2020 the Water Desalination Act of 1996 and water resources research and technology institutes under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984. After receiving a request from a nonfederal sponsor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must review the operation of a reservoir and, if appropriate, update the water control manual to incorporate improved weather and runoff forecasting methods. The EPA is required to develop voluntary national drought resilience guidelines relating to preparedness planning and investments for water users and providers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must prepare a salmon drought plan for California.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Water in the 21st Century Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32] · 31 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Judy Chu (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), Pete Aguilar (D-CA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr291.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr291 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114