PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 2872: Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 2872: Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-06-12 · Energy · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-06-12 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Bucshon, Larry [R-IN-8] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act

Plain summary

Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act (Sec.2)This bill amends the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)to establish an expedited licensing process for issuing and amending licenses and preliminary permits for any qualifying facility as defined by this bill. In establishing the expedited process, FERC shall convene an interagency task force with appropriate federal and state agencies and Indian tribes to coordinate the regulatory process associated with the authorizations required to construct and operate a qualifying facility. FERC must assess the safety of existing non-federal dams and other non-federal structures related to the qualifying facility before issuing any license for a qualifying facility. FERC must coordinate with the Department of the Army, Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to jointly develop a list of existing nonpowered federal dams that have the greatest potential for non-federal hydropower development. (Sec.3)Licensees of a qualifying facility are not required to pay an annual charge for administrative expenses until construction commences.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), 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

Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Bucshon, Larry [R-IN-8] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 2872, Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act (2017-12-08)

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

Record fed-us-cong115-hr2872 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115