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INSIGHTi
Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of
2022: House and Senate Action
Updated October 31, 2022
Recent Congresses have biennial y considered omnibus legislation authorizing U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) civil works activities, typical y cal ed Water Resources Development Acts
(WRDAs). Eligibility for USACE annual and supplemental appropriations general y requires activities to
first be authorized. WRDAs add to or amend existing USACE authorizations and provide policy
direction. In crafting WRDA 2022 bil s, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee considered proposals from Members and documents
transmitted by the Administration (e.g., USACE Chief of Engineers reports, nonfederal proposals in
Section 7001 reports).
Table 1 summarizes House and Senate action related to WRDA legislation in the 117th Congress. The
Senate currently is considering three versions of WRDA 2022. Table 2 identifies selected WRDA 2022
provisions for authorizing projects and studies, sharing project costs, and managing existing infrastructure
in two bil s, House-passed H.R. 7776 (House WRDA 2022) and S.Amdt. 5499 to H.R. 7900 (Senate
WRDA 2022). (See Table 1 for links to bil texts.)
Table 1. Water Resource Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022) Legislation
Description
S. 4136, WRDA 2022
H.R. 7776, WRDA 2022
H.R. 7900, National
Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2023
Action on three versions of
Reported by Senate
Amendment to H.R. 7776
Congressional Record of
Senate WRDA 2022
Environment and Public
engrossed on 7/28/22 that
10/11/2022 printed S.Amdt.
legislation, which share most
Works Committee on
replaced House text with
5499 to H.R. 7900, which
but not al bil texta
5/4/2022
Senate text
includes Division J, Water
Resources Development Act
of 2022
House WRDA 2022 action
Passed House on 6/8/2022
Source: CRS using congress.gov and Congressional Record.
a. Because S.Amdt. 5499 to H.R. 7900 is the most recent Senate version, Table 2 refers to this version as Senate
WRDA 2022.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
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Table 2. Selected Provisions from WRDA 2022 Legislation
(dol ar amounts represent authorizations of appropriations; B = bil ion, M = mil ion)
Provision Type
House WRDA 2022
Senate WRDA 2022
Notes
Study, Project, and Program Authorizations
Authorize new project
§401 would authorize 18
§5401 would authorize 22
Bil s would authorize many
construction
new projects at $37.1B
new projects at $44.5B
of the same construction
($23.2B federal, $13.9B
($26.5B federal, $18.0B
projects, such as the Coastal
nonfederal)
nonfederal)
Texas project at $30.9B
($19.2B federal, $11.6B
nonfederal)
Authorize modifications to
§401 would authorize
§5401 would authorize
—
authorized projects that are
modifications to 4 projects
modifications to 8 projects
unconstructed or under
at a total cost of $2.8B
at a total cost of $10.7B
construction
($2.1B federal, $0.7B
($7.5B federal, $3.2B
nonfederal)
nonfederal)
Authorize environmental
§§309, 328, 332, 337, 345,
§§5301-5304, 5323, 5334,
Congress in previous
infrastructure (EI) assistance
and 346 would amend, add
and 5341 would amend and
WRDA bil s from 1992 to
for design and construction
new, and reauthorize EI
add new EI authorities for
2020 authorized $6.2B in EI
of publicly owned and
authorities for $5.5B
$1.4B
assistance
operated water
infrastructure in specified
municipalities, counties, and
states
Authorize feasibility and
§201 would authorize 81
§5201 would authorize 36
—
project modification studies
studies
studies
Expand feasibility study
§104 would al ow for
§5101 would al ow for study
—
scope at nonfederal sponsor
coastal storm feasibility
scopes to expand in two
request
studies to incorporate
ways: (1) expand coastal
flooding of tidal y influenced
storm and inland flood
surface waters hydrological y
feasibility studies to
connected to coastal waters
incorporate other flood risk
(e.g., due to erosion, tides,
rainfal , subsidence), and (2)
expand feasibility studies to
include water supply, water
supply conservation, and
drought risk reduction
Increase continuing
—
§5102 would increase
—
authorities program’s
project limit from $5M to
federal project cost limit for
$10M
streambank and shoreline
(erosion) projects
Deauthorize construction
§301 would replace WRDA
—
—
projects
2020’s deauthorization list
for pre-WRDA 2007
inactive projects and would
repeal WRDA 2020’s
automatic deauthorization
provision
Congressional Research Service
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Provision Type
House WRDA 2022
Senate WRDA 2022
Notes
Sharing Costs of USACE Projects
Amend USACE authority to
—
§5126 would al ow USACE
Currently USACE only
accept federal funds toward
to accept federal funds if
accepts federal funds based
nonfederal cost share
funds are for a purpose
on a determination by the
“similar or complementary”
originating federal agency
to the USACE study or
that the use is authorized
project purpose
Reduce percentage of inland
—
§5103 would reduce the
—
waterway or intracoastal
IWTF share of construction
waterway construction
costs from either 50% or
project costs that are
35% to 25%, thereby
derived from the Inland
increasing General Fund
Waterways Trust Fund
contribution to 75%
(IWTF)
Extend periodic sand
—
§5204 would authorize
Federal periodic
nourishment for coastal
USACE to extend for 15
nourishment at 50% cost is
storm damage reduction
years periodic
currently authorized
renourishment for projects
general y for 50 years, and
that have reached their
may be extended for an
maximum authorized
additional 6 years. Studies
renourishment period. It
for extension of
also would authorize
renourishment currently are
USACE to study 50-year
typical y limited to 15-year
extensions of periodic
extensions
renourishments
Share costs of periodic sand
—
§5102(a)(4) would establish
Ecosystem restoration
renourishment for
policy to provide 50 years of periodic nourishment after
ecosystem restoration
federal cost sharing for
initial construction is
periodic renourishment for
currently 100% a nonfederal
ecosystem restoration
responsibility
Existing Infrastructure
Study additional measures to §226
§5214
—
sustain operations, mitigate
droughts and floods,
increase water supply and
restore aquatic ecosystems
at USACE South Pacific
Division reservoirs
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Assess USACE dams for
§116 would direct USACE
—
—
which USACE has “financial
to assess dams to identify
or operational”
(1) priorities for
responsibility
rehabilitation, hydropower
retrofits, and environmental
enhancements and (2)
recommendations for dam
removal among dams not
meeting their authorized
purposes
Assess and repair levees for
§114 would direct USACE
§5129 would amend a
—
which USACE has “financial
to assess levees and levee
nonfederal levee repair
or operational”
modifications to restore
authority to al ow for
responsibility
floodplain connectivity
improvements and to
increase USACE per-project
assistance limit from $10M
to $25M
Source: CRS, using H.R. 7776 as passed by the House (House WRDA 2022) and Division J of S.Amdt. 5499 to H.R. 7900
(Senate WRDA 2022).
Notes: WRDA 2007 = P.L. 110-114. Amounts may not sum due to rounding.
Author Information
Nicole T. Carter
Anna E. Normand
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
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