The U.S. Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act on January 15.
The legislation, which passed the House of Representatives the week of January 12, provides $38.6 billion in targeted discretionary spending and supports water efforts, the environment, public lands, and other federal efforts. It now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
“From programs geared toward providing clean drinking water and wastewater assistance to those that support the conservation and management of our national parks and public lands, this bill invests in an array of important initiatives,” said Senator Susan Collins, chair of the Appropriations Committee.
Among the bill’s highlights are:
- Department of the Interior: $15 billion for supporting management of National Parks and wildlife refuges, conservation and energy development on public lands and waters, and tribal trust responsibilities.
- Environmental Protection Agency: $8.8 billion in grants and program funding, including $2.8 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water Revolving Funds.
The Senate passed on the same day the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. It also passed the House of Representatives last week and is awaiting the president’s signature.
The bill provides $58 billion in discretionary funding. Among the bill’s highlights are:
- Army Corps of Engineers: $10.4 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program to reduce flood risk, increase the resiliency of our coastlines, improve the navigability of our ports, and restore ecosystems that have been affected by Corps projects.
- Department of Interior: $1.7 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation to help manage, develop, and protect water resources in the western United States.
- Defense Environmental Cleanup: $7.4 billion for the continued cleanup of the nation’s nuclear security sites, providing increased funding for legacy cleanup sites in Washington, South Carolina, Tennessee, Idaho, and Nevada.
“This legislation will help strengthen America’s energy independence, supporting an all-of-the-above approach to energy research, development, and deployment efforts,” Collins said.
Click here to read the bills.