119-HR-7631 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary: Rural Water Security Act (H.R. 7631)

Headline Summary: Let Colorado’s rural communities join an existing U.S. Army Corps program that helps small towns build and upgrade drinking water and wastewater systems; introduced February 20, 2026.

What It Does: The bill amends Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 to add “Colorado” to the list of eligible western states. Under Section 595, the Army Corps can partner with local sponsors to design and construct water supply, wastewater, environmental restoration, and surface-water projects for small communities, typically on a 75% federal / 25% local cost share. Today the program covers Arizona, Idaho, Montana, rural Nevada, New Mexico, rural Utah, and Wyoming; Colorado is not included—this bill would change that. (nws.usace.army.mil)

• Who’s For It: A bipartisan group of Colorado House members led by Rep. Brittany Pettersen, with cosponsors Jeff Hurd, Jeff Crank, Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, Gabe Evans, and Joe Neguse. They present it as a practical way to finance essential water systems for small and rural communities.
• Who’s For It: Rural towns and water/wastewater districts that struggle to fund upgrades; similar Section 595 projects have supported dozens of rural communities in other states (e.g., more than 30 communities aided in Utah since 2005). (usace.army.mil)

• Who’s Against It: Budget hawks concerned about expanding a federal assistance program and future appropriations needs.
• Who’s Against It: Stakeholders who prefer rural water aid to run through the Bureau of Reclamation rather than the Army Corps, or who worry about overlapping programs and mission creep across agencies. (doi.gov)

What’s Next: As of February 20, 2026, the bill has been introduced and referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Next steps typically include subcommittee review, hearings, and a markup; provisions like this are often folded into Congress’s biennial Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) package rather than moving alone. (asla.org)