NWC NEWS ALERT: June 26, 2026

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Releases WRDA 2026 Draft

 

On Friday, June 26, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) released its draft Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA 26) legislation.

According to the committee’s press release, WRDA authorizes 131 new feasibility studies and 10 projects.

NWC is currently reviewing the legislation and will provide members with a detailed section-by-section analysis and summary chart in the coming days.

What WRDA Does

WRDA is a biennial bill that authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works studies, projects, and policies. It is step one of a two-step process to get many Corps studies and projects authorized, then funded through the annual appropriations process, primarily through the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill.

House Action Expected Next Week

This cycle, the House is the first chamber to release WRDA legislation. The T&I committee is expected to consider the bill during a yet-to-be noticed markup on Wednesday, July 1.

A markup is the formal process in which Members debate, amend, and vote on legislation before it advances to the full House. The term comes from the days when Members and staff physically marked up bill text by hand. Today, much of that work is electronic, but the name stuck.

Senate Bill Expected After July 4 Recess

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is expected to release its own WRDA legislation following the July 4 congressional recess.

While there are often similarities between House and Senate bills, significant differences are common. Each chamber solicits Member priorities earlier in the year, and while some requests may be submitted to both chambers, the House and Senate may take different approaches in deciding which projects, studies, and policies to include.

Chief’s Reports Reflect New 35 Percent Design Requirement

Another notable feature of the WRDA 2026 cycle is the number of Chief’s Reports available for consideration.

Chief’s Reports are completed feasibility studies signed by the Chief of Engineers and transmitted to Congress. If favorably received, they are often the basis for project construction authorization in WRDA.

As of June 26, four Chief’s Reports are showing on the T&I website for inclusion in WRDA 2026, with several additional reports expected in the coming months. Based on reports to date, the final number may be just around ten, which would be lower than recent WRDA cycles. WRDA 2024 included 18 Chief’s Reports, WRDA 2022 authorized 33 Chief’s Reports, and WRDA 2020 authorized 46 Chief’s Reports. WRDA 2026 currently has 10.

The lower number reflects a change in Corps policy requiring projects to reach approximately 35 percent design before moving forward for authorization. In practical terms, this means studies must be further along in design before a Chief’s Report is transmitted to Congress and before Congress considers construction authorization.

The Corps’ stated rationale is to improve project definition, cost estimates, and readiness before authorization, particularly in response to concerns about cost overruns and delays on existing Corps projects. The theory is that requiring additional design work earlier in the process will give Congress, the Corps, and non-Federal sponsors a clearer understanding of project scope and costs before authorization.

However, as NWC highlighted in its December 2025 testimony to the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee (House T&I), the 35 percent design requirement also creates challenges for non-Federal sponsors. It can require sponsors to carry more upfront planning and design costs before a project is authorized for construction or funded through appropriations. For communities and project sponsors with limited resources, that added upfront burden may make it harder to advance otherwise meritorious projects through the Corps process in time for a WRDA cycle (NWC’s fact sheet on 35% design).

Chief’s Reports Currently Transmitted to Congress

Chief’s Reports currently available on T&I’s WRDA 2026 page:

Next Steps

NWC will continue monitoring House and Senate action on WRDA 2026 and will provide updates as additional information becomes available.

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