Home\Latest News\Senate Passes Title XVI Funding Bill, Queuing Potential Reauthorization Effort

Senate Passes Title XVI Funding Bill, Queuing Potential Reauthorization Effort

Date: July 02, 2018

The Senate overwhelmingly passed the first Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 appropriations bills on June 25 with an 86-5 vote. Following the House’s lead, the Senate passed a “minibus” appropriations package of three bills including the Energy and Water Development, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bills. The Energy and Water bill funds the Bureau of Reclamation, which administers the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse program. The Senate proposes Title XVI funding of $54.4 million for FY19, the same level as enacted in FY18. However, this is $10 million less than the House-proposed level of $65 million. The House moved to enter into conference negotiations with the Senate on June 28.

House appointed conferees are Reps. Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Simpson (R-ID), Carter (R-TX), Calvert (R-CA), Fortenberry (R-NE), Fleischmann (R-TN), Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Taylor (R-VA), Lowey (D-NY), Kaptur (D-OH), Visclosky (D-IN), Ryan (D-OH), and Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). The Senate must now approve a motion to go into conference and name its conferees. The final agreed upon funding level for Title XVI will be decided during conference negotiations.

If the conference committee decides to fund Title XVI at the House proposed level of $65 million, including $20 million for the Title XVI competitive grant process established under the 2014 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, then the $50 million of authorized funding in WIIN will be exhausted. In this scenario, a Title XVI reauthorization legislation will have to be enacted next Congress to continue the WIIN Title XVI projects. WateReuse will begin working to develop a Title XVI reauthorization proposal later this year.

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