Rural Water Security Act

119th Congress Introduced by Jeff Crank and 6 co-sponsors

Colorado is added to the western rural water program under WRDA 1999, expanding eligibility for federal rural water support in the state.

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Summary of HR 7631 (119th Congress) — Rural Water Security Act

Purpose and intent

The bill, titled the Rural Water Security Act, aims to amend the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 to include Colorado in a federal program related to western rural water. The overarching goal is to strengthen or expand federal support for rural water initiatives in the western United States, with Colorado specifically added to the program.

Key provisions and changes

Amendment to the Water Resources Development Act of 1999:

Section 595 of the WRDA 1999 is amended to explicitly include Colorado in the western rural water program.
The amendments insert “Colorado” in three places within Section 595:
In subsection (b), insert before “Arizona”
In subsection (c)(1), insert before “Arizona”
In subsection (i)(1), insert before “Idaho”

The changes are structural and administrative, expanding eligibility or participation to Colorado within the existing framework of the Western Rural Water program established by WRDA 1999.

Who/what is affected

Colorado is added to the roster of states covered by the western rural water program created under WRDA 1999.

Stakeholders likely impacted include:

Colorado state agencies and local water districts involved in rural (non-urban) water infrastructure projects.
Federal agencies administering the western rural water program.
Rural communities in Colorado seeking federal support for water supply, reliability, or security projects.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introductions and referrals:

Introduced in the House on February 20, 2026 by Rep. Pettersen (and several cosponsors).
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, then to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

No specific funding levels, deadlines, or programmatic changes are included in the text provided beyond the statutory insertion of Colorado into the program.

The bill would require Senate action and, if passed, presidential signature to become law, as with typical federal legislation.

Notes and context

The bill is narrowly focused on including Colorado in an established program within the WRDA 1999 framework. It does not, based on the text available, create new financing mechanisms, authorize new appropriations, or modify program requirements beyond the geographic expansion.

Sponsors include several Colorado representatives, indicating regional interest in expanding rural water program benefits to Colorado communities.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison of the current WRDA 1999 Section 595 language with the proposed amendments to show exact wording changes.