Bill · S. 3796· Senate(119-S-3796)
Ohio River Restoration Program Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 2/5/2026
- Last activity
- 2/5/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Sponsored by
- John Fetterman
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill proposes to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to create the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program. It establishes an Ohio River National Program Office within the Environmental Protection Agency to lead large-scale restoration and protection efforts. The program aims to improve water quality, increase community resilience to floods and storms, and protect fish and wildlife habitats. A Program Director will be appointed to oversee these efforts, develop actionable goals, and create a comprehensive action plan. This office will work with an advisory council consisting of various stakeholders and Tribal Governments. The bill also authorizes specific funding to implement these environmental and safety projects.
Yes· 3 of 10
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+8
The bill establishes a program to improve water quality, protect fish and wildlife, and remediate toxic substances.
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill mandates consultation with Tribal Governments to ensure their needs and priorities are addressed.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+5
The bill requires the Program Director to make information and updates available to the public via a website.
The opposite
Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport?-1
Restoration projects must remain compatible with existing disaster risk reduction infrastructure.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Improved Water and Health: The program aims to improve water quality in the Ohio River Basin and drinking water in the Ohio River States (Section 2, subsection (c)(2)(A)).
-
Increased Safety from Disasters: Projects are intended to increase community resilience to flood and storm risks, which may include restoring natural systems (Section 2, subsection (c)(2)(B)).
-
Habitat Protection: The program seeks to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitats within the Ohio River Basin (Section 2, subsection (c)(2)(C)).
-
Environmental Cleanup: The bill includes goals to remediate toxic substances in the Ohio River Basin (Section 2, subsection (c)(2)(E)).
-
Public Recreation and Access: There are provisions to improve opportunities for public access and recreation in the Ohio River Basin (Section 2, subsection (c)(2)(F)).
-
Economic Benefits: The selection of projects recognizes that they may provide economic benefits to local or regional communities or the entire basin (Section 2, subsection (c)(5)(A)(iii)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Navigation and Infrastructure Risks: The bill notes that all projects and activities must be compatible with the ability of the Corps of Engineers to maintain navigation and the structural integrity of existing disaster risk reduction infrastructure (Section 2, subsection (c)(5)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Native Americans+5Good For Low Income Households+2Good For Middle Class Households+2Good For Rural Residents+2Good For Urban Residents+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+8Improves Public Transit-1
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+3Improves Economic Growth+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1
- 2/5/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Todd YoungRepublican · Indiana