Daines Bills Protecting Rural and Tribal Water and Infrastructure One Step Closer to Becoming Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that two of his water bills passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Access to safe water is a basic necessity, and I’m thrilled to see that my bipartisan bills improving water infrastructure in Montana have passed out of committee and are one step closer to becoming law. It’s critical that we implement commonsense solutions to water management, and I’ll continue fighting diligently to get these bills across the finish line,” said Daines. Background: The first bill will reauthorize the Fort Peck Dry Prairie Rural Water System. It extends authority for the Bureau of Reclamation to continue constructing essential water infrastructure in the Fort Peck Reservation and in Roosevelt, Sheridan, Valley, and Daniels counties from December 2026 to December 2028. The Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System is one of four regional water systems in Montana. Read Daines’ press release from when he introduced the bill in January 2026 HERE , and read the bill text HERE. The second bill, the “Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act,” reauthorizes the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) for four years. Read Daines’ release from when he introduced the bill in March 2026 HERE and read the bill text HERE . ### Contact: Matt Lloyd, Gabby Wiggins