H.R. 660House115th Congress (2017-2019)Passed House

Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

The Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act requires the Interior Secretary to produce a comprehensive report on the condition and maintenance needs of the Bureau’s water‑resource infrastructure. The report must detail major repairs, provide cost estimates and a rating system, be made publicly available (with sensitive parts kept confidential for Congress), and be updated every two years. It applies to both facilities directly managed by the Bureau and those operated by non‑federal partners, and includes a small funding offset for one existing project.

Key Provisions

Within two years, the Secretary of the Interior must deliver to Congress an Asset Management Report describing how the Bureau of Reclamation maintains its owned (reserved) water‑related facilities and how it standardizes data reporting.
The report must include a detailed assessment of major repair and rehabilitation needs for all reserved works, and, where possible, an item‑by‑item list with cost estimates and a rating that shows the urgency of each repair.
The report (except for any classified or sensitive information) must be posted publicly online, and a full version must be provided to the relevant House and Senate committees.
The Secretary must update the report every two years, using the same rating system, and must consult with the Army Corps of Engineers and water‑power contractors while preparing it.
For facilities operated by non‑federal entities (transferred works), the Secretary must work with those operators to develop comparable reporting and rating requirements and include them in the biennial updates.
An offset provision reduces the federal share of a specific Reclamation project by $2 million.

Legislative Activity

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14 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 573.

September 17, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 24, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Natural Resources Committee

January 24, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.

Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee

February 10, 2017

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans Discharged.

Natural Resources Committee

April 27, 2017

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.

Natural Resources Committee

April 27, 2017

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Natural Resources Committee

April 27, 2017

HouseCommittee

Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 115-156.

Natural Resources Committee

June 2, 2017

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 103.

June 2, 2017

HouseFloor

Mr. Gianforte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

September 12, 2018 • 5:03 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8142-8144)

September 12, 2018 • 5:03 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 660.

September 12, 2018 • 5:03 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H8142-8143)

September 12, 2018 • 5:09 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H8142-8143)

September 12, 2018 • 5:09 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

September 12, 2018 • 5:09 PM

SenateCalendars

Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 573.

September 17, 2018

Floor Debate

3 members

What members said about H.R. 660 on the floor

2 Republicans1 Democrat

Rep. Paul A. GosarR-AZ-4 · Sep 12, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Montana for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 660, the Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act. This bicameral,…

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Montana for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 660, the Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act.

This bicameral, bipartisan legislation increases transparency, consolidates multiple reports, and requires the Bureau of Reclamation, the BOR, to do a thorough inventory of its assets, as well as prioritize major repairs necessary at the agency's facilities.

This bill has a strong history of bipartisan support. It was approved unanimously by the Senate in the 113th Congress, with Senators Barrasso and Schatz ushering passage. The previous administration testified in strong support of the bill last Congress.

This Congress, the Trump administration testified in strong support of the Senate bill, which is identical to the House bill.

The bill has five Democratic cosponsors and 15 Republican cosponsors. The bill passed the House Committee on Natural Resources by unanimous consent. Senator Barrasso and Senator Schatz are again spearheading the Senate companion, and the Senate bill has passed the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

For more than a century, the Bureau of Reclamation has transformed the West into a powerhouse that feeds the Nation and the world while also providing renewable, emissions-free energy for millions of Americans.

BOR provides essential services that benefit water and power users, as well as our Nation's farmers. The agency delivers water to more than 30 million people and provides one in five Western farmers with water to irrigate their crops.

The BOR's assets include more than 476 dams and dikes, and the agency is also responsible for the operations of 53 different hydroelectric power plants.

This legislation is timely and necessary. The Bureau of Reclamation was established in 1902, and much of the agency's now-aging infrastructure was built more than 50 years ago. Many of the facilities operated by the BOR are in desperate need of repairs, to the tune of several billion dollars.

This bill requires the Federal Government make public the estimated cost of repairs for reclamation facilities. For years, Congress and water users throughout the country have asked for such information, only to be rebuffed time and again.

Taxpayers deserve accountability from their government and oversight on how it spends their money. Sunshine on expenditures and increased transparency is good for any Federal bureaucracy or agency.

The Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act requires a cost estimate and a detailed list of major repairs for BOR facilities. Such actions will allow for meaningful steps to be taken to address the maintenance backlog, as well as to ensure an abundant supply of clean water and power for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the committee's time and work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 660.

Rep. Greg GianforteR-MT · Sep 12, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 660) to require the Secretary of the Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage its…

Rep. Niki TsongasD-MA-3 · Sep 12, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 660 would improve data collection and reporting on the condition of Bureau of Reclamation infrastructure. Much of the Bureau…

Bill Text

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Placed on Calendar SenateIssued September 17, 2018

Calendar No. 573

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 660

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 17, 2018

Received; read twice and placed on the calendar

AN ACT

To require the Secretary of the Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act.

Findings

Congress finds that—

(1)

the water resources infrastructure of the Bureau of Reclamation provides important benefits related to irrigated agriculture, municipal and industrial water, hydropower, flood control, fish and wildlife, and recreation in the 17 Reclamation States;

(2)

as of 2013, the combined replacement value of the infrastructure assets of the Bureau of Reclamation was $94,500,000,000;

(3)

the majority of the water resources infrastructure facilities of the Bureau of Reclamation are at least 60 years old;

(4)

the Bureau of Reclamation has previously undertaken efforts to better manage the assets of the Bureau of Reclamation, including an annual review of asset maintenance activities of the Bureau of Reclamation known as the Asset Management Plan; and

(5)

actionable information on infrastructure conditions at the asset level, including information on maintenance needs at individual assets due to aging infrastructure, is needed for Congress to conduct oversight of Reclamation facilities and meet the needs of the public.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Asset

(A)

In general

The term asset means any of the following assets that are used to achieve the mission of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the people of the United States:

(i)

Capitalized facilities, buildings, structures, project features, power production equipment, recreation facilities, or quarters.

(ii)

Capitalized and noncapitalized heavy equipment and other installed equipment.

(B)

Inclusions

The term asset includes assets described in subparagraph (A) that are considered to be mission critical.

(2)

Asset Management Report

The term Asset Management Report means—

(A)

the annual plan prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation known as the Asset Management Plan; and

(B)

any publicly available information relating to the plan described in subparagraph (A) that summarizes the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate and manage infrastructure assets of the Bureau of Reclamation.

(3)

Major repair and rehabilitation need

The term major repair and rehabilitation need means major nonrecurring maintenance at a Reclamation facility, including maintenance related to the safety of dams, extraordinary maintenance of dams, deferred major maintenance activities, and all other significant repairs and extraordinary maintenance.

(4)

Reclamation facility

The term Reclamation facility means each of the infrastructure assets that are owned by the Bureau of Reclamation at a Reclamation project.

(5)

Reclamation project

The term Reclamation project means a project that is owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, including all reserved works and transferred works owned by the Bureau of Reclamation.

(6)

Reserved works

The term reserved works means buildings, structures, facilities, or equipment that are owned by the Bureau of Reclamation for which operations and maintenance are performed by employees of the Bureau of Reclamation or through a contract entered into by the Bureau of Reclamation, regardless of the source of funding for the operations and maintenance.

(7)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

(8)

Transferred works

The term transferred works means a Reclamation facility at which operations and maintenance of the facility is carried out by a non-Federal entity under the provisions of a formal operations and maintenance transfer contract or other legal agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation.

Asset management report enhancements for reserved works

(a)

In general

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress an Asset Management Report that—

(1)

describes the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation—

(A)

to maintain in a reliable manner all reserved works at Reclamation facilities; and

(B)

to standardize and streamline data reporting and processes across regions and areas for the purpose of maintaining reserved works at Reclamation facilities; and

(2)

expands on the information otherwise provided in an Asset Management Report, in accordance with subsection (b).

(b)

Infrastructure Maintenance Needs Assessment

(1)

In general

The Asset Management Report submitted under subsection (a) shall include—

(A)

a detailed assessment of major repair and rehabilitation needs for all reserved works at all Reclamation projects; and

(B)

to the extent practicable, an itemized list of major repair and rehabilitation needs of individual Reclamation facilities at each Reclamation project.

(2)

Inclusions

To the extent practicable, the itemized list of major repair and rehabilitation needs under paragraph (1)(B) shall include—

(A)

a budget level cost estimate of the appropriations needed to complete each item; and

(B)

an assignment of a categorical rating for each item, consistent with paragraph (3).

(3)

Rating requirements

(A)

In general

The system for assigning ratings under paragraph (2)(B) shall be—

(i)

consistent with existing uniform categorization systems to inform the annual budget process and agency requirements; and

(ii)

subject to the guidance and instructions issued under subparagraph (B).

(B)

Guidance

As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue guidance that describes the applicability of the rating system applicable under paragraph (2)(B) to Reclamation facilities.

(4)

Public availability

Except as provided in paragraph (5), the Secretary shall make publicly available, including on the Internet, the Asset Management Report required under subsection (a).

(5)

Confidentiality

The Secretary may exclude from the public version of the Asset Management Report made available under paragraph (4) any information that the Secretary identifies as sensitive or classified, but shall make available to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a version of the report containing the sensitive or classified information.

(c)

Updates

Not later than 2 years after the date on which the Asset Management Report is submitted under subsection (a) and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall update the Asset Management Report, subject to the requirements of section 5(b)(2).

(d)

Consultation

To the extent that such consultation would assist the Secretary in preparing the Asset Management Report under subsection (a) and updates to the Asset Management Report under subsection (c), the Secretary shall consult with—

(1)

the Secretary of the Army (acting through the Chief of Engineers); and

(2)

water and power contractors.

Asset management report enhancements for transferred works

(a)

In general

The Secretary shall coordinate with the non-Federal entities responsible for the operation and maintenance of transferred works in developing reporting requirements for Asset Management Reports with respect to major repair and rehabilitation needs for transferred works that are similar to the reporting requirements described in section 4(b).

(b)

Guidance

(1)

In general

After considering input from water and power contractors of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Secretary shall develop and implement a rating system for transferred works that incorporates, to the maximum extent practicable, the rating system for major repair and rehabilitation needs for reserved works developed under section 4(b)(3).

(2)

Updates

The ratings system developed under paragraph (1) shall be included in the updated Asset Management Reports under section 4(c).

Offset

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of the project authorized by section 1617 of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 390h–12c), the maximum amount of the Federal share of the cost of the project under section 1631(d)(1) of that Act (43 U.S.C. 390h–13(d)(1)) otherwise available as of the date of enactment of this Act shall be reduced by $2,000,000.

Passed the House of Representatives September 12, 2018.

Karen L. Haas,

Clerk

September 17, 2018

Received; read twice and placed on the calendar