S. 887Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Basin Fund Preservation Act

Sponsored by Mike LeeSen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
Introduced March 6, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:09 AM UTC

The Basin Fund Preservation Act directs the Interior and Energy departments to work together, through an MOU, to examine how a recent decision about Glen Canyon Dam’s management could affect the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund. The goal is to develop a plan that safeguards the Fund’s financial commitments, ensures continued hydropower production and grid reliability, and protects threatened and endangered species. The bill also confirms that existing administrative law rights remain unchanged.

Key Provisions

  • The Interior Secretary (via the Reclamation Commissioner) and the Energy Secretary (via the Western Area Power Administration Administrator), together with the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group, must create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to study how the July 2024 “Supplement to the 2016 Glen Canyon Dam Long‑Term Experimental and Management Plan Record of Decision” affects the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund.
  • The MOU must produce a plan that (1) addresses any effects on the Fund’s obligations for operations, maintenance, and replacement of critical infrastructure; (2) addresses impacts on hydropower generation at Glen Canyon Dam, including costs to replace lost power and maintain grid reliability; and (3) identifies impacts on species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
  • The Act does not override any existing rights or obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

March 6, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 6, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

March 6, 2025

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 6, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 887

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 6, 2025

Mr. Lee (for himself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To provide for a memorandum of understanding to address the impacts of a certain record of decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Basin Fund Preservation Act.

2.

Memorandum of understanding to address potential impacts of a certain record of decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund

(a)

In general

As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, and the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration, in consultation with the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group, shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to explore and address the impact that the record of decision entitled the Supplement to the 2016 Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Record of Decision and dated July 2024 (referred to in this section as the record of decision) has on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund (referred to in this section as the Fund).

(b)

Required plan

The memorandum of understanding entered into under subsection (a) shall, using information derived from existing hydropower contracts, include the establishment of a plan to—

(1)

address the effects that the record of decision may have on Fund obligations including routine operations, maintenance, and replacement of critical infrastructure;

(2)

address the impact that the record of decision has on hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam, including costs to replace hydropower resources and grid reliability; and

(3)

identify impacts that the record of decision has had on species listed as a threatened species or an endangered species under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533).

(c)

Savings clause

Nothing in this Act preempts any rights or obligations under subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Administrative Procedure Act).