Architecture & Engineering

Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act of 2025

Kevin Kiley · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill establishes a federal policy requiring new federal public buildings to prioritize classical and traditional architectural styles, with classical architecture as the default in Washington, D.C. It mandates that the General Services Administration update its procedures to favor designs featuring these styles and requires formal justification for approving non-traditional designs such as Brutalist or Deconstructivist architecture. This bill directly changes federal design competitions for architecture firms by requiring GSA to give substantial weight to classical and traditional design experience, benefiting firms with that training while requiring extensive justification to approve modern designs.

Where it stands

HR 5194 was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on September 8, 2025, and subsequently to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management on September 9, 2025. No meetings are currently scheduled for this measure in the available calendar data.

Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act of 2025

Jim Banks (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill requires federal agencies to prioritize classical and traditional architectural styles for new courthouses, agency headquarters, and large public buildings, making classical design the default in Washington, D.C. It mandates that the General Services Administration update its hiring and design review procedures to favor architects with experience in these styles and requires formal justification before approving non-traditional designs. This bill requires federal agencies to prefer classical and traditional designs for new public buildings, giving architecture firms experienced in those styles a competitive edge in federal design competitions while firms specializing in modern styles must justify their proposals to win work.

Where it stands

The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works on September 4, 2025, with no further action recorded. The companion measure HR5194 remains in subcommittee, and no upcoming meetings are scheduled for this bill.

Parity in Engineering Act

Pete Stauber (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill removes Minnesota from the list of states excluded from federal contracting requirements for engineering and design services. Minnesota will now be subject to the same federal procurement rules for these services as other states. This bill lets Minnesota engineering and design firms compete for federal contracts on the same terms as firms in other states by removing Minnesota from the list of excluded states in federal procurement rules for these services.

Where it stands

HR 3258 is stalled in the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, to which it was referred on May 7, 2025. The subcommittee chair controls whether the measure advances to a markup, and no upcoming meetings are scheduled in the current calendar data.

North Rim Restoration Act

Elijah Crane (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would let the Secretary of the Interior use emergency federal contracting flexibilities, including higher purchase thresholds and noncompetitive sole-source contracts, to hire firms for clearing, rebuilding, and improving Grand Canyon National Park areas damaged by the Dragon Bravo Fire, with the authority expiring in 7 years or when recovery is complete. It would allow awards without competition, including for lodging, food service, retail, and utility facilities on the North Rim, when the Secretary determines the park's current concessioner is uniquely positioned to do the work, and it would require reports to Congress on costs, contractors, conflicts of interest, and waste every 180 days. This bill lets the National Park Service hire architecture and engineering firms for planning, design, and rebuilding of fire-damaged North Rim structures through expedited emergency contracts, while firms outside the chosen sole-source agreement lose bidding opportunities.

Where it stands

The House passed HR5729 on March 16, 2026 by voice vote on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended, so the bill is no longer before the House and now pends in the Senate, which referred it to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on March 17, 2026. On September 30, 2026 that committee held a markup and ordered the bill reported favorably without amendment, which is the committee vote that reports the bill out to the full Senate.

Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026

Robert J. Wittman (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would reauthorize the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, an advanced geological mapping program run by the United States Geological Survey, with $84,000,000 in funding for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. It would also broaden the program's purpose to include modern sensing and data methods such as airborne gravity gradiometry and real-time data acquisition, fold in the Geological Survey's 3D Hydrography Program as a data source, direct the Survey to give contract preference to United States-owned and United States-controlled companies where practicable, and require contractors and subcontractors under the program to disclose their ownership. This bill funds $84 million in federal mapping contracts for geophysical surveying and aerial mapping firms owned by United States companies, while requiring contractors to disclose ownership and adding new competition from expanded data sources.

Where it stands

The House Committee on Natural Resources marked up HR 9640 on September 15, 2026 and ordered it reported in the nature of a substitute by unanimous consent, following a hearing on July 21, 2026 after its July 9, 2026 referral. No written report has been filed and the bill has not been placed on a calendar, and nothing has been scheduled.

Ecological Restoration Project Permitting Act of 2026

John Boozman (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require the Secretary of the Army to issue within one year a general 10-year permit under the Clean Water Act that fast-tracks authorization for ecological restoration projects, with guaranteed 30-day completeness checks and 45-day verification decisions for non-federal projects, default approval if the agency misses the deadline, and a lighter summary-report process for federal projects. It would also require the Army to sign coordinated review agreements with six other federal agencies to combine wildlife, historic, and environmental reviews, while excluding from the fast lane projects involving permanent roads or trails in protected waters, persistent chemicals such as PFAS, and work on federal land where such activity is banned. This bill fast-tracks Clean Water Act permits for ecological restoration projects, benefiting engineering firms that design and build habitat restoration work with fixed 45-day decisions and combined federal reviews, though it adds preconstruction and monitoring reporting duties.

Where it stands

S. 5588 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on September 29, 2026, and the committee has taken no further listed action since. It sits at the chamber's most common choke point, where most bills never reach a markup, and no hearing or markup is scheduled in the available calendar data.

National Flood Impact Reduction and Resilience Act of 2026

Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill establishes a coordinated federal program to reduce flood-related losses through grants, research, and the development of voluntary construction standards and flood maps. It creates an interagency committee to oversee the program's budget and strategic planning while forming an advisory group to guide implementation. This bill funds grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and technical assistance to help architects and engineers adopt flood impact reduction and resilience measures, giving design firms new funded work and standards guidance.

Where it stands

HR 10120 was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on August 20, 2026, and currently awaits action from the committee chair. No upcoming meetings are scheduled for the measure.

Building Safer Streets Act

Seth Moulton (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill mandates federal agencies to publish transparency documents regarding traffic control device prohibitions, update design regulations to explicitly account for all transportation modes, and create a list of categorical design exceptions for multimodal projects. It also requires states to update their highway design manuals to reflect lower-speed roadway guidance and sets a cap on vulnerable road user fatality performance targets for state safety programs. This bill requires engineering and design firms working on roadway projects to formally evaluate all transportation modes, including pedestrians and cyclists, and document design exceptions, while raising demand for multimodal design compliance services.

Where it stands

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on August 6, 2026 and remains in committee with no scheduled meetings. This position means the committee chair controls whether the measure proceeds to a hearing or a markup.

American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act of 2026

Chip Roy (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would sharply restrict the H-1B skilled-visa program by capping stays at 2 calendar years, keeping the annual cap at 65,000 visas, giving visa priority to petitions with the highest salaries, limiting any single country to 7 percent of the visas, and requiring employers to first post and offer each job to equally or better qualified United States workers, pay the higher of the actual wage or the 75th percentile wage for the occupation and location, keep nonimmigrants at no more than 5 percent of their United States workforce, and forgo hiring whenever local unemployment in the occupation exceeds 2 percent. It would back these rules with Labor Department enforcement including fines of up to $100,000 per violation, H-1B employment bans of up to 10 years, and a new federal court claim for United States workers who are displaced by visa holders.

Where it stands

HR 9157 was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary on June 4, 2026 and has had no further action since. It sits at the earliest committee stage, where the chair decides whether a hearing or a markup is ever noticed.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

This is an omnibus proposal impacting several different industries, including Architecture & Engineering.

Roger F. Wicker (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, would authorize well over $100 billion in defense spending, including procurement for aircraft, ships, munitions, and vehicles, about $164.6 billion for research and development, more than $50 billion for military construction, over $41 billion for Energy Department nuclear security programs, and a 3.6% military pay raise. It would also restructure and restrict the defense industrial base by banning some procurement from China-linked suppliers, creating an office to counter adversarial foreign investment, setting new cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and supply chain rules for contractors, and adding health and safety standards for military family housing. This bill directs over $50 billion in military construction and housing funding that pays architecture and engineering firms for design work, Army and family housing design services, and third-party mold and environmental inspections.

Where it stands

The Senate Committee on Armed Services ordered the measure reported at its markup and filed a written report on June 15, 2026, and the bill was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders the same day as Calendar No. 436. A motion to proceed to its consideration was made in the Senate on July 27, 2026, so the bill has moved past the committee stage and into the leader-controlled scheduling zone on the floor.

Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes.

This is an omnibus proposal impacting several different industries, including Architecture & Engineering.

John R. Carter (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill appropriates funds for military construction, veterans' benefits, healthcare, and research, including specific allocations for toxic exposure compensation. It also provides funding for related agencies such as the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Armed Forces Retirement Home. This bill funds military construction design and architect and engineer services for architecture and engineering firms, while restricting overseas A&E contracts over $500,000 to domestic firms and barring design funds for administrative facilities.

Where it stands

HR 8469 passed the House on May 15, 2026 and is currently pending in the Senate, where it was read the second time and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders on July 14, 2026. No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the available data, and the House has completed its role on this measure.

BUILD America 250 Act

Sam Graves (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal, the BUILD America 250 Act, would authorize roughly five years of federal funding from fiscal 2027 through 2031 for highways, bridges, public transit, ferries, and passenger and freight rail, while rewriting the underlying federal transportation programs, grant formulas, and safety rules. It would also add new rail safety mandates such as two-person crews, cab cameras, and track inspection requirements, impose new fees on electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and hazardous materials shippers, expand truck weight and access allowances on Interstates, create liability protections for app-based rideshare platforms, peer-to-peer car sharing, and vehicle owners, and tighten fraud screening for trucking and broker registrations. This bill directly benefits architecture, engineering, and surveying firms by authorizing hundreds of billions in highway, transit, and rail funding they can win through design, engineering, planning, and preconstruction contracts, while changing procurement rules for engineering and design services.

Where it stands

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure took H.R. 8870 up in a markup on May 21, 2026 and, on May 22, 2026, ordered it reported as amended by a yea-and-nay vote of 62 to 2, so the markup vote to report is the report-out event. No written report has been filed and no calendar placement appears on the record, and the disposition of some committee amendments, including an en bloc amendment offered by Mr. Johnson of Georgia, is unresolved, so the text as reported may still differ.

GRANT Reform Act of 2026

Tom McClintock (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to publish annual reports listing the names, purposes, amounts, and recipients of all federal grants. It also mandates that grant recipients submit detailed financial reports on salaries, subcontractors, and administrative costs within three months of completing their projects to remain eligible for future funding.

Where it stands

HR 10192 was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on August 31, 2026. The committee chair controls whether any hearings or markups are scheduled for the measure.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

This is an omnibus proposal impacting several different industries, including Architecture & Engineering.

Roger F. Wicker (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would authorize fiscal year 2026 appropriations for military activities, construction, and nuclear security while reforming defense acquisition rules and personnel policies. It would also establish new housing supply frameworks, disaster recovery funds, and Coast Guard programs, alongside restrictions on foreign investments and specific industrial base activities. This bill lets the Army hire architectural and engineering firms to design military family housing, expands defense construction work those firms can win, and eases contractor performance-rating rules while imposing security-program reviews and data restrictions on firms serving defense or intelligence clients.

Where it stands

The Senate passed S. 2296 on October 9, 2025, and the measure is currently held at the desk in the House as of November 12, 2025.

Green New Deal for Public Housing Act

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create Department of Housing and Urban Development grant programs paying public housing agencies, tribes, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to retrofit public housing with energy-efficient and all-electric systems, renewable energy generation, safer water pipes, childcare and senior centers, publicly owned high speed internet, and resident job training, funded by open-ended appropriations for the capital backlog and fiscal years 2027 through 2037 plus $1 billion for administrative costs, and it would strike the Faircloth amendment so agencies could once again build new public housing units. Grant recipients would have to commit to converting their units into zero-carbon homes within 10 years without reducing the number of units, and their contractors would have to pay prevailing wages, use substantially American-made materials, consent to project labor agreements on projects costing $25 million or more, limit temporary staffing, use registered apprentices, treat workers as employees rather than independent contractors, and meet escalating hiring and contracting quotas favoring low-income residents and subsidized housing resident-owned businesses. This bill gives architecture and engineering firms new funded work designing energy retrofits and infrastructure repairs for public housing, and explicitly names architectural firms as partners in innovative design partnerships, while resident-owned firms gain priority on contracts.

Where it stands

HR10063 was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services on August 6, 2026 and sits at committee stage; the chair typically decides whether a hearing or markup is ever noticed, though suspension, a special rule, or discharge could provide other paths, and referral is the earliest and most common stopping point for House bills.

Green New Deal for Public Housing Act

Bernard Sanders · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would create grant programs run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to pay public housing agencies, tribes, and other eligible entities to retrofit public housing into zero-carbon homes, build on-site renewable energy and community facilities like childcare centers, and run workforce training and stipend programs for residents, funded by open-ended appropriations plus $1 billion for administration. It would also strike the Faircloth amendment's limit so agencies could build new public housing units again, require public housing projects with 50 or more units to form elected resident councils, and direct that a growing share of jobs (eventually 90 percent) and contract dollars (eventually 50 percent) generated by this funding go to low-income residents and businesses owned by subsidized housing residents. This bill funds the deep energy retrofit and redesign of public housing, creating a large pipeline of design, surveying, and engineering work for architecture and engineering firms as named partners in grant-funded innovative design partnerships.

Where it stands

S5284, the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on August 6, 2026. It is now at the committee stage, the chamber's most common kill point, with no hearing or markup scheduled.

Judicial Space and Facilities Management Effectiveness Act of 2026

Richard J. Durbin (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill establishes a pilot program transferring control of federal courthouse facilities in up to ten judicial districts from the General Services Administration to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. It creates a dedicated fund and a new buildings service to manage the construction, maintenance, and leasing of these court spaces for a limited period before returning authority to the General Services Administration. This bill lets the judiciary's new buildings service directly contract architectural, engineering, and construction firms to design, build, and maintain courthouse facilities in up to ten pilot districts, creating new federal procurement work for those firms.

Where it stands

The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works on July 30, 2026. It is currently in the committee stage, where the chair controls whether to schedule a markup.

Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act of 2026

Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This act requires newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses and townhouses to meet specific visitability standards for persons with disabilities. It establishes enforcement mechanisms including plan reviews by state or local agencies, private civil lawsuits, and actions by the Attorney General against violators. This bill directly burdens architecture and design firms by requiring them to submit architectural and construction plans for federally assisted single-family homes for approval under visitability standards, and exposes them to civil lawsuits if their designs fail to comply.

Where it stands

HR 9932 is currently referred to the House Committee on Financial Services as of July 23, 2026. No meetings are scheduled in the available calendar data, and the committee chair controls whether a markup is noticed.

Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act of 2026

Tammy Duckworth (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal requires newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses and townhouses to include at least one level meeting specific accessibility standards for people with disabilities. It establishes enforcement mechanisms that allow private individuals and the Attorney General to sue builders or agencies for non-compliance, potentially resulting in damages and orders to retrofit homes. This bill requires architecture and design firms working on federally assisted single-family homes to submit their plans for accessibility approval and exposes anyone responsible for the design to civil lawsuits and retrofit orders for non-compliance.

Where it stands

S5125 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on July 23, 2026. The measure remains in committee with no upcoming meetings scheduled in the calendar data.

End H–1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026

Tim Sheehy (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would suspend the issuance of H-1B visas for three years and, upon resumption, impose a $100,000 fee per petition, raise the minimum wage to $200,000, and limit annual visas to 25,000. It would also eliminate the H-1B lottery in favor of a wage-based ranking, ban third-party staffing sponsors, prohibit federal employment of nonimmigrants, and end employment authorization for foreign students and adjustment of status for most nonimmigrants.

Where it stands

The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on July 23, 2026, placing it in the committee stage where the chair controls scheduling for a markup.

FREEDOM Act

Tom Cotton (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would set federal permitting deadlines for energy, carbon capture, and mineral projects, with routine approvals due in 90 days and complex ones in 1 year, and it would let courts order faster action, hire outside contractors at project sponsors' request paid from a new $50 million Permitting Performance Fund, and bar agencies from halting or revoking permits for fully permitted projects except in narrow circumstances. It would also expand hardrock mining mill site claims on public land and speed up geothermal permitting through an ombudsman and task force, updated federal guidelines, continued processing of applications during lawsuits, and a requirement that geothermal lease holders reimburse the government for processing and inspection costs through 2033. This bill lets engineering and environmental consulting firms be hired as court-approved contractors to complete environmental reviews for energy and mining projects, with their costs paid from a new $50 million Permitting Performance Fund.

Where it stands

S4795 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on June 16, 2026 and now sits stalled in committee, where the committee is under no obligation to act and no hearing or markup notice has appeared.

Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2026

Pat Harrigan (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would bar state and local governments from imposing a net income tax or a similar business activity tax on an out-of-state company unless that company has a physical presence in the state, such as an employee, an agent, or owned or leased property, and would exclude short stays under 15 days and limited or transient activity from counting as presence. It would also expand the existing federal shield against such taxes to cover sales of digital goods and digital services like software, cloud computing, and data processing, and to cover activities carried out through independent contractors such as soliciting orders or gathering information.

Where it stands

H.R. 9244, the Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2026, was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary on June 10, 2026, and has had no further recorded action since; no committee meetings are currently on the calendar.

Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

This is an omnibus proposal impacting several different industries, including Architecture & Engineering.

Mike Rogers (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would authorize fiscal year 2026 defense spending across Pentagon procurement, research, operations, military pay and personnel, military construction, Department of Energy national security programs, and the Coast Guard, while setting troop levels and health, housing, and family benefits for service members. It would also overhaul Pentagon purchasing through new acquisition organizations and thresholds, contractor reporting and disclosure rules, restrictions on foreign-sourced components and foreign-controlled retailers, pilot programs for AI, drones, nuclear energy, and biotechnology, and a ban on issuing central bank digital currencies. This bill authorizes the Army, Navy, and Air Force to contract architectural and engineering firms for design of military family housing, and gives US-based professional services firms a preference in Defense procurement.

Where it stands

The House passed this bill by recorded vote of 231 to 196 (Roll no. 262) on September 10, 2025, and the Senate received it on September 30, 2025. It is now pending in the Senate, which must pass identical text before anything can go to the President.

National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025

Alex Padilla (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill reauthorizes the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through fiscal year 2028, providing roughly $160.8 million annually across the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, and National Institute of Standards and Technology, with at least $36 million per year dedicated to completing the Advanced National Seismic System. It also expands the program to include Tribal governments, adds new activities such as technical assistance for seismic retrofits and inventories, expands the earthquake early warning system, and requires agencies to implement recommendations from a 2021 report on improving post-earthquake functional recovery. This bill funds earthquake research and technical assistance that architects and engineers can use for seismic retrofits, expanding demand for design, evaluation, and retrofitting work on buildings and infrastructure.

Where it stands

Passed the Senate by unanimous consent on January 5, 2026, and was received and held at the desk in the House on January 7, 2026, where it now awaits House action.

ADAPT Assets Act

John Garamendi (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

Would direct the Transportation Secretary to run a competitive grant program giving up to 10 grants to states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, transit agencies, ports, toll authorities, and Tribal governments for demonstration projects that make highways, transit facilities, and ports resilient to natural hazards, with federal coverage capped at 80 percent of project cost and up to $2,000,000,000 authorized for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. This bill directly benefits engineering and design firms by allowing federal grant funds to pay for predevelopment work such as data collection, engineering, design, environmental review, and permitting for resilience demonstration projects.

Where it stands

HR8653, the ADAPT Assets Act, was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on May 4, 2026. The bill now sits at that committee with no hearing or markup noticed and no meetings listed in our calendar data.

Active Transportation for Public Lands Act

Jared Huffman (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would require the Secretary of Transportation to set aside at least 5 percent of specific federal lands transportation funds for active transportation projects such as trails, sidewalks, and bicycle infrastructure. The designated funds must support the construction, planning, and design of facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and non-drivers on public and tribal lands. This bill requires 5 percent of federal lands transportation funds to go to pedestrian and bicycle projects, giving engineering and design firms a guaranteed stream of federal contracts for planning and designing trails and related facilities.

Where it stands

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on April 27, 2026, where it remains without any scheduled hearings or markups. No other committees are currently involved in this measure.

ACCURATE Act

Scott Franklin (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill directs the Under Secretary of Commerce to establish a temporary advisory commission that develops recommended standards and best practices for hazard risk assessment tools used by federal agencies. If the Under Secretary adopts these standards, federal agencies must incorporate them into procurement to the extent practicable, and vendors must document how their tools conform to these specifications. This bill gives structural engineering firms a seat on the federal advisory commission that sets hazard risk assessment standards, letting them shape the specifications that agencies and vendors must follow in procurement.

Where it stands

HR 8407 was referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on April 21, 2026, and no upcoming meetings are scheduled. The bill is currently stalled in committee, where the chair controls the decision to schedule a hearing or markup.

Airborne Act of 2026

Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill creates a tax credit for commercial, public, and nonprofit property owners who conduct indoor air quality assessments or install qualifying air cleaning and HVAC systems. The credit amount is based on the square footage of the affected area, with significantly higher rates available if the installation work meets prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. This bill lets architecture and engineering firms receive the indoor air quality tax credits directly when they are primarily responsible for designing the assessed or upgraded property, turning credit eligibility into a new revenue opportunity.

Where it stands

The Airborne Act of 2026 was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on February 10, 2026, and no further legislative actions have been recorded. The bill is currently in the committee stage, where the chair controls whether a hearing or markup is scheduled.

North Rim and Kaibab National Forest Restoration Act of 2026

Ruben Gallego (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would let the National Park Service and Forest Service use emergency contracting shortcuts, including higher purchase thresholds and noncompetitive deals with existing park and forest concessioners, to hire contractors for rebuilding and restoring parts of Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest burned by the 2025 Dragon Bravo and White Sage wildfires. It would require the agencies to prioritize Tribal and local businesses for reconstruction work, submit spending and contractor reports to Congress every 180 days, allow a 1-year extension with congressional approval if a new wildfire affects the recovery, and end the authority at the earlier of 5 years after enactment or when recovery is declared complete. This bill lets federal agencies quickly hire firms for planning, development, and design of structures damaged by the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires, giving architecture and engineering firms new restoration contracts, with priority for local and Tribal businesses.

Where it stands

S3785 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on February 5, 2026. Its Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on July 21, 2026, and the full committee held markups on July 29, 2026 and September 30, 2026, but the record does not show the bill was ordered reported, so it remains before the committee.

Ohio River Restoration Program Act of 2026

John Fetterman (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would establish a restoration program within the Environmental Protection Agency authorized for $350 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to fund water quality and habitat projects in the Ohio River Basin. It would create a new national office and advisory council to coordinate these efforts and distribute grants to qualified non-federal entities. This bill funds grants that can be used to plan, design, and construct Ohio River water quality and habitat projects, creating new paid design work for architecture, engineering, and consulting firms serving those grantees.

Where it stands

S3796 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on February 5, 2026, placing it in the committee stage where the chair controls whether any action occurs. The companion measure HR5966 remains referred to the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment with no reported action.

Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2026

Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill authorizes $20 billion annually for five years for grants to improve public school facilities and creates tax-credit bonds to finance school infrastructure projects. It also establishes a federal office to oversee these efforts and provides funding to repair school foundations damaged by pyrrhotite. This bill directs $20 billion annually in school facility grants that cover architectural design and engineering report costs, giving architecture and engineering firms funded design work, with projects favoring firms using American-made materials.

Where it stands

HR 7340 is at the committee stage, having been referred on February 4, 2026 to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the House Committee on Ways and Means. As a multiple referral, the chairs of both committees act as gatekeepers who control whether the bill proceeds to a hearing or markup.

Connecting Communities Through Transit Planning Act of 2026

Lateefah Simon (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill converts the transit-oriented development planning pilot into a permanent grant program and authorizes $75 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to fund predevelopment activities such as engineering design and site evaluation. It expands eligibility to include fixed guideway bus rapid transit projects and corridor-based investments in existing systems, while requiring grants to support accessibility improvements for people with disabilities and other transit-dependent groups. This bill creates a permanent federal grant program funding $75 million annually for predevelopment activities, directly paying architecture and engineering firms for transit project design, site evaluation, and feasibility studies.

Where it stands

HR 7298 is currently blocked in the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, having been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on January 30, 2026. The subcommittee chair controls the next step, as no upcoming meetings are scheduled in the calendar data.

LIMBER Timber Act of 2026

Janelle S. Bynum (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill establishes three new tax credits for mass timber projects, offering a 30 percent investment credit for plant equipment, a 50 percent credit for workforce training and wages up to $8,000 per employee, and a $5 per square foot credit for constructing certified mass timber structures. These credits apply to eligible taxpayers through 2030 and require that at least 70 percent of the timber used comes from certified sustainable sources. This bill grants architecture and engineering firms that do mass timber design a tax credit covering 50 percent of workforce training costs, up to $8,000 per employee, through 2030.

Where it stands

HR 7245 was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on January 27, 2026. The committee chair controls whether a hearing or markup is scheduled, and no meetings are currently listed in the calendar data.

SAFE Services Act

Cory Mills (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to revise acquisition rules to give a procurement preference to United States companies for professional services contracts. This preference applies unless the Secretary waives it due to urgent operational needs or a lack of capable American firms. This bill gives US-owned architecture and engineering firms a procurement preference in Defense Department professional services contracts, while foreign-owned firms and joint ventures with less than half US ownership lose contracting opportunities unless the Secretary grants a waiver.

Where it stands

The SAFE Services Act was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services on December 18, 2025. No hearings or markups are currently scheduled.

State Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2025

Paul Tonko (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This act authorizes $100 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for states and Indian Tribes to fund energy studies and efficiency upgrades at manufacturing facilities. The funds allow manufacturers to hire qualified engineering firms to assess their energy systems and implement improvements such as electrification, emissions reduction, and advanced manufacturing technologies. This bill funds engineering firms directly: states and Tribes use the grants to hire qualified engineering firms to conduct energy studies and provide technical assistance at manufacturing facilities, creating new paid work from 2026 through 2030.

Where it stands

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on December 11, 2025. This places the measure in the initial committee stage, where the committee chair controls whether a hearing or markup is ever noticed.

Point-Access Housing Guidelines Act of 2025

Ritchie Torres (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to issue federal guidelines and model code language within 18 months to help states and localities permit point-access block residential buildings. The Secretary may also award competitive grants to eligible entities for pilot projects that test the safety and cost-effectiveness of these single-stair housing structures. This bill lets qualified design and engineering firms apply for federal grants to run pilot projects testing point-access block buildings, and its model code language would simplify permitting for architects and engineers designing such housing.

Where it stands

HR 6345 was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services on December 1, 2025. No meetings are currently scheduled, and the measure remains in the committee stage.

High-skilled Immigration Reform for Employment Act

Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill would raise the annual H-1B visa cap from 65,000 to 130,000 and remove the 20,000 annual limit on visas for applicants with advanced degrees. It also authorizes $25 million per year for five years in competitive grants to states for STEM education and teacher retention. This bill doubles the annual H-1B visa cap and removes the advanced-degree limit, making it easier for architecture, engineering, surveying, and design firms to sponsor and hire skilled foreign professionals and expand their project capacity.

Where it stands

HR6305 was referred on November 25, 2025, to the Committee on Education and Workforce and the Committee on the Judiciary. This multiple referral leaves both chairs as gatekeepers because the source does not designate a primary committee.

Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Amendments of 2025

Kim Schrier (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill reauthorizes the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act by authorizing $68 million annually to the EPA and $15 million annually to the Army Corps of Engineers from fiscal years 2025 through 2029. It expands loan eligibility to include rural water projects and non-federal water resources projects, lowers the minimum project cost threshold for small communities to $1 million, and permits loan maturity dates of up to 55 years for projects with long useful lives. This bill renews federal water infrastructure loans and authorizes design-build and construction management at-risk delivery, giving architecture and engineering firms broader eligibility to win design contracts on rural and small-community water projects.

Where it stands

HR6229 is currently in the committee stage following its referral to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on November 20, 2025. On November 22, 2025, the measure was referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, placing it under subcommittee control with no currently scheduled meetings.

Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

Teresa Leger Fernandez (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This act would authorize a total of $367 million in mandatory appropriations to establish supplemental trust funds for the Taos Pueblo's groundwater and surface water projects and to provide grants for mutual-benefit water infrastructure among non-Pueblo entities. It would also define new terms for mitigation well systems and trust funds to facilitate the implementation of the existing Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement. This bill directly benefits engineering and design firms by funding $367 million for the Taos Pueblo water settlement, including nonreimbursable contracts and grants to plan, permit, design, engineer, and construct groundwater, surface water, and mutual-benefit water infrastructure projects.

Where it stands

HR 6205 was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources on November 20, 2025, with no upcoming meetings scheduled. The companion Senate bill S 3242 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs on the same date.

Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

Ben Ray Luján (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This legislation provides $367 million in funding to support water infrastructure projects for the Taos Pueblo and other non-Pueblo entities in New Mexico. It establishes specific trust funds and grants to facilitate the construction of groundwater, surface water, and mitigation systems required by the existing settlement agreement. This bill directly funds architecture and engineering firms by providing financial assistance to plan, permit, design, engineer, and construct Mutual-Benefit Projects, including water treatment, creating paid design and engineering contracts for those businesses.

Where it stands

S3242 is currently referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs following its read twice and referred status on November 20, 2025. No hearings or markups are scheduled, and the companion House bill HR6205 remains in the House Committee on Natural Resources.

SMART Infrastructure Act of 2025

Cynthia M. Lummis (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to create a centralized web portal for tracking environmental reviews and mandates that federal agencies use this platform for all infrastructure projects where they are the lead agency starting in 2028. It also directs the Secretary to establish guidelines for using digital twin models in permitting and to reduce environmental review timelines for eligible projects by at least 25 percent. This bill requires architecture and engineering firms to create and maintain digital twin models of infrastructure projects under new federal standards and integrate them with the centralized environmental review portal, adding design and compliance work to their project backlog.

Where it stands

S3278 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on November 20, 2025. The bill is currently in committee, a stage where most legislation stalls because the committee is not required to act.

FEMA Act of 2025

Sam Graves (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would remake federal disaster management by pulling FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security as an independent, cabinet-level agency led by a Senate-confirmed Administrator who reports to the President, and would overhaul the disaster law with faster environmental reviews, a new block grant letting states and tribes take one payment instead of standard public assistance, expanded aid for individuals including help for people without a fixed address, and a new hazard mitigation funding formula guaranteeing tribes at least $75,000,000. It would also add oversight and transparency measures, including detailed public reporting on disaster grant spending and applications, quick congressional notification of FEMA grant awards, expedited reimbursements, and studies on topics like workforce retention, fraud, and protecting travel corridors from flooding. This bill requires grant cost estimates for disaster funding to be developed by appropriately licensed professionals, creating paid work for architects, engineers, builders, and cost estimators, while faster environmental reviews and larger rebuilding funds expand demand for design and oversight services.

Where it stands

Referred on July 23, 2025 to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and on Homeland Security, HR4669 was taken up by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure at a markup on September 3, 2025, where it was ordered reported as amended by a vote of 57 to 3, with the record the same day showing discharge from that panel. No written report or calendar placement appears on the record, and the Homeland Security referral from July 23, 2025 still stands, so that panel remains a gate for the portions in its jurisdiction.

Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025

Dave Min (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends the authorization for the Digital Coast Act until 2030. It also mandates that coastal data be fully and freely available and requires the inclusion of data on underground infrastructure and subsurface utilities. This bill reauthorizes the Digital Coast Act through 2030 and requires coastal and subsurface utility data to be free, letting surveying, mapping, and engineering firms access government-funded geospatial data and win Secretary contracts for data services.

Where it stands

The Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025 was reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on October 31, 2025, and is currently placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 310. This placement signifies eligibility for floor consideration in the Committee of the Whole, though it does not schedule a vote.

VITAL Act of 2025

Jerry Moran (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to use commercial building codes and bypass competitive bidding for certain space-sharing agreements. It mandates the consolidation of construction, leasing, and procurement functions under centralized directors and expands pilot programs for accepting non-cash donations and facility improvements. This bill benefits architecture, engineering, and design firms by allowing VA enhanced-use leases to count design services as acceptable noncash consideration and by expanding VA project and construction work available to them.

Where it stands

The VITAL Act of 2025 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on October 8, 2025. The bill is stalled in committee with no scheduled meetings, where the chair controls whether it proceeds to a hearing or markup.

Make Federal Architecture Beautiful Again Act

Tim Burchett (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This act establishes classical and traditional architecture as the preferred and default style for new federal public buildings, particularly courthouses, headquarters, and structures costing over $50 million. It requires the General Services Administration to prioritize architects with experience in these styles during hiring and design competitions and to notify the President before approving designs that deviate from these standards. This bill requires federal building design competitions to favor architecture and engineering firms with classical and traditional design experience, directly changing which firms can win federal building contracts.

Where it stands

HR 5565 was referred to the full House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on September 26, 2025, and subsequently to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management on December 1, 2025. The bill is currently stalled in subcommittee with no upcoming meetings scheduled in the calendar data.

STEM RESTART Act

Chrissy Houlahan (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill authorizes $50 million annually from 2026 through 2030 for competitive grants to small and medium-sized STEM businesses to fund paid returnship programs for mid-career workers. These grants support training and above-entry-level compensation for unemployed or underemployed individuals, with priority given to programs serving workers from rural areas.

Where it stands

HR 4452 was referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on July 16, 2025, where the committee chair controls whether a hearing or markup occurs. No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the available data, and the companion bill S 2306 remains in the Senate committee without having passed a chamber.

STEM RESTART Act

Jacky Rosen (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill authorizes $50 million annually from 2026 to 2030 to fund competitive grants for small and medium-sized STEM companies to run paid returnship programs for mid-career workers. These grants require companies to provide above-entry-level training and compensation for participants while allowing them to use up to 20 percent of funds to pay existing employees who mentor the trainees.

Where it stands

The STEM RESTART Act was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on July 16, 2025. No meetings are currently scheduled for this measure in the committee.

Paycheck Fairness Act

Patty Murray (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill prohibits employers from asking job applicants about their previous salary history and bans wage secrecy policies, while requiring companies with 100 or more employees to report detailed compensation data to federal agencies. It also strengthens legal remedies for sex-based pay discrimination by allowing class action lawsuits, awarding punitive damages, and narrowing the defenses employers can use to justify wage gaps.

Where it stands

S1115 was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on March 25, 2025, with no upcoming meetings scheduled.

Freedom from Government Competition Act of 2025

Aaron Bean (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would require most federal agencies to purchase all necessary goods and services from private companies unless specific exemptions for national defense or inherently governmental functions apply. It mandates a five-year schedule to transfer eligible commercial activities from government employees to the private sector through competitive sourcing or divestiture.

Where it stands

HR1554 was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 25, 2025, and is currently stalled in that committee. No future meetings are scheduled in the available data.

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Defense relating to "Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program".

Andrew S. Clyde (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This resolution would nullify the Department of Defense rule establishing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. The rule would lose all legal force and effect if this resolution is enacted.

Where it stands

The joint resolution is referred to the House Committee on Armed Services as of February 12, 2025. No meetings are currently scheduled for this measure.

VA Design-Build Construction Enhancement Act of 2025

Jim Banks (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use specific design-build selection procedures for contracts involving the design and construction of buildings or facilities. It also mandates that the Secretary must not discourage non-Department federal entities from using these same procedures when they provide project management services for major construction projects. This bill requires architecture and engineering firms that team with builders to follow VA design-build selection procedures, expanding their shot at VA design and construction contracts while traditional design-bid-build firms face a shrinking share.

Where it stands

S1846 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs on May 21, 2025. The measure remains in committee with no scheduled meetings, where the chair controls whether to schedule a hearing or markup.

Water Resources Development Act of 2026

Shelley Moore Capito (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This bill, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, would authorize and modify a wide range of Army Corps of Engineers water projects, including navigation, flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, shoreline protection, and fish and wildlife habitat work, while directing the Corps to run studies, briefings, and faster review processes for many of them. It would also pour major federal funding into water infrastructure nationwide, including billions for clean water and drinking water state revolving funds, environmental infrastructure projects in many states, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, harmful algal bloom and Puget Sound programs, and new grants for digital water technology, point-of-use filtration, and water sector cybersecurity and workforce efforts. This bill lets federal water projects move straight into preconstruction planning, engineering, and design and directs agencies to study expanded private-sector procurement of design and engineering services, creating new contract work for architecture and engineering firms.

Where it stands

S. 4949 was reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works at its July 15, 2026 markup and was placed the same day on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 457. The bill carries no written report, which is normal in the Senate, and the calendar placement does not itself put the bill on the floor schedule.

Water Resources Development Act of 2026

Sam Graves (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal would authorize a broad set of Army Corps of Engineers water resources activities, including new flood control, navigation, ecosystem restoration, and drinking water and wastewater projects, plus higher federal spending caps for many existing programs. It would also reorganize the Corps with new program offices, speed up studies and project completion, shift federal land to local, tribal, and private recipients, update contracting and permitting rules, and raise or extend funding for programs like oyster recovery, dam rehabilitation, irrigation, and Great Lakes coordination. This bill would give architecture, engineering, and surveying firms new paid work on hundreds of Corps feasibility studies and water projects, while prompting reviews of A&E fee limits and federal design contract procurement that could ease fee caps.

Where it stands

HR9497 passed the House on September 16, 2026 by a 415 to 9 vote on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended, and was received in the Senate on September 17, 2026. Its House work is complete, having been marked up by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on July 14, 2026 and reported with the written report filed September 3, 2026, so the bill's fate now rests entirely with the Senate.

South Dakota Water Feasibility Studies Act

Dusty Johnson (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would direct the Interior Department to run feasibility studies for three proposed Missouri River rural water supply projects, the Western Dakota Regional Water System, the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System expansion, and the Dakota Mainstem project, and report to Congress on whether each should be built, with the federal share of each study capped at $10 million and at 50 percent of study costs and the authority expiring 7 years after enactment. The Western Dakota and Lewis and Clark systems would have to share study costs under required cost-sharing agreements, and any future construction recommended in the reports would need separate congressional authorization and a nonfederal contribution of at least 25 percent of construction costs. This bill directs the Interior Department to run three rural water feasibility studies, giving engineering and consulting firms in architecture and engineering funded contract work capped at $10 million per study with a 50 percent federal share.

Where it stands

HR9785 was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources on July 20, 2026, and at a markup on September 15, 2026 the committee ordered the bill reported in the nature of a substitute by unanimous consent. That committee vote is itself the report-out event, though no written report or calendar placement appears on the record yet.

Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act of 2026

Juan Ciscomani (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would reauthorize the Cooperative Watershed Management Program through fiscal 2031 and authorize $40 million per year for it, while letting Indian tribes qualify for the grants, raising the grant cap from $100,000 to $150,000 per year for at least three years, and allowing the Secretary to extend first-phase grants for up to two more years. It would also let grant funds pay for grant writing, project management, and technical help such as feasibility studies, design, environmental review, and engineering, and require the Secretary to accept and review grant applications multiple times each year. This bill reauthorizes watershed grants up to $150,000 that can pay for engineering, feasibility studies, design, and environmental review, giving engineering and consulting firms new funded project work through 2031.

Where it stands

HR7978 was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources on March 18, 2026, and the record shows no further House action, no hearing, no markup, and no calendar placement. In the House, referral is the stage where most measures rest unless the chair notices a markup or another path, such as suspension, a special rule, or discharge, is used.

Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act of 2026

Steve Daines (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would reauthorize the Cooperative Watershed Management Program through fiscal year 2031, authorizing $20 million per year in federal grants, while raising the maximum first-phase grant from $100,000 to $150,000 per year, allowing the Interior Secretary to extend successful first-phase grants for up to 2 more years at up to $150,000 each, and letting grant money also pay for grant writing, project management, technical assistance such as design, environmental studies, and engineering, and post-construction project monitoring. It would also open eligibility to Indian tribes, including tribes with ancestral lands in a watershed, let groups show need from drought, wildfire, or other natural disasters, and require regular funding opportunities with applications accepted and evaluated multiple times a year, with reports made public. This bill renews federal watershed grants through 2031 and allows those funds to pay engineering, design, environmental review, and feasibility work, so architecture and engineering firms gain funded project opportunities with larger, longer, and more frequent awards.

Where it stands

S4041 was reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, whose markup vote on July 29, 2026 ordered it reported, and on September 17, 2026 it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 656. No written report accompanied the reporting, which is normal in the Senate and nothing the bill is waiting on.

Dakota Water Resources Act Amendments of 2026

John Hoeven (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would authorize roughly $1.45 billion in new federal spending for water projects in and around North Dakota, including $637 million for projects such as the Northwest Area Water Supply treatment plant, the McClusky Canal alternative for eastern North Dakota, the Southwest Pipeline, and rural water districts, plus $743 million for rural water systems on the Spirit Lake, Fort Berthold, Standing Rock, and Turtle Mountain Indian Reservations and a Lake Traverse feasibility study, and $75 million for the Natural Resources Trust. It would also allow the Secretary of the Interior to transfer up to 50 percent more than the initial amount among the four State and Tribal projects, require final engineering reports within two years, and adjust the authorized amounts upward for construction-cost inflation. This bill authorizes about $1.46 billion for North Dakota and tribal water projects and funds final engineering reports within two years, giving water, pipeline, and treatment plant design firms new paid engineering and design work.

Where it stands

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a markup and voted to report S4040 on June 10, 2026, and the bill was reported on September 17, 2026, placing it under General Orders on the Senate Legislative Calendar as Calendar No. 655. In the Senate, the act of reporting itself calendars the bill, so it now awaits the majority leader's decision on whether to call it up.

Water Project Navigators Act

John W. Hickenlooper (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would create a Water Project Navigators Program under the Secretary of the Interior, authorizing $15,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 in grants and cooperative agreements to states, tribes, local water entities, and nonprofit conservation groups to fund staff who help plan, write grants for, and manage multi-benefit water projects, with priority for tribes, disadvantaged communities, and rural communities. Federal funds would cover up to 75 percent of project costs, though that local cost share could be reduced or waived for tribes, acequias, land grant-mercedes, and disadvantaged communities facing financial hardship, and no grant could pay for meeting existing federal or state environmental compliance obligations. This bill would fund navigator staff who provide feasibility studies, design, and engineering work for water projects, creating new demand and contracts for architecture, engineering, and related consulting firms.

Where it stands

S3792 was referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on February 5, 2026, had a hearing on March 17, 2026, and was ordered reported at a markup on June 10, 2026. On September 17, 2026 the committee reported the bill without a written report, which is normal in the Senate, and it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 654.

BUILD America 250 Act

This is an omnibus proposal impacting several different industries, including Architecture & Engineering.

Sam Graves (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

This proposal, the BUILD America 250 Act, would authorize roughly five years of federal funding from fiscal 2027 through 2031 for highways, bridges, public transit, ferries, and passenger and freight rail, while rewriting the underlying federal transportation programs, grant formulas, and safety rules. It would also add new rail safety mandates such as two-person crews, cab cameras, and track inspection requirements, impose new fees on electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and hazardous materials shippers, expand truck weight and access allowances on Interstates, create liability protections for app-based rideshare platforms, peer-to-peer car sharing, and vehicle owners, and tighten fraud screening for trucking and broker registrations. This bill directly benefits architecture, engineering, and surveying firms by authorizing hundreds of billions in highway, transit, and rail funding they can win through design, engineering, planning, and preconstruction contracts, while changing procurement rules for engineering and design services.

Where it stands

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure took H.R. 8870 up in a markup on May 21, 2026 and, on May 22, 2026, ordered it reported as amended by a yea-and-nay vote of 62 to 2, so the markup vote to report is the report-out event. No written report has been filed and no calendar placement appears on the record, and the disposition of some committee amendments, including an en bloc amendment offered by Mr. Johnson of Georgia, is unresolved, so the text as reported may still differ.

Water Project Navigators Act

Brittany Pettersen (Democrat) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to create a Water Project Navigators Program within 180 days of enactment, awarding grants and cooperative agreements to states, tribes, water districts, and nonprofits to fund navigator staff who help plan and carry out water projects, with federal funding capped at 75 percent of costs and money not allowed for existing environmental compliance duties. It would authorize $15 million per year for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032 and require a report to Congress after 5 years on how the program helps Tribes, disadvantaged communities, and rural communities reduce water supply imbalances and improve drought resilience. This bill funds state water project navigators who arrange feasibility studies, design, preliminary environmental review, and engineering work, giving architecture and engineering firms a pipeline of new water infrastructure projects while risk shifting some technical tasks in house.

Where it stands

HR7408 was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources on February 5, 2026, and the record shows no hearing, no markup, no report, and no calendar placement for the bill. In the House, a referred bill with no noticed markup can lapse quietly when the Congress ends.

Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act

Mike Rounds (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a feasibility study, in coordination with the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System nonprofit, of building a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to parts of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, with the federal share capped at 50 percent and federal spending capped at $10,000,000. The Secretary would then have to produce a public report recommending whether the project is feasible, whether it should be authorized for construction, and what the non-federal share of construction costs (at least 25 percent) should be, and the study authority would expire 5 years after enactment. This bill funds a federally cost-shared feasibility study of the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project, creating contract work for engineering and surveying firms that would perform the water planning and design analysis.

Where it stands

S. 3736 was referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on January 29, 2026, which held a hearing on March 17, 2026 and a markup on June 10, 2026 at which the committee voted to report it. The committee reported the bill on September 17, 2026 without a written report, which itself placed it on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 651 the same day.

A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a feasibility study on a selective water withdrawal system at Glen Canyon Dam, and for other purposes.

Mike Lee (Republican) · Sponsor of record · Official record ↗

What it does

The bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of Energy and Colorado River Storage Project power contractors, to complete a federally funded feasibility study within 18 months of enactment on a selective water withdrawal system at Glen Canyon Dam designed to improve hydropower generation when releasing cold water while keeping invasive species out. If a studied alternative proves feasible under reclamation law, the Secretary could begin compliance and construction of it, but only with the power contractors' agreement, and any federal funds spent would be nonreimbursable, meaning participants would not pay them back. This bill hands architecture and engineering firms new federally funded work, since the Secretary of the Interior must pay with appropriated funds for a feasibility study on a selective water withdrawal system at Glen Canyon Dam, procuring hydrological modeling and engineering services.

Where it stands

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on March 17, 2026, ordered the bill reported at the June 10, 2026 markup, and reported it on September 17, 2026, placing it on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 653. No written report was filed, which is normal in the Senate and nothing is owed, and the adopted committee amendment text is not yet on file, so amended text is pending.