Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act of 2025
This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 and modifies the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program of the Bureau of Reclamation. Under the existing program, Reclamation implements activities to improve snowpack measurements used for water supply forecasts in certain western states.
The bill directs Reclamation to incorporate, to the greatest extent practicable, information from technologies that provide complete integration of accurate, timely, and spatially complete snowpack measurements and models when determining water supply forecasts or allocations to federal water contractors.
Additionally, the bill requires the program's framework to emphasize the deployment of technologies that provide integration of snowpack measuring and modeling. The bill also requires the program's focus—activities that maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack measurement and integrated modeling—to place an emphasis on (1) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting results that are more responsive to changing weather and watershed conditions, (2) real-time integration of measurement and modeling activities with water supply forecasts, (3) activities in river basins where measurements or modeling can produce snow and water supply data to inform water management decisions, and (4) building the capacity of the program partners to implement and adapt to the new measurement and forecast capabilities.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3857 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3857
To amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 10, 2025
Mr. Hurd of Colorado (for himself and Mr. Neguse) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Snow Water Supply Forecasting
Reauthorization Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM.
Section 1111 of the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program
Authorization Act (43 U.S.C. 1477) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``culminating
in the report required under subsection (d)(3)'' and
inserting ``with an emphasis on deployment of
technologies that provide integration of snowpack
measuring and modeling''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``after
submitting the report required by subsection (d)(3),'';
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in the heading, by adding ``with
integrated modeling'' after ``data'';
(ii) by striking ``emerging technologies
for snowpack measurement, such as'' and
inserting ``commercially available technologies
that provide complete integration of accurate,
timely, and spatially complete snowpack
measurements and models, including the
integration of''; and
(iii) by striking subparagraphs (A) through
(C) and inserting the following:
``(A) airborne laser altimetry;
``(B) airborne imaging spectroscopy;
``(C) integrated physics-based snowpack and
hydrologic modeling; and
``(D) other technologies that the Secretary
determines are likely to provide more accurate or
timely snowpack measurement data commensurate with
operational water management needs.''; and
(B) by striking paragraph (3);
(3) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``After
submitting the report required under subsection (d)(3),
the'' and inserting ``The''; and
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the
following:
``(2) Focus.--The program shall focus on activities that
will maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack
measurement and integrated modeling, with an emphasis on--
``(A) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow
and water supply forecasting results that are more
responsive to changing weather and watershed
conditions;
``(B) real-time integration of activities described
in this section with water supply forecasts;
``(C) activities in river basins where activities
described in this section can produce snow and water
supply data to inform water management decisions,
including interstate water management decisions; and
``(D) building program partners' capacity to
implement and adapt to the new measurement and forecast
capabilities enabled under this program.'';
(4) in subsection (f)--
(A) by striking ``of this Act'' and inserting ``of
the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act
of 2025'';
(B) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``and sub-basins'';
(ii) by striking ``technologies'' and
inserting ``and integrated modeling
technologies''; and
(iii) by striking ``technology used'' and
inserting ``application, outcome, and data
resources used''; and
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or sub-basin'';
and
(5) in subparagraph (g), by striking ``, in the aggregate,
for fiscal years 2022 through 2026'' and inserting ``for each
of fiscal years 2027 through 2031''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Discharged
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-293.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-293.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 249.
Mr. Hurd (CO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5077-5078; text: CR H5078)
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DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3857.
At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Hurd (CO) objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5136)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.