Bill > S3737

This bill, known as the GROW SMART Act, aims to amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 to provide financial and technical assistance for innovative, voluntary water partnership agreements. The core of the bill is to support projects that keep agricultural land in production, maintain rural income and employment, and ensure affordable or redundant water supplies, all while planning for long-term sustainability without relying solely on federal funding. These innovative approaches can include new methods or those not yet widely established, such as financial or water-sharing agreements between agricultural users and entities like municipal water providers, industrial users (including data centers), or conservation organizations. The bill also encourages water-saving practices and crops, and voluntary methods to reduce water consumption, like hydroponics, agrovoltaics, or advanced irrigation technologies, but explicitly excludes approaches that involve fallowing land for extended periods or using common, well-understood crops. While partnerships are encouraged, the bill allows for assistance to individual entities like states, tribes, or agricultural operations facing significant water shortages if they implement innovative water-saving measures or help reverse declining groundwater or freshwater inflows. Applications will be prioritized based on factors like dedicating saved water to others, the innovativeness of the approach, estimated water and economic benefits, likelihood of success, and the duration of agreements, with a federal cost-share generally capped at 75 percent, though waivers are possible for Tribal entities.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3737/all-info