119-hr4144

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4144 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4144

 To require the Director of the United States Geological Survey to map 
future groundwater rise and conduct a study on its potential impacts to 
 infrastructure and public health, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 25, 2025

 Mr. Mullin (for himself and Mr. Garbarino) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Director of the United States Geological Survey to map 
future groundwater rise and conduct a study on its potential impacts to 
 infrastructure and public health, and for other purposes.

 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 Groundwater Rise and Infrastructure 
Preparedness Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Sea level has risen 5 to 6 inches over the last 30 
 years along the United States Coastline and is expected to rise 
 by an additional 8 to 15 inches by 2050.

    (2) The response of shallow, coastal groundwater levels to 
 sea level rise will vary across different areas, complicating 
 efforts by State, local, and Tribal policymakers to plan for 
 the future.

    (3) Groundwater rise presents multiple threats to 
 infrastructure and human health, such as increased flooding and 
 soil liquefaction risk, destabilization of underground 
 infrastructure and building foundations, contamination of 
 drinking water, damage to sewage systems, and mobilization of 
 underground contamination, but there has not been a national 
 assessment of these potential impacts.

SEC. 3. GROUNDWATER RISE.

    (a) National Groundwater Rise Forecast.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a 
 program to carry out the following:
        (A) Develop maps of groundwater rise for all 
 coastal areas in the continental United States, 
 building upon existing and prior coastal groundwater 
 mapping efforts, that depict future groundwater rise 
 with decadal projections through 2100, and associated 
 changes in flooding risk and saltwater intrusion.
        (B) Identify priority areas that are at increased 
 risk of flooding due to groundwater rise.
            (C) Make recommendations to Congress regarding the 
 resources and improved research infrastructure that may 
 be needed to develop the following:
            (i) More accurate projections of average 
 future groundwater rise and saltwater intrusion 
 due to sea level change.
            (ii) Extreme event projections that account 
 for tides, seasonal rainfall, and storms.

    (2) Website.--The Director shall establish a public website 
 that displays the maps developed pursuant to paragraph

    (1) , as 
 well as other relevant information critical for use by 
 community planners and emergency managers.

    (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
 to be appropriated to the Director $5,000,000 for fiscal years 
 2025 and 2026 to carry out this subsection.

    (b) Groundwater Rise Impact Study.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than six months after the 
 completion of the activities under subsection

    (a) , the 
 Director, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
 Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
 and heads of other Federal agencies with relevant expertise, 
 shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National 
 Academies to conduct a two-phase study on the potential impacts 
 of groundwater rise on infrastructure and public health.

    (2) Elements.--The study under subsection

    (a) should, at a 
 minimum--
        (A) consider the results of the groundwater rise 
 forecast developed in accordance with subsection

    (a) ; 
 and
        (B) provide recommendations for actions by the 
 executive branch and Congress to mitigate the potential 
 impacts of groundwater rise.

    (3) Phase i study on impacts to infrastructure.--The phase 
 I study under paragraph

    (1) should, at a minimum, consider the 
 following:
        (A) The potential exposure of infrastructure in 
 shallow coastal areas to groundwater rise, including 
 roads, buildings, underground utility lines, parking 
 structures, sewers, water distribution pipes, and storm 
 drains, and the costs associated with such.
        (B) Changes in soil liquefaction risk during 
 earthquakes due to projected groundwater rise.

    (4) Phase ii study on impacts to public health.--The phase 
 II study under paragraph

    (1) should, at a minimum, consider the 
 following:
        (A) The potential of groundwater rise to mobilize 
 below-ground contamination and the associated risks to 
 human health.
        (B) An evaluation of drinking water supplies and 
 agricultural areas that will be threatened by 
 groundwater rise and associated saltwater intrusion.

    (5) Report.--Not later than three years after initiating 
 the study under paragraph

    (1) , the Director shall submit to 
 Congress a report summarizing the findings of such study.
            (c) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
 the United States Geological Survey.

    (2) Groundwater rise.--The term ``groundwater rise'' means 
 the upward movement of the shallow, coastal water table due to 
 short or long-term fluctuations in sea level.

    (3) National academies.--The term ``National Academies'' 
 means the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
 Medicine.
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