H.R. 2401 — Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act of 2025

This section defines terms used in the Act, including "(1) Administrator," meaning the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; "(2) member agencies," meaning EPA, DOI, USDA, Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, Economic Development Administration, HUD, DOT, DOE, ED, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, FEMA, Corporation for National and Community Service, and other eligible agencies; "(3) Secretaries," meaning the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture; "(4) Urban Waters ambassador," meaning a locally based coordinator for Urban Waters program activities; "(5) Urban Waters nonpartnership location," meaning an urban site with federal support advancing Urban Waters program purposes but lacking formal partnership designation, an active ambassador, or a workplan; "(6) Urban Waters partnership location," meaning a formally designated urban site with an active ambassador partnership; "(7) Urban Waters partnership location workplan," meaning a coordinated plan for projects and actions at a partnership location; and "(8) Urban Waters program," meaning the program established under section 3(a).

This section establishes the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program, administered jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator and specified Secretaries, to coordinate federal efforts reconnecting urban and suburban communities—particularly overburdened or economically distressed ones—with waterways. (As background, the program builds on the existing Urban Waters initiative by maintaining current partnership locations, authorizing new ones, providing technical assistance and project funding, supporting Urban Waters ambassadors, and fostering a learning network for sharing best practices.) It creates a steering committee—chaired by the EPA Administrator with the Secretaries as vice-chairs—to provide guidance on priorities and funding opportunities; notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 1346 (which generally prohibits executive agency funding or reimbursements for interagency commissions, councils, or boards), member agencies may finance the committee through interagency transfers and detailing. Member agencies may also transfer funds or enter agreements to support eligible entities (e.g., states, tribes, local governments, nonprofits) conducting related habitat, water quality, recreation, resiliency, infrastructure, engagement, planning, or research activities.