[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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