Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act

S.3736, the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act, was introduced in the Senate on January 29, 2026, and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. A hearing was held by the Subcommittee on Water and Power on March 17, 2026. This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System service area in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. The bill authorizes an appropriation of up to $10,000,000 for the federal share of the feasibility study, which is capped at 50 percent of the total costs. It is crucial to note that this is an authorization, not an appropriation. Actual funding for the study will depend on subsequent appropriations legislation. The mechanism for this funding is a cooperative agreement between the Secretary of the Interior and the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System. Structural beneficiaries of this bill, if enacted and funded, would be consulting and engineering firms with expertise in water infrastructure feasibility studies. These firms would bid on contracts to conduct the study. Given the preliminary nature of a feasibility study, there are no direct beneficiaries in terms of construction or equipment suppliers at this stage. The bill has a companion bill, HR7331, which is an identical bill in the House, indicating a coordinated legislative effort. The authority provided by this section expires on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act. The next legislative steps for S.3736 include further committee action, potentially a committee markup, and then a vote by the full Senate. If passed by the Senate, it would then move to the House for consideration, or the House could advance its companion bill, HR7331. The presence of a companion bill in the House increases the probability of eventual passage.