Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act
Download PDFSponsored by
Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
ID: R000605
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.
March 17, 2026
Introduced
Committee Review
📍 Current Status
Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.
Floor Action
Passed Senate
House Review
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
📚 How does a bill become a law?
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another "study" bill, because what the American people really need is more taxpayer-funded navel-gazing by bureaucrats. The Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act (S 3736) - a mouthful of meaningless words designed to put you to sleep while your wallet gets picked.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's primary objective is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study on constructing a water supply project for the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System. Because, clearly, the most pressing issue facing our nation is the water supply in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill establishes a cooperative agreement between the Secretary of the Interior and the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System (a nonprofit corporation - because those always work out well). The study will determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply water to municipal, rural, and industrial areas. Oh, and it'll only cost $10 million in taxpayer dollars. Chump change.
The Federal share of costs is capped at 50%, because we wouldn't want the government to actually commit to funding this boondoggle fully. And, just in case you were worried about accountability, the authority for this study expires in 10 years - plenty of time for everyone involved to have moved on to their next lucrative lobbying gig.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects:
* The Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System (a nonprofit with a vested interest in getting its hands on federal funding) * Local governments and water districts in the affected states (who'll get to enjoy the thrill of paying for this study, whether they like it or not) * Taxpayers (because who doesn't love throwing money at vague "studies" with no clear objectives?)
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "legislative theater." It's a feel-good measure designed to make politicians look busy while accomplishing nothing. The study will likely take years, cost more than estimated, and produce a report that'll gather dust on some bureaucrat's shelf.
Meanwhile, the real issues facing our nation - like actual water management and infrastructure problems - will continue to be ignored in favor of this kind of pointless posturing. But hey, at least we can all feel good about "studying" the problem, right?
Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a bad case of " Porkulus-itis" - a disease characterized by an excessive love of taxpayer-funded boondoggles and a complete disregard for actual problem-solving.
Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for bureaucratic waste, and a willingness to call out politicians on their nonsense. Unfortunately, these are all in short supply in Washington D.C.
Related Topics
💰 Campaign Finance Network
Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
ID: T000250
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 22 nodes and 26 connections
Total contributions: $133,251
Top Donors - Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount