Bill orders study of Missouri River water pipeline for western South Dakota

Q: What does it cost, and who pays?

The federal government could pay no more than half of the study, and no more than $10 million in federal money could be spent on it. The Secretary would have 90 days to identify where the money will come from, using funds already available to the department; the report must also recommend a construction cost split with the local side paying at least 25 percent.

Placed on the calendarS. 3723Latest action Sep 17, 2026

Sponsor: John Thune · Senator · SD

AIDecoded by AI · checked against the record

Read the official text

Official title: Western South Dakota Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act

119th Congress

Topics: Environment & energy

Introduced: January 29, 2026

Read the official bill on Congress.gov

In plain words

The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.

S 3723 orders a federal study of piping Missouri River water to western South Dakota; it builds nothing and caps federal study money at $10 million.

60-second read · 5 questions answered below

What does this do?

The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, to study whether a project to pipe Missouri River water to the Western Dakota Regional Water System is workable. The Secretary would then report on whether the project is technically and financially feasible and whether Congress should authorize construction. The bill itself does not build anything.

Who does it affect?

Residents, farms, ranches, and businesses in western South Dakota that rely on the region's water supplies, along with the nonprofit water system and any tribal or local governments in the area.

Why does it matter?

Any actual construction would still require Congress to pass a separate law to approve and fund it. The study's report would go to the relevant Senate and House committees and be posted for the public.

What does it cost, and who pays?

Federal share: at most half the study
Federal cap: $10 million
Local share of construction: at least 25%

AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.

Based on the “Reported to Senate” text of Sep 17, 2026.

Read the official bill on Congress.gov

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Where does it stand?

IntroducedJan 29, 2026
Senate committee
Senate voteYou are here · Sep 17, 2026
House
The president's desk

Right now: it was placed on the , and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the president.

Latest action: September 17, 2026 — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 648.

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