Subcommittee backs reauthorization of Water Resources Research Act and spotlights PFAS, AI and workforce needs

Kevin Maguire, director of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, told the subcommittee HR 7889 would provide a stable four-year authorization for the Water Resources Research Institutes and update the appropriation ceiling to $16 million to align statute with recent appropriations. He described three priorities: PFAS contamination research, the water–energy/AI nexus, and workforce development for water scientists and engineers.

Maguire said the institutes leverage federal funding with state and private matches; in fiscal year 2025 the program provided roughly $14.3 million in federal funding that was matched dollar-for-dollar by state and local sources. He described the program's role in supporting hundreds of students and research projects and noted that codifying language on AI is modest in text but significant in signaling partnerships with the technology sector.

Members asked how institute-driven research informs local policy and whether the program crowds out state leadership. Maguire replied the institutes are locally focused and partner with cooperative extension and state agencies to provide boots-on-the-ground research, giving examples such as work on harmful algal blooms and drinking-water problems.

The hearing record remains open for follow-up questions; no committee votes occurred during the session.