DAMS Act

The Dam Assessment and Mitigation Support (DAMS) Act proposes to amend the National Dam Safety Program Act to extend and enhance federal assistance for dam infrastructure. The bill aims to reauthorize funding for dam safety programs and the rehabilitation of high-hazard potential dams for an additional five years, moving the expiration date from 2026 to 2031. This extension would provide long-term financial predictability for states and dam owners to plan and execute necessary safety upgrades.

Beyond funding, the legislation proposes to streamline how states prioritize dam repairs. It would require states that do not have their own risk-based priority systems to adopt a standardized federal system for identifying which dams require the most urgent attention. By focusing on a "three Rs" approach—rehabilitation, retrofits, and removal—the bill aims to reduce the risk of dam failures, protect downstream communities from flooding, and improve the overall resilience of the nation's water infrastructure.