AAPA Supports WRDA Bill with Key Wins for Ports

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is pleased to support the final negotiated version of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA).

This final draft bill comes after several months of discussions reconciling the differences between the House version passed in July and the Senate version passed in August. The relevant members who negotiated the bill are Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen.

“Moving the people, energy, and goods of a vibrant economy would not be possible without regular passage of the Water Resources Development Act," said Cary S. Davis, AAPA President and CEO. "We congratulate the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their bipartisan agreement to make necessary investments in our nation’s port infrastructure. In particular, we commend the Committees for including much-needed harbor deepening provisions to accommodate the growing size of ships and we encourage Congress to pass this bill without delay to maintain the flow of commerce in our federal navigation channels"

The most impactful policy in the WRDA bill for America’s ports changes the depth threshold at which the Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) funds dredging projects. For construction dredging projects, the Corps will now fund 75% of the costs to dredge between depths of 20-55 feet. Previously that funding level was only available up to a depth of 50 feet. The Corps will also fund 100% of the costs of operations and maintenance projects for depths up to 55 feet. Previously it would only fully fund these projects up to a depth of 50 feet. These changes will allow our nation’s ports to accommodate the ever-larger vessels operated by the global fleet. Deeper harbor dredging is necessary for the nation's economy and the global competitiveness of America’s ports.

AAPA is proud to say that all other provisions supported by the Association in an August 2024 letter were included in the final WRDA bill. Other key wins for America's ports include:

House Sec. 111 (Federal cost share to 55 feet)
Senate Sec. 102 (Prior guidance)
Senate Sec. 105 (Annual Report to Congress)
Senate Sec. 106 (Processing timelines) and House Sec. 107 (Electronic submission and tracking of permit applications)
Senate Sec. 111 (Outreach and Access) and House Sec. 102 (Community project advisor)
Senate Sec. 202 and House Sec. 108 (Vertical integration and acceleration of studies)
Senate Sec. 233 and House Sec. 205 (GAO reports)
Senate Sec. 234 (Prior Reports) and House Sec. 150 (Reporting and oversight)
House Sec. 104 (Studies of water resources development projects by non-Federal interests)
House Sec. 105 (Construction of water resources development projects by non-Federal interests)
House Sec. 106 (Sec. 408 permit review office) and Senate Sec. 233(c) (Review of Certain Permits)
House Sec. 112 (Emerging Harbors)
House Sec. 116 (Dredged material disposal facility partnerships)
House Sec. 206 (Annual report on harbor maintenance needs and trust fund expenditures)
 

According to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-MO), the bill is expected to receive consideration by the full House of Representatives next week. Currently, it is unclear whether WRDA will pass as a standalone bill or be included in other larger legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act. However, this will be the sixth consecutive Congress since 2014 to pass a biennial WRDA bill.