This legislation enhances the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authority to mitigate flooding by using proven, cost-effective conservation tools and local expertise.
Enhance USDA authority to mitigate flooding by using proven conservation tools and local expertise.
Occurrences
Selected Memorials Consensus Calendar Motions ... Roll Call 154 | Bill Number: H. R. 7567 ... Vote Question: On Passage Farm, Food, and National Security Act
Flood mitigation, outdoor recreation enhancement, and land rehabilitation through the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act
Flood mitigation, outdoor recreation enhancement, and land rehabilitation through the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act
Messmer announced the introduction of the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act, which enhances USDA’s authority to mitigate flooding by using proven, cost-effective conservation tools and local expertise.
Evidence
Congress.gov shows H.R. 7264, sponsored by Rep. Mark B. Messmer, was introduced on January 27, 2026 and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture; the bill status is still listed as Introduced.
In an April 30, 2026 press release, Messmer said he secured 'flood mitigation, outdoor recreation enhancement, and land rehabilitation through the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act' during Farm Bill negotiations, but the release does not show enactment of H.R. 7264 itself.
Assessments
Messmer made a concrete same-term legislative effort by sponsoring H.R. 7264, the Restoring America's Floodplains Act, and later claimed he secured related flood mitigation language during House Farm Bill negotiations. However, H.R. 7264 remains only introduced and referred to the House Agriculture Committee, and the broader Farm Bill evidence shows House passage rather than enactment into law. Because the promised USDA authority expansion has not yet become federal law or otherwise been implemented, but the legislative process appears still pending, the promise is not delivered yet rather than definitively failed.