U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen has introduced new legislation in the U.S. House designed to strengthen water resources and management in Colorado’s rural areas, per the U.S. Congress.
H.R.7631 entered the 119th Congress on Feb. 20, 2026, as part of the regular session. The following overview is based on the official bill text, with additional clarification for key provisions.
The proposal would change the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 to add Colorado to a program focused on strengthening western rural water supplies. Specifically, Colorado would be included in Section 595 along with other states currently covered, giving rural Colorado access to federal resources and support for water-related projects. The bill’s text does not state when these changes would take effect.
Rep. Brittany Pettersen (Democrat-CO-7th District) introduced the bill, joined by co-sponsors Rep. Jason Crow (Democrat-CO-6th District), Rep. Jeff Crank (Republican-CO-5th District), Rep. Diana DeGette (Democrat-CO-1st District), and three additional backers.
Rep. Pettersen has filed another 19 bills since this session began.
Congressional bills may originate in either the U.S. House or Senate, except for legislation concerning revenue, which must originate in the House. Once introduced, measures go to committees for examination, public hearings, potential changes, and debate before advancing to a vote in each body. Identical bill versions must pass both chambers before heading to the president for approval or veto. Congress works in two-year periods, with each term given a number and split into two sessions. Official records and details about bill progress are maintained and published by the U.S. Congress on Congress.gov.
Brittany Pettersen serves as a U.S. Representative from Colorado. Born December 6, 1981, she earned her B.A. from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2006. Her previous political experience includes terms in the Colorado House of Representatives (2013 to 2018), the Colorado Senate (2019 to 2022), and election to the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress in January 2023.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| H.R.7631 | 02/20/2026 | Rural Water Security Act |
| H.R.7447 | 02/09/2026 | Community Risk Training and Response Act of 2026 |
| H.R.7446 | 02/09/2026 | Community Firearm Safety Act of 2026 |
| H.R.7445 | 02/09/2026 | Evergreen Community Safety Act of 2026 |
| H.R.7408 | 02/05/2026 | Water Project Navigators Act |
| H.R.6888 | 12/18/2025 | Trump Tariff Transparency Act |
| H.R.6705 | 12/15/2025 | Stopping Bonuses for Unsafe and Unsound Banking Act |
| H.R.5974 | 11/07/2025 | Bureau of Prisons Pay Protection Act |
| H.R.5120 | 09/03/2025 | HANDS Act |
| H.R.4718 | 07/23/2025 | Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act |
| H.R.4414 | 07/15/2025 | Satellite-Based Agricultural Data Act |
| H.R.3694 | 06/03/2025 | VALID Act of 2025 |
| H.R.3462 | 05/15/2025 | They’re Fast, We’re Furious Act of 2025 |
| H.R.2695 | 04/07/2025 | Communities of Recovery Reauthorization Act of 2025 |
| H.R.2461 | 03/27/2025 | Manufactured Housing Tenant’s Bill of Rights Act of 2025 |
| H.R.1734 | 02/27/2025 | Preventing Deep Fake Scams Act |
| H.R.1093 | 02/06/2025 | Natural Disaster Property Protection Act of 2025 |
| H.R.528 | 01/16/2025 | Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act |
| H.R.527 | 01/16/2025 | Strengthening Wildfire Resiliency Through Satellites Act of 2025 |
| H.R.448 | 01/15/2025 | Silver Cliff Community Act |
Details in this article come from the U.S. Congress. Source materials are available here.
