CHICAGO, IL (September 30, 2026) – Last night the United States Senate passed legislation to reauthorize the popular and critical Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The Senate action follows passage in the U.S. House of a slightly different version of a reauthorization bill. The next step is for the House and Senate to reconcile their bills and pass final legislation before Congress adjourns on January 3, 2027.
“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds critical pollution clean-up and restoration projects across the Great Lakes, the source of drinking water for 30 million Americans. For more than 15 years, our region has been unified in its broad, bipartisan support for this critical program. Every dollar invested in the GLRI results in three dollars in economic activity in tourism, recreation, and quality of life improvements. When the House of Representatives and Senate return from recess, Congress should make final passage of GLRI reauthorization a top priority and send the bill to the president’s desk for signature,” said Jenny Larsen, Alliance for the Great Lakes Director of Federal Government Affairs.