Bill Introduced to Reauthorize Great Lakes Restoration Funding

Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) and his colleagues on the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill will reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is set to expire at the end of FY 2026, for another five years through FY 2031. The bill increases the FY 2026 authorization level from $475 million to $500 million starting in FY 2027.

Along with the introduction of this bill, Congressman Joyce officially relaunched the Great Lakes Task Force for the 119th Congress. Representatives Bill Huizenga (R-MI-04), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) will serve as co-chairs alongside Congressman Joyce and are the House co-leads of the GLRI Act.

House cosponsors of the bill are Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Pete Stauber (R-MN), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Brad Schneider (D-IL), John James (R MI), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Bill Foster (D-IL), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Sean Casten (D-IL), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Frank Mrvan (D-IN), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI).

This bill is endorsed by Great Lakes Commission, American Sportfishing Association, Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition, National Parks Conservation Association, American Great Lakes Port Association, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Alliance for the Great Lakes, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Environmental Council, National Audubon Society, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, League of Conservation Voters, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Clean Wisconsin, Great Lakes Business Network, Save the Dunes.