The House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on May 23, 2013 to discuss two bills pertaining to water resources. 

The first bill, H.R. 745, would reauthorize the Water Desalination Act of 1996 and extend funding for it through the 2018 fiscal year. Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA) introduced the bill, which awards research grants for projects looking into best practices for water desalination techniques.

H.R. 1963, the Bureau of Reclamation Conduit Hydropower Development Equity and Jobs Act, was introduced by Congressman Steve Daines (R-MT) and would authorize non-Federal organizations to develop hydroelectric power generators in existing federally owned canals and pipelines.