---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 3902"
title: "33"
title_heading: "Navigation and Navigable Waters"
number: "3902"
heading: "Authority to provide assistance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/33/3902"
units:
  - "Chapter 52 — Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation"
---

# §3902. Authority to provide assistance

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) and the [Administrator](/usc/33/3901.md?p=1) may provide financial assistance under this chapter to carry out projects, which shall be selected to ensure a diversity of project types and geographical locations.
- (b) **Responsibility—**
  - (1) **Secretary—** The [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) shall provide financial assistance to carry out all projects under this chapter that are eligible projects under [section 3905(1) of this title](/usc/33/3905.md?p=1).
  - (2) **Administrator—** The [Administrator](/usc/33/3901.md?p=1) shall provide financial assistance to carry out all projects under this chapter that are eligible projects under paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), and (9) of [section 3905 of this title](/usc/33/3905.md).
  - (3) **Other projects—** The [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) or the [Administrator](/usc/33/3901.md?p=1), as applicable, may carry out eligible projects under paragraph (8) or (10) of [section 3905 of this title](/usc/33/3905.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–121, title V, § 5023, June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1333; Pub. L. 114–322, title IV, § 5008(a), (b)(2)(A), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1896, 1897; Pub. L. 115–270, title IV, § 4201(a)(1), Oct. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 3877.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–270, § 4201(a)(1)(A), struck out “pilot” before “projects”.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–270, § 4201(a)(1), substituted “provide financial assistance to carry out all projects” for “carry out all pilot projects”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–270, § 4201(a)(1)(A), struck out “pilot” after “all”.

2016—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 114–322, § 5008(b)(2)(A)(i), substituted “(7), and (9)” for “and (8)”.

Pub. L. 114–322, § 5008(a), substituted “provide financial assistance to carry out” for “carry out”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 114–322, § 5008(b)(2)(A)(ii), substituted “paragraph (8) or (10)” for “paragraph (7) or (9)”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Rulemaking Process

Pub. L. 119–74, div. B, title I, Jan. 23, 2026, 140 Stat. 66, provided in part: “That not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Jan. 23, 2026], the Secretary [of the Army] shall begin a rulemaking process to establish the process to provide financial assistance for projects to construct, maintain, upgrade, and repair levees and ancillary features with a primary owner type of State, municipal, county, private, or other non-Federal entity”.

### “Secretary” Defined

Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 2 of Pub. L. 113–121, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.