[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2778 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 2778


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 20, 2000

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the 
   Taunton River in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for study for 
 potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Taunton River Wild and Scenic River 
Study Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Taunton River in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
        possesses important resource values (including wildlife, 
        ecological, and scenic values), historic sites, and a cultural 
        past important to the heritage of the United States;
            (2) there is strong support among State and local 
        officials, area residents, and river users for a cooperative 
        wild and scenic river study of the area; and
            (3) there is a longstanding interest among State and local 
        officials, area residents, and river users in undertaking a 
        concerted cooperative effort to manage the river in a 
        productive and meaningful way.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION FOR STUDY.

    Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) 
is amended--
            (1) by designating the undesignated paragraph following 
        (135) as paragraph (136); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(137) Taunton River, Massachusetts.--The segment downstream from 
the headwaters, from the confluence of the Town River and the Matfield 
River in Bridgewater to the confluence with the Forge River in Raynham, 
Massachusetts.''.

SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT.

    Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second paragraph (8) as paragraph 
        (10);
            (2) by redesignating the second paragraph (11) as paragraph 
        (12);
            (3) by redesignating the third paragraph (11) as paragraph 
        (13);
            (4) by redesignating the fourth paragraph (11) as paragraph 
        (14);
            (5) by redesignating the first undesignated paragraph as 
        paragraph (15);
            (6) by redesignating the second undesignated paragraph as 
        paragraph (16);
            (7) in paragraph (16), as so redesignated by paragraph (6) 
        of this subsection, by striking ``paragraph ( )'' and inserting 
        ``paragraph (136)''; and
            (8) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(17) Taunton River, Massachusetts.--Not later than 3 years after 
the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary of the 
Interior--
            ``(A) shall complete the study of the Taunton River, 
        Massachusetts; and
            ``(B) shall submit to Congress a report describing the 
        results of the study.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 19, 2000.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.