[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3154 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3154

          To promote programs for the beneficial use of sand.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2003

   Mr. Shaw introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
          To promote programs for the beneficial use of sand.

    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 ``Sand Conservation and Taxpayer 
Savings Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. REGIONAL PROGRAMS TO CONSERVE BEACH QUALITY SAND AND SAVE 
              TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

    (a) In General.--Section 204 of the Water Resources Development Act 
of 1992 (33 U.S.C. 2326) is amended by striking subsections (c) through 
(g) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Regional Sediment Management Planning.--In consultation and 
cooperation with appropriate regional, State and Federal agencies, the 
Secretary, acting through the Chief of Engineers, shall investigate and 
develop, at Federal expense, plans and demonstration projects for 
regional management of material dredged in conjunction with the 
construction, operation, or maintenance of navigation or flood control 
projects, including potential beneficial uses of dredged material for 
construction, repair, or rehabilitation of public projects for 
navigation, flood damage reduction, hydroelectric power, municipal and 
industrial water supply, agricultural water supply, recreation, 
hurricane and storm damage reduction, aquatic plant control, and 
environmental protection and restoration.
    ``(d) Regional Dredged Material Placement.--The Secretary, acting 
through the Chief of Engineers, shall carry out projects to transport 
and place beach quality sand dredged in connection with the 
construction, operation, or maintenance of an authorized navigation or 
flood control project on beaches or in nearshore disposal areas that 
are not considered the least cost disposal option if such option has 
been selected by a non-Federal public entity to maintain shoreline or 
to provide for recreation, hurricane and storm damage reduction, 
aquatic plant control, or environmental protection and restoration.
    ``(e) Cooperative Agreement.--Any project undertaken pursuant to 
subsection (d) shall be initiated only after non-Federal interests have 
entered into a cost-sharing agreement with the Secretary in which the 
non-Federal interests agree to pay up to 35 percent of the incremental 
costs of such project.
    ``(f) Determination of Incremental Costs.-- Incremental costs 
associated with implementation of a project under subsection (d) shall 
be limited solely to the costs that are in excess of the costs 
necessary to dispose of sediments for construction, operation, or 
maintenance of the authorized navigation or flood control project under 
the least cost option, consistent with economic, engineering, and 
environmental criteria.
    ``(g) Effect on Other Projects.--The Secretary, to the greatest 
extent practicable, shall ensure that scheduled operations and 
maintenance of Federal navigation projects will not be delayed due to 
alternative disposal options authorized by subsection (d).
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $35,000,000 annually. Such sums 
shall remain available until expended.
    ``(i) Nonprofit Entities.--Notwithstanding section 221 of the Flood 
Control Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 24 1962d-5b), for any project carried 
out under this section, a non-Federal interest may include a nonprofit 
entity, with the consent of the affected local government.''.
    (b) Repeal.--
            (1) In general.--Section 145 of the Water Resources 
        Development Act of 1976 (33 U.S.C. 21 426j) is repealed.
            (2) Hold harmless.--The repeal made by paragraph (1) shall 
        not affect the authority of the Secretary to complete any 
        project being carried out under such section 145 on the day 
        before the date of enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>