[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4981 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4981

             To amend the National Dam Safety Program Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2006

 Mr. Kuhl of New York (for himself, Mr. Matheson, and Mr. Abercrombie) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
             To amend the National Dam Safety Program Act.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; AMENDMENT OF NATIONAL DAM SAFETY PROGRAM ACT.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Dam Safety Act of 
2006''.
    (b) Amendment of National Dam Safety Program Act.--Except as 
otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or 
repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or a repeal of, a 
section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be 
made to a section or other provision of the National Dam Safety Program 
Act (33 U.S.C. 467 et seq.).

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 2 is amended by--
            (1) redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (14); and
            (2) inserting after paragraph (12) the following:
            ``(13) State regulated dam.--The term State Regulated Dam 
        means a State dam subject to the criteria described in section 
        8(e)(2)(A)(i), (iv) and (vi).''.

SEC. 3. INSPECTION OF DAMS.

    Section 3(a)(2) is amended by striking ``Power'' and inserting 
Energy Regulatory.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL DAM INVENTORY.

    Section 6 is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 6. NATIONAL DAM INVENTORY.

    ``The Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, 
shall maintain and update information on the inventory of dams in the 
United States. Such inventory of dams shall include an assessment of 
each dam based on inspections completed by either a Federal agency or a 
State dam safety agency.''.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL DAM SAFETY PROGRAM.

    (a) Duties.--Section 8(b)(1) is amended by striking ``and target 
dates to'' and inserting ``performance measures and target dates toward 
effectively administering the Act in order to''.
    (b) Assistance for State Dam Safety Programs.--Section 8(e)(2)(A) 
is amended by--
            (1) striking ``substantially'';
            (2) striking clause (iv) and inserting the following:
                            ``(iv)(I) the authority to require or 
                        perform the inspection at least once every 5 
                        years, of all dams and reservoirs that would 
                        pose a significant threat to human life and 
                        property in case of failure to determine the 
                        continued safety of the dams and reservoirs;
                            ``(II) authority to require or perform 
                        inspection at least every 5 years of those dams 
                        and reservoirs that pose a significant threat 
                        to human life and property; and
                            ``(III) a procedure for more detailed and 
                        frequent safety inspections;''; and
            (3) in clause (vi) by inserting ``install and monitor 
        instrumentation,'' after ``remedial work,''.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 13 is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) National Dam Safety Program.--
            ``(1) Annual amounts.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to FEMA to carry out sections 7, 8, and 11 (in 
        addition to any amounts made available for similar purposes 
        included in any other Act and amounts made available under 
        subsections (b) through (e)), $8,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2007 through 2011, to remain available until expended.
            ``(2) Allocation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraphs (B) and 
                (C), for each fiscal year, amounts made available under 
                this subsection to carry out section 8 shall be 
                allocated among the states as follows:
                            ``(i) One-third among States that qualify 
                        for assistance under section 8(e).
                            ``(ii) Two-thirds among States that qualify 
                        for assistance under section 8(e), to each 
                        State in proportion to--
                                    ``(I) the number of dams in the 
                                State that are listed as State-
                                regulated dams on the inventory of dams 
                                maintained under section 6; as compared 
                                to
                                    ``(II) the number of dams in all 
                                States that are listed as State-
                                regulated dams on the inventory of dams 
                                maintained under section 6.
                    ``(B) Maximum amount of allocation.--The amount of 
                funds allocated to a State under this paragraph may not 
                exceed 50 percent of the reasonable cost of 
                implementing the State dam safety program.
                    ``(C) Determination.--The Director and the Board 
                shall determine the amount allocated to States.
    ``(b) National Dam Inventory.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 6 $1,000,000 for each fiscal year.
    ``(c) Research.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out Section 9 $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011, to 
remain until expended.
    ``(d) Dam Safety Training.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out section 10 $700,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 
2011.
    ``(e) Staff.--There is authorized to be appropriated to FEMA for 
the employment of such additional staff personnel as are necessary to 
carry out sections 8 through 10 $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2007 through 2011.
    ``(f) Limitation on Use of Amounts.--Amounts made available under 
this Act may not be used to construct or repair any Federal or non-
Federal dam.''.
                                 <all>