[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3465 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3465

  To promote greater cooperation with local governments in connection 
         with environmental analyses of certain water projects.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 2007

Mr. Udall of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To promote greater cooperation with local governments in connection 
         with environmental analyses of certain water projects.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, FINDINGS, AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Greater 
Cooperation with Local Governments in Water Project Analysis Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The diversion of water from one river basin to another 
        can have major effects on the environment and economy of 
        affected areas.
            (2) The Federal Government should afford affected local 
        governments ample opportunity to be involved with the 
        development and implementation each of such diversion projects 
        as cooperating agencies for purposes of the analysis of such 
        project required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 
        1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
            (3) Federal agencies have not always agreed to requests by 
        affected local governments to become cooperating agencies.
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to require that a 
qualified local government be treated as a cooperating agency with 
regard to an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) of any water project that involves 
diversion of water from the basin of one river to the basin of any 
other river.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT AND DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Requirement.--Upon request of a qualified local government with 
regard to an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) of any project within the scope of this 
Act, the Secretary concerned shall treat such government for purposes 
of such analysis as if such government is a Federal agency afforded the 
status of a cooperating agency under part 1501 of title 40, Code of 
Federal Regulations, as in effect on August 1, 2007.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Secretary concerned.--The term the ``Secretary 
        concerned'' means the Secretary of the Interior with respect to 
        activities of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Secretary of 
        the Army with respect to activities of the Corps of Engineers.
            (2) Qualified local government.--The term ``qualified local 
        government'', as used with respect to a project within the 
        scope of this Act, means a county or other political 
        subdivision of a State which has jurisdiction over any area 
        that includes any portion of the project.
            (3) Project within the scope of this act.--The term 
        ``project within the scope of this Act'' means a water project 
        undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation or the Corps of 
        Engineers that would result in initial or increased diversion 
        of water from the basin of one river to the basin of any other 
        river.
                                 <all>