I 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6281 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 29, 2010 Mr. Hastings of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants and enter into cooperative agreements for integrated regional water conservation plans, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Western Water Supply Enhancement Act.

2.

Water management improvement

(a)

Cost sharing

Section 9504(a)(3)(E)(ii) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10364(a)(3)(E)(ii)) is amended— (1)in subclause (I), by striking and at the end; (2)by redesignating subclause (II) as subclause (III) and in such subclause, by inserting before the period the following: (other than Federal power marketing agencies); and (3)by inserting after subclause (I) the following: (II)consider non-Federal funds secured and committed to the planning, design, or construction of improvements authorized for assistance under subsection (b), even if such funds are secured and committed in advance of an application to receive a grant, or enter into an agreement with the Secretary under paragraph (1); and . (b)

Integrated regional water conservation plans; grants and cooperative agreements

Section 9504 of such Act is amended by redesignating subsections (b) through (e) as subsections (c) through (f), respectively, and by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b)

Integrated regional water conservation plans—Grants and cooperative agreements

(1)

Authority of Secretary

Consistent with subsection (a), the Secretary may provide a grant to, or enter into an agreement with, any eligible applicant to assist the eligible applicant in planning, designing, or constructing any improvements as part of a multiyear regional, integrated, and coordinated water conservation and management plan. (2)

Application

To be eligible to receive a grant from, or enter into an agreement with, the Secretary under paragraph (1), an eligible applicant shall— (A)be located within the States and areas referred to in the first section of the Act of June 17, 1902 (43 U.S.C. 391); and (B)submit to the Secretary an application that includes— (i)a long-term (minimum 5 years) water conservation and management plan based on a regional, coordinated, and integrated water conservation and management model for— (I)an entire watershed or river basin; or (II)a regional effort that includes multiple partnering irrigation or municipal entities; and (ii)a proposed budget and schedule for improvements or activities to be planned, designed, constructed, or implemented by the eligible applicant consistent with the plan submitted. (3)

Requirements of grants and cooperative agreements

(A)

Compliance with requirements

Each grant and agreement entered into by the Secretary with an eligible applicant under paragraph (1) shall be in compliance with each requirement described in subsection (a), and with subparagraph (B). (B)

Cost sharing

(i)

Maximum amount

The amount provided to an eligible applicant through a grant or other agreement under paragraph (1) shall be not more than $15,000,000 for each 5-year period covered by the plan. (ii)

Geographic limitations

In considering awards of grants provided to eligible applicants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider providing at least one grant to at least two of the five Reclamation Regions having submitted a valid grant application. .