[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1759 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1759

To authorize certain transfers of water in the Central Valley Project, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 7, 2009

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself and Mrs. Boxer) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize certain transfers of water in the Central Valley Project, 
                        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 ``Water Transfer Facilitation Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF IRRIGATION WATER TRANSFERS, CENTRAL VALLEY 
              PROJECT.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the following voluntary 
water transfers shall be considered to meet the conditions described in 
subparagraphs (A) and (I) of section 3405(a)(1) of the Reclamation 
Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-575; 
106 Stat. 4709):
            (1) A transfer of irrigation water among Central Valley 
        Project contractors from the Friant, San Felipe, West San 
        Joaquin, and Delta divisions.
            (2) A transfer of water among current or prior temporary or 
        long-term water service, repayment, water rights settlement, or 
        exchange contractors within a division of the Central Valley 
        Project.
    (b) Condition.--A transfer under subsection (a) shall be subject to 
the condition that the transfer not interfere with--
            (1) the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act 
        (Public Law 111-11; 123 Stat. 1349), including the priorities 
        described in section 10004(a)(4)(B) of that Act (123 Stat. 
        1350) relating to implementation of paragraph 16 of the 
        Settlement (as defined in section 10003 of that Act (123 Stat. 
        1349)); and
            (2) the Settlement.

SEC. 3. FACILITATION OF WATER TRANSFERS, CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT.

    (a) In General.--As soon as practicable after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director 
of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commissioner of 
the Bureau of Reclamation (referred to in this section as the 
``Secretary''), using such sums as are necessary, shall initiate and 
complete, on the most expedited basis practicable, the programmatic 
development of environmental documentation to facilitate voluntary 
water transfers within the Central Valley Project.
    (b) Inclusions.--The environmental documentation under subsection 
(a) shall include all applicable environmental reviews, permitting, and 
consultations, including the environmental documentation needed to 
address concerns with respect to the Giant Garter Snake (Thamnophis 
gigas).

SEC. 4. REPORT ON CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT WATER TRANSFERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than January 10, 2010, the Commissioner 
of the Bureau of Reclamation (referred to in this section as the 
``Commissioner'') shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report that--
            (1) describes the status of efforts to help facilitate and 
        improve the water transfers under this Act; and
            (2) provides recommendations on ways to facilitate, and 
        improve the process for--
                    (A) water transfers within the Central Valley 
                Project; and
                    (B) water transfers between the Central Valley 
                Project and State water projects.
    (b) Updates.--Not later than July 15, 2010, and every 180 days 
thereafter until the Commissioner determines that no further Federal 
action is warranted or authorized with respect to the water transfers 
under this Act, the Commissioner shall update the report submitted 
under subsection (a).

SEC. 5. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

    Section 3405(a)(1) of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act 
(Public Law 102-575; 106 Stat. 4710) is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence, by striking ``transfers to'' and 
        inserting ``transfers of''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``to combination'' and 
        inserting ``or combination''.
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