[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5266 Received in Senate (RDS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5266


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 13, 2014

                                Received

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To reauthorize the National Estuary Programs, 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. COMPETITIVE AWARDS.

    Section 320(g) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1330(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Competitive awards.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Of the amount made available 
                under subsection (i)(2)(B), the Administrator shall 
                make competitive awards under this paragraph.
                    ``(B) Application for awards.--The Administrator 
                shall solicit applications for awards under this 
                paragraph from State, interstate, and regional water 
                pollution control agencies and entities, State coastal 
                zone management agencies, interstate agencies, other 
                public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, 
                organizations, and individuals.
                    ``(C) Selection of recipients.--In selecting award 
                recipients under this paragraph, the Administrator 
                shall select recipients that are best able to address 
                urgent and challenging issues that threaten the 
                ecological and economic well-being of coastal areas. 
                Such issues shall include--
                            ``(i) extensive seagrass habitat losses 
                        resulting in significant impacts on fisheries 
                        and water quality;
                            ``(ii) recurring harmful algae blooms, 
                        unusual marine mammal mortalities;
                            ``(iii) invasive exotic species which can 
                        threaten wastewater systems and cause other 
                        damage;
                            ``(iv) jellyfish proliferation limiting 
                        community access to water during peak tourism 
                        seasons;
                            ``(v) flooding which may be related to sea 
                        level rise or wetland degradation or loss; or
                            ``(vi) low dissolved oxygen conditions in 
                        estuarine waters and related nutrient 
                        management.''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1330) is amended by striking subsection (i) and inserting the 
following:
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        to the Administrator $27,000,000, for each of fiscal years 2014 
        through 2018 for--
                    ``(A) expenses relating to the administration of 
                grants or awards by the Administrator under this 
                section, including the award and oversight of grants 
                and awards, except that such expenses shall not exceed 
                5 percent of the amount appropriated under this 
                subsection; and
                    ``(B) making grants and awards under subsection 
                (g).
            ``(2) Allocations.--
                    ``(A) Conservation and management plan.--The 
                Administrator shall provide not less than 80 percent of 
                the amounts made available for this section for each 
                fiscal year referred to in paragraph (1) for the 
                development, implementation, and monitoring of each 
                conservation and management plan eligible for grant 
                assistance under subsection (g)(2).
                    ``(B) Competitive awards.--The Administrator shall 
                provide not less than 15 percent of the amounts made 
                available for this section


              

                 in each fiscal year to make competitive awards 
                described in subsection (g)(4).''.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 12, 2014.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.