[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2993 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2993

     To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and 
  Facilities Act to authorize funding for water recycling projects in 
  areas experiencing severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 9, 2015

  Ms. Matsui introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and 
  Facilities Act to authorize funding for water recycling projects in 
  areas experiencing severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, 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 Recycling Acceleration Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. FUNDING FOR WATER RECYCLING PROJECTS.

    Section 1602 of the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study 
and Facilities Act (Title XVI of Public Law 102-575; 43 U.S.C. 390h et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Funding for Water Recycling Projects.--
            ``(1) In general.--Any project for which funding may 
        otherwise be made available under this title shall not be 
        required to have been previously specifically authorized by law 
        for such funding, if that project reclaims and reuses--
                    ``(A) municipal, industrial, domestic, or 
                agricultural wastewater; or
                    ``(B) naturally impaired ground and surface waters.
            ``(2) Priority.--When funding projects under paragraph (1), 
        the Secretary shall give funding priority to projects that meet 
        all of the criteria listed in paragraph (3) and are located in 
        an area that--
                    ``(A) has been identified by the United States 
                Drought Monitor as experiencing severe, extreme, or 
                exceptional drought at any time during the 4-year 
                period before such funds are made available; or
                    ``(B) was designated as a disaster area by the 
                State between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018.
            ``(3) Criteria.--The project criteria referred to in 
        paragraph (2) are the following:
                    ``(A) Projects that are likely to--
                            ``(i) provide for a more reliable water 
                        supply; and
                            ``(ii) protect, restore, and enhance river 
                        or estuarine ecosystems or their immediate 
                        tributaries.
                    ``(B) Projects that are likely to improve water 
                resource flexibility and reduce impacts on 
                environmental resources.
                    ``(C) Projects that are regional in nature.
                    ``(D) Projects that have multiple stakeholders.
                    ``(E) Projects that provide multiple benefits, 
                including water supply reliability, ecosystem benefits, 
                ground water management and enhancements, and water 
                quality improvements.
                    ``(F) Projects for which a feasibility study has 
                been completed and any necessary environmental or 
                public reviews have been initiated.
            ``(4) Guidelines.--Not later than 90 days after date of the 
        enactment of this subsection, to assist non-Federal interests, 
        the Secretary shall issue water recycling project solicitation 
        and evaluation guidelines that include the criteria listed in 
        paragraph (3).
            ``(5) Project solicitation.--Not later than 180 days after 
        the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary 
        shall solicit water recycling project proposals.
            ``(6) Review by commissioner.--The Secretary shall review 
        each proposed water recycling project received under this 
        subsection for the purpose of determining whether or not the 
        proposal, and the process under which the proposal was 
        developed, comply with Federal laws and regulations applicable 
        to the development of water recycling projects.
            ``(7) Sunset.--The authority of the Secretary under this 
        subsection shall terminate 10 years after the date of the 
        enactment of this subsection.''.
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