[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4967 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4967

 To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to 
    restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 31, 2019

  Mr. Scott of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. 
 Connolly, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Norton, 
   Mrs. Luria, Mr. Riggleman, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Trone, Ms. 
    Wexton, and Mr. Beyer) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to 
    restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 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 ``Chesapeake Watershed Investments for 
Landscape Defense Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Chesapeake bay agreements.--The term ``Chesapeake Bay 
        agreements'' means the formal, voluntary agreements--
                    (A) executed to achieve the goal of restoring and 
                protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed ecosystem and 
                the living resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed 
                ecosystem; and
                    (B) signed by the Chesapeake Executive Council.
            (2) Chesapeake bay program.--The term ``Chesapeake Bay 
        program'' means the program directed by the Chesapeake 
        Executive Council in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay 
        agreements.
            (3) Chesapeake bay watershed.--The term ``Chesapeake Bay 
        watershed'' means the region that covers--
                    (A) the Chesapeake Bay;
                    (B) the portions of the States of Delaware, 
                Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West 
                Virginia that drain into the Chesapeake Bay; and
                    (C) the District of Columbia.
            (4) Chesapeake executive council.--The term ``Chesapeake 
        Executive Council'' means the council comprised of--
                    (A) the Governors of each of the States of 
                Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, 
                and West Virginia;
                    (B) the Mayor of the District of Columbia;
                    (C) the Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission; and
                    (D) the Administrator of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency.
            (5) Chesapeake wild program.--The term ``Chesapeake WILD 
        program'' means the nonregulatory program established by the 
        Secretary under section 3(a).
            (6) Grant program.--The term ``grant program'' means the 
        Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense grant 
        program established by the Secretary under section 4(a).
            (7) Restoration and protection activity.--The term 
        ``restoration and protection activity'' means an activity 
        carried out for the conservation, stewardship, and enhancement 
        of habitat for fish and wildlife--
                    (A) to preserve and improve ecosystems and 
                ecological processes on which the fish and wildlife 
                depend; and
                    (B) for use and enjoyment by the public.
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
        States Fish and Wildlife Service.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a nonregulatory 
program, to be known as the ``Chesapeake Watershed Investments for 
Landscape Defense program''.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Chesapeake WILD program 
include--
            (1) coordinating restoration and protection activities 
        among Federal, State, local, and regional entities and 
        conservation partners throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
            (2) engaging other agencies and organizations to build a 
        broader range of partner support, capacity, and potential 
        funding for projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
            (3) carrying out coordinated restoration and protection 
        activities, and providing for technical assistance, throughout 
        the Chesapeake Bay watershed--
                    (A) to sustain and enhance restoration and 
                protection activities;
                    (B) to improve and maintain water quality to 
                support fish and wildlife, habitats of fish and 
                wildlife, and drinking water for people;
                    (C) to sustain and enhance water management for 
                volume and flood damage mitigation improvements to 
                benefit fish and wildlife habitat;
                    (D) to improve opportunities for public access and 
                recreation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed consistent 
                with the ecological needs of fish and wildlife habitat;
                    (E) to facilitate strategic planning to maximize 
                the resilience of natural ecosystems and habitats under 
                changing watershed conditions;
                    (F) to utilize green infrastructure or natural 
                infrastructure best management practices to enhance 
                fish and wildlife habitat;
                    (G) to engage the public through outreach, 
                education, and citizen involvement to increase capacity 
                and support for coordinated restoration and protection 
                activities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
                    (H) to sustain and enhance vulnerable communities 
                and fish and wildlife habitat;
                    (I) to conserve and restore fish, wildlife, and 
                plant corridors; and
                    (J) to increase scientific capacity to support the 
                planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary 
                to carry out coordinated restoration and protection 
                activities.
    (c) Duties.--In carrying out the Chesapeake WILD program, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) draw on existing plans for the Chesapeake Bay 
        watershed, or portions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 
        including the Chesapeake Bay agreements, and work in 
        consultation with applicable management entities, including 
        Chesapeake Bay program partners, such as the Federal 
        Government, State and local governments, the Chesapeake Bay 
        Commission, and other regional organizations, as appropriate, 
        to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and 
        protection activities within the Chesapeake Bay watershed;
            (2) adopt a Chesapeake Bay watershed-wide strategy that--
                    (A) supports the implementation of a shared set of 
                science-based restoration and protection activities 
                developed in accordance with paragraph (1); and
                    (B) targets cost-effective projects with measurable 
                results; and
            (3) establish the grant program in accordance with section 
        4.
    (d) Coordination.--In establishing the Chesapeake WILD program, the 
Secretary shall consult, as appropriate, with--
            (1) the heads of Federal agencies, including--
                    (A) the Administrator of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency;
                    (B) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Administration;
                    (C) the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 
                Service;
                    (D) the Chief of Engineers;
                    (E) the Director of the United States Geological 
                Survey;
                    (F) the Secretary of Transportation;
                    (G) the Chief of the Forest Service; and
                    (H) the head of any other applicable agency;
            (2) the Governors of each of the States of Delaware, 
        Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia 
        and the Mayor of the District of Columbia;
            (3) fish and wildlife joint venture partnerships; and
            (4) other public agencies and organizations with authority 
        for the planning and implementation of conservation strategies 
        in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

SEC. 4. GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Chesapeake Wild Grant Program.--To the extent that funds are 
made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall establish 
and carry out, as part of the Chesapeake WILD program, a voluntary 
grant and technical assistance program, to be known as the ``Chesapeake 
Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense grant program'', to provide 
competitive matching grants of varying amounts and technical assistance 
to eligible entities described in subsection (b) to carry out 
activities described in section 3(b).
    (b) Eligible Entities.--The following entities are eligible to 
receive a grant and technical assistance under the grant program:
            (1) A State.
            (2) The District of Columbia.
            (3) A unit of local government.
            (4) A nonprofit organization.
            (5) An institution of higher education.
            (6) Any other entity that the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate in accordance with the criteria established under 
        subsection (c).
    (c) Criteria.--The Secretary, in consultation with officials and 
entities described in section 3(d), shall establish criteria for the 
grant program to help ensure that activities funded under this 
section--
            (1) accomplish 1 or more of the purposes described in 
        section 3(b); and
            (2) advance the implementation of priority actions or needs 
        identified in the Chesapeake Bay watershed-wide strategy 
        adopted under section 3(c)(2).
    (d) Cost Sharing.--
            (1) Department of the interior share.--The Department of 
        the Interior share of the cost of a project funded under the 
        grant program shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of 
        the project, as determined by the Secretary.
            (2) Non-department of the interior share.--
                    (A) In general.--The non-Department of the Interior 
                share of the cost of a project funded under the grant 
                program may be provided in cash or in the form of an 
                in-kind contribution of services or materials.
                    (B) Other federal funding.--Non-Department of the 
                Interior Federal funds may be used for not more than 25 
                percent of the total cost of a project funded under the 
                grant program.
    (e) Administration.--The Secretary may enter into an agreement to 
manage the grant program with an organization that offers grant 
management services.

SEC. 5. REPORTING.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report describing the implementation of this Act, including a 
description of each project that has received funding under this Act.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
    (b) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds made available under 
subsection (a) shall supplement, and not supplant, funding for other 
activities conducted by the Secretary in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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