[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7491 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7491

   To establish a task force on waterway freight diversification and 
  economic development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River 
                   corridors, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 29, 2024

 Mr. Deluzio (for himself and Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
   and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial 
Services, 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 establish a task force on waterway freight diversification and 
  economic development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River 
                   corridors, 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 ``Waterway Activation that Targets 
Economic Revitalization, Welcomes Activity, and Yields Success Act'' or 
the ``WATERWAYS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) inland waterways provide a valuable resource for moving 
        agricultural, energy, and other commodities to market in the 
        United States;
            (2) further utilization of the waterways would benefit the 
        United States because barges are among the safest and most 
        environmentally responsible ways to transport freight, with 
        barge transport being more fuel efficient and having lower 
        emissions than other methods, while also resulting in fewer 
        injuries per worker than rail or truck transport;
            (3) given existing issues with supply chains, it is 
        critical that the Federal Government work to expand and promote 
        inland waterway access, especially in regions that are coal 
        communities or have suffered from deindustrialization; and
            (4) it is of critical importance that the investments made 
        possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public 
        Law 117-58; 135 Stat. 429), Public Law 117-169 (commonly known 
        as the ``Inflation Reduction Act of 2022'') (136 Stat. 1818), 
        and other recent legislation, such as Public Law 117-167 
        (commonly known as the ``CHIPS and Science Act of 2022'') (136 
        Stat. 1366), are made with an eye toward utilizing the inland 
        waterways network to maximize the impact of those investments.

SEC. 3. TASK FORCE ON WATERWAY FREIGHT DIVERSIFICATION AND ECONOMIC 
              DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered state.--The term ``covered State'' means each 
        of the States of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, 
        Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
            (2) Interagency working group.--The term ``Interagency 
        Working Group'' means the Interagency Working Group on Coal and 
        Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization established 
        by section 218 of Executive Order 14008 (86 Fed. Reg. 7628; 
        relating to ``Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and 
        Abroad'').
            (3) Task force.--The term ``task force'' means the task 
        force established under subsection (b).
    (b) Establishment.--The Interagency Working Group shall establish a 
task force on waterway freight diversification and economic development 
in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The task force shall be composed of--
                    (A) from the Federal Government, representatives 
                of--
                            (i) the Department of Transportation;
                            (ii) the Corps of Engineers;
                            (iii) the Department of Energy;
                            (iv) the Department of Commerce;
                            (v) the Department of Agriculture;
                            (vi) the Economic Development 
                        Administration;
                            (vii) the Maritime Administration;
                            (viii) the Department of Labor;
                            (ix) the Appalachian Regional Commission;
                            (x) the Coast Guard;
                            (xi) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                            (xii) the Department of the Interior; and
                            (xiii) any other Federal agency or 
                        department the Co-Chairs of the Interagency 
                        Working Group determine to be appropriate;
                    (B) at the discretion of a covered State, 
                representatives of relevant agencies of the covered 
                State; and
                    (C) local stakeholders involved in economic 
                development, transportation, community development, and 
                water resource development and conservation along the 
                Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors, such 
                as metropolitan and rural planning organizations, 
                economic development districts, units of local 
                government, and community-based organizations.
            (2) Appointment.--The Co-Chairs of the Interagency Working 
        Group shall appoint the members of the task force under 
        paragraph (1).
    (d) Duties.--The task force shall--
            (1) convene on an ad hoc basis to study, and develop 
        recommendations to improve, waterway freight use and economic 
        development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River 
        corridors;
            (2) facilitate investment in the Ohio, Allegheny, and 
        Monongahela River corridors by identifying critical projects 
        and connecting those projects with Federal, State, and local 
        funding opportunities;
            (3) coordinate and activate stakeholders around waterway 
        development; and
            (4) submit to the Interagency Working Group an annual 
        report that describes--
                    (A) the recommendations of the task force under 
                paragraph (1) and the progress in implementing those 
                recommendations; and
                    (B) the activities of the task force under 
                paragraphs (2) and (3).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2034, to remain available until expended.

SEC. 4. SAVINGS PROVISION.

    Nothing in this Act--
            (1) satisfies any requirement for government-to-government 
        consultation with an Indian Tribe; or
            (2) affects or modifies a treaty or any other right of an 
        Indian Tribe.
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