[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5011 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5011

    To establish the Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership 
 Committee, to provide for improved drought resilience and dam safety, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 10, 2024

  Mr. Padilla introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership 
 Committee, to provide for improved drought resilience and dam safety, 
                        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 ``Sacramento River Improvement and 
Vitality for Ecosystem Restoration Act of 2024'' or the ``Sacramento 
RIVER Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT FEDERAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE FOR 
              ASSISTING HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the Integrated 
        Water Management Federal Leadership Committee established under 
        subsection (b).
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
        entity or qualified partner sponsoring a habitat restoration 
        project in a watershed in which a Bureau of Reclamation project 
        is located that receives a grant, cooperative agreement, or 
        other financial assistance agreement from the Secretary.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
an eligible entity submits to the Secretary a request for the 
establishment of the Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership 
Committee, the Secretary may establish the Integrated Water Management 
Federal Leadership Committee.
    (c) Chairperson.--The Assistant Secretary for Water and Science of 
the Department of the Interior shall--
            (1) serve as the chairperson of the Committee; and
            (2) coordinate the activities of, and communication among, 
        members of the Committee.
    (d) Membership.--The Committee shall include representatives of 
Federal agencies, as appropriate, with responsibility for water and 
natural resource issues, including representatives of--
            (1) the Bureau of Reclamation;
            (2) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
            (3) the National Marine Fisheries Service;
            (4) the Corps of Engineers;
            (5) the Environmental Protection Agency; and
            (6) the Department of Agriculture.
    (e) Duties and Responsibilities.--The members of the Committee 
shall establish the duties and responsibilities of the Committee, 
including--
            (1) facilitating communication and collaboration among 
        Federal agencies to support and advance any habitat restoration 
        projects for which an eligible entity requests the assistance 
        of the Committee;
            (2) ensuring the effective coordination among relevant 
        Federal agencies and departments to ensure accelerated 
        implementation of any habitat restoration projects for which an 
        eligible entity requests the assistance of the Committee;
            (3) making policy and budgetary recommendations, if 
        determined to be appropriate by the Committee, to support the 
        implementation of habitat restoration projects; and
            (4) reporting biannually to the Committee on Energy and 
        Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 
        Resources of the House of Representatives on actions taken by, 
        and recommendations of, the Committee under paragraphs (1) 
        through (3).
    (f) Project Assistance.--On request of an eligible entity, the 
Committee shall assist the eligible entity with permit processing and 
interagency coordination with respect to the applicable habitat 
restoration project.

SEC. 3. USE OF REVENUE FOR DROUGHT RESILIENCE INVESTMENTS, 
              EXTRAORDINARY MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, OR DAM SAFETY 
              INVESTMENTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Dam safety investment.--The term ``dam safety 
        investment'' means a project to satisfy dam safety standards--
                    (A) under the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety 
                issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or 
                the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety;
                    (B) under the Bureau of Reclamation Dam Safety 
                Program carried out under the Reclamation Safety of 
                Dams Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 506 et seq.), including 
                repayment of an obligation for a corrective action 
                taken pursuant to that program; or
                    (C) required by the State for a non-Federal dam in 
                which a Bureau of Reclamation project or facility is 
                located.
            (2) Drought resilience investment.--The term ``drought 
        resilience investment'' means an improvement or addition to an 
        eligible facility that would increase drought resilience in a 
        Reclamation State.
            (3) Eligible facility.--The term ``eligible facility'' 
        means--
                    (A) a project or facility owned by the Bureau of 
                Reclamation; and
                    (B) a non-Federal facility that stores, transports, 
                or delivers water to or from a Bureau of Reclamation 
                project or facility.
            (4) Eligible temporary transfer.--The term ``eligible 
        temporary transfer'' means the temporary and voluntary selling, 
        leasing, or exchanging of water or water rights among 
        individuals or agencies that is allowable under the reclamation 
        laws and the water law of the applicable State.
            (5) Extraordinary maintenance activity.--The term 
        ``extraordinary maintenance activity'' means annual payments on 
        repayment obligations incurred under section 9603 of the 
        Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (43 U.S.C. 510b).
            (6) Transferor.--The term ``transferor'' means the holder 
        of a water service, transferred works, water repayment, or 
        other contract that entitles the holder to water from a Bureau 
        of Reclamation project or facility that undertakes an eligible 
        temporary transfer.
    (b) Use of Revenue for Drought Resilience Investments, 
Extraordinary Maintenance Activities, or Dam Safety Investments.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding the Act of February 25, 
        1920 (41 Stat. 451, chapter 86; 43 U.S.C. 521), or subsection J 
        of section 4 of the Act of December 5, 1924 (43 Stat. 703, 
        chapter 4; 43 U.S.C. 526), a transferor may retain all amounts 
        derived from an eligible temporary transfer that would 
        otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by 
        the first section of the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388, 
        chapter 1093; 43 U.S.C. 391), in accordance with this section.
            (2) Use of funds.--Any funds retained by a transferor under 
        paragraph (1) may be used on completion of the repayment of 
        capital, if the funds are--
                    (A) used for a drought resilience investment, 
                extraordinary maintenance activity, or dam safety 
                investment; or
                    (B) placed in the reserve account of the 
                transferor, to be used for future drought resilience 
                investments, extraordinary maintenance activities, or 
                dam safety investments, subject to paragraph (3).
            (3) Transfer of unused funds to reclamation fund.--Any 
        funds placed in the reserve account of the transferor pursuant 
        to paragraph (2)(B) that are not used for drought resilience 
        investments, extraordinary maintenance activities, or dam 
        safety investments by the date that is 10 years after the date 
        of the placement shall be transferred to the reclamation fund 
        established by the first section of the Act of June 17, 1902 
        (32 Stat. 388, chapter 1093).
            (4) Reporting.--The transferor shall report to the 
        Commissioner of Reclamation on the use of any uses of funds 
        derived from an eligible temporary transfer.
            (5) Effect of section.--
                    (A) In general.--Nothing in this section--
                            (i) affects any other authority of the 
                        Secretary of the Interior to use amounts 
                        derived from revenues from a Bureau of 
                        Reclamation project; or
                            (ii) creates, impairs, alters, or 
                        supersedes a State water right.
                    (B) Applicable law.--Any eligible temporary 
                transfer shall comply with all applicable--
                            (i) State water laws;
                            (ii) Federal laws and policies; and
                            (iii) interstate water compacts.
    (c) Reclamation Laws.--This section supplements and amends the Act 
of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388, chapter 1093), and Acts supplemental to 
and amendatory of that Act (43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.).
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