[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H4919-H4920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH ACT OF 1984 AUTHORIZATION EXTENSION

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1743) to amend the Water Resources 
Research Act of 1984 to extend the authorizations of appropriations 
through fiscal year 2000, and for other purposes, with a Senate 
amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The Clerk read the Senate amendment, as follows:

       Senate Amendment: Strike out all after the enacting clause 
     and insert:

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Section 102 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 
     U.S.C. 10301) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, productivity of 
     natural resources and agricultural systems,'' after 
     ``environmental quality'';
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (3) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(8) long-term planning and policy development are 
     essential to ensure the availability of an abundant supply of 
     high quality water for domestic and other uses; and
       ``(9) the States must have the research and problem-solving 
     capacity necessary to effectively manage their water 
     resources.''.

     SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

       Section 103 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 
     U.S.C. 10302) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (5)--
       (A) by striking ``to''; and
       (B) by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) encourage long-term planning and research to meet 
     future water management, quality, and supply challenges.''.

     SEC. 3. GRANTS; MATCHING FUNDS.

       Section 104(c) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 
     (42 U.S.C. 10303(c)) is amended by striking ``one non-Federal 
     dollar'' and all that follows through ``there-after'' and 
     inserting ``2 non-Federal dollars for every 1 Federal 
     dollar''.

     SEC. 4. GENERAL AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 104(f)(1) of the Water Resources Research Act of 
     1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303(f)(1) is amended by striking ``of 
     $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 
     1989, through September 30, 1995,'' and inserting ``of 
     $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, $7,000,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 1997 and 1998, and $9,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 1999 and 2000''.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR RESEARCH FOCUSED 
                   ON WATER PROBLEMS OF INTERSTATE NATURE.

       The first sentence of section 104(g)(1) of the Water 
     Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303(g)(1)) is 
     amended by striking ``of $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
     years 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995'' and inserting ``of 
     $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1996 through 2000''.

     SEC. 6. COORDINATION.

       Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 
     U.S.C. 10303) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(h) Coordination.--
       ``(1) In general.--To carry out this Act, the Secretary--
       ``(A) shall encourage other Federal departments, agencies 
     (including agencies within the Department of the Interior), 
     and instrumentalities to use and take advantage of the 
     expertise and capabilities that are available through the 
     institutes established by this section, on a cooperative or 
     other basis;
       ``(B) shall encourage cooperation and coordination with 
     other Federal programs concerned with water resources 
     problems and issues;
       ``(C) may enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and 
     other transactions without regard to section 3709 of the 
     Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5);
       ``(D) may accept funds from other Federal departments, 
     agencies (including agencies within the Department of the 
     Interior), and instrumentalities to pay for and add to grants 
     made, and contracts entered into, by the Secretary;
       ``(E) may promulgate such regulations as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate; and
       ``(F) may support a program of internships for qualified 
     individuals at the undergraduate and graduate levels to carry 
     out the educational and training objectives of this Act.
       ``(2) Report.--The Secretary shall report to Congress 
     annually on coordination efforts with other Federal 
     departments, agencies, and instrumentalities under paragraph 
     (1).
       ``(3) Relationship to state rights.--Nothing in this Act 
     shall preempt the rights and authorities of any State with 
     respect to its water resources or management of those 
     resources.''.

  Mr. DOOLITTLE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Senate amendment be considered as read and printed in 
the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California.
  There be no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the original request 
of the gentleman from California?
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I do so to 
yield to the gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle] for a brief 
explanation of the matter.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. STUDDS. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, the primary intent of H.R. 1743 is to extend the 
authorization for the State Water Resources Research Institutes. There 
are 54 of these institutes located at the land grant university in each 
of the 50 States and several of the territories. These institutes are a 
primary link between the academic community, the water-related 
personnel, and the Federal and State governments and the private 
sector.
  H.R. 1743 would expand the act's findings and focus on the need for 
long-term planning and policy development and maintaining productivity 
of national resources and agricultural systems. In the fiscal year 1996 
interior appropriations conference, there was a request to introduce an 
additional element of competition into this program. Subsequent 
discussions resulted in the USGS crafting a competitive element of the 
program, which takes funding out of the grants to the States and 
creates a competitive regional program.
  Unfortunatly, it did not leave adequate base funding for the State 
program. While the House-passed version of H.R. 1743 authorizing the 
program does not require a competitive element, the senate amended this 
bill to specifically reauthorize the separate competitive regional 
program which had historically been a part of this program, thereby 
leaving the State-based

[[Page H4920]]

program authorized by the House intact. We concur with this approach, 
and in adopting the Senate-passed language, endorse that approach, 
providing a competitive element to this program.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minority for the extensive 
cooperation we have had from their side on this very broadly based, 
bipartisan-supported bill. I would urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the original request 
of the gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________