[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 62 (Thursday, May 12, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5105-S5106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CHAFEE (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Jeffords, Mrs. 
        Clinton, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Baucus, Ms. Murkowski, 
        Mr. Crapo, Mr. Enzi, and Mr. Corzine):
  S. 1017. A bill to reauthorize grants from the water resources 
research and technology institutes established under the Water 
Resources Research Act of 1984; to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
reauthorizing appropriations for the Water Resources Research Act. The 
Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and 
Public Works, Senators Inhofe and Jeffords, respectively, as well as 
Senators Clinton, Lautenberg, Baucus, Murkowski, Crapo, Enzi and 
Corzine have joined me as original cosponsors of this important 
legislation to address our nation's water resource concerns.
  Originally enacted in 1964, the Water Resources Research Act 
authorizes the establishment of a nationwide, State-based network of 
Water Resources Research Institutes. These Institutes represent a 
partnership among State universities; Federal, State, and local 
governments; and stakeholders aimed at solving problems of water supply 
and water quality. They are located at the land-grant universities in 
each of the 50 States, the territories and the District of Columbia.
  The 54 Water Resources Research Institutes are charged with 
conducting competent research to develop new technologies and more 
efficient methods for resolving local, State and national water-
resources problems; fostering new research scientists into water 
resources fields; and facilitating water research coordination and the 
application of research results through information dissemination and 
technology transfer.
  The Institutes provide important support to the States in their long-
term water planning, policy development, and management. A significant 
portion of the Institutes' work is intended to help State and local 
water managers implement Federal regulations in ways that are tailored 
to local and State institutions and natural conditions. Water quality 
regulations, drinking water standards, wastewater treatment, and water 
reuse programs are examples of areas in which the Institutes provide 
research and information transfer.
  In my own State, the Rhode Island Water Resources Center is located 
at the University of Rhode Island. The Center's recent activities have 
included working with the Rhode Island Airport Corporation to develop a 
plan for mitigating runoff contamination due to deicing and anti-icing 
operations at T.F.Green Airport. Other work conducted by the Center has 
encompassed evaluating the scour potential of streams and river banks 
in the State to study how they may be affected by land use and other 
changes; developing a statewide public water-supply GIS coverage 
program; and working with communities to evaluate MTBE drinking water 
contamination.
  In addition to research, the outreach and information transfer 
activities of the Institutes are highly valued by multi-level 
stakeholders at the local, State and regional levels. The Institutes 
are the training grounds for the next generation of the Nation's water 
scientists, economists and engineers. This nationwide network of water 
institutes provides an efficient and effective method to meet the 
diverse water resource needs in different parts of our country.
  Another key component of the program is the importance of its small 
Federal grants for leveraging funding from non-federal sources to 
identify and address local and State needs for water research. Without 
this Federal seed money, many institutes would lose a valuable resource 
and the visibility within their universities and among Federal, State 
and local water agencies for working on challenging water resource 
problems. The Federal grants allow immense leverage capacity for 
conducting water research activities and are the key to maintaining a 
valuable national network.
  The legislation I am introducing today reauthorizes $62 million in 
funding through fiscal year 2010 for the Nation's Water Resources 
Research Institutes and $32 million for the Act's Interstate Research 
Program. I look forward to working with the bill's original cosponsors 
as well as my colleagues on the Environment and Public

[[Page S5106]]

Works Committee to ensure this national network of university-based 
research institutes continues to support the water resources needs of 
the Nation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1017

       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 Resources Research Act 
     Amendments of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 104(f) of the 
     Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303(f)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the subsection header, by striking ``IN GENERAL'';
       (2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this section, to remain available until 
     expended--
       ``(A) $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 
     2008; and
       ``(B) $13,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 
     2010.''; and
       (3) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(2) Any'' and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(2) Failure to obligate funds.--Any''.
       (b) Additional Appropriations Where Research Focused on 
     Water Problems of Interstate Nature.--Section 104(g) of the 
     Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303(g)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (4); and
       (2) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in the first sentence--
       (i) by striking ``There'' and inserting the following:
       ``(1) In general.--There''; and
       (ii) by striking ``$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, 
     $4,000,000 for fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and $6,000,000 for 
     fiscal years 2004 and 2005'' and inserting ``$6,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2006 through 2008 and $7,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010'';
       (B) in the second sentence, by striking ``Such'' and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(2) Non-federal matching funds.--The''; and
       (C) in the third sentence, by striking ``Funds'' and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(3) Availability of funds.--Funds''.
                                 ______