[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S396-S397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3135. Mrs. McCASKILL submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 2953 proposed by Ms. Murkowski to the bill S. 
2012, to provide for the modernization of the energy policy of the 
United States, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the 
table; as follows:

       At the end of title III, add the following:

                Subtitle I--Purchase Power Drought Fund

     SEC. 3801. ESTABLISHMENT OF PURCHASE POWER DROUGHT FUND.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the Southwestern Power Administration.

[[Page S397]]

       (2) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Purchase Power 
     Drought Fund established under subsection (c).
       (3) Purchase power drought adder.--The term ``purchase 
     power drought adder'' means the special rate component 
     assessed under subsection (b)(1).
       (b) Special Rate Component.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, 
     United States Code, the Administrator may assess a special 
     rate component to be known as a ``purchase power drought 
     adder'' independent of and in addition to other existing rate 
     components.
       (2) Collection of amounts.--The Administrator shall--
       (A) collect amounts from the purchase power drought adder 
     in advance of need; and
       (B) deposit those amounts in the Fund for use in accordance 
     with subsection (c)(1).
       (3) Limitation.--The purchase power drought adder shall not 
     be used to offset or displace other charges made in the 
     normal course of the rate setting process of the Southwestern 
     Power Administration.
       (c) Establishment of Fund.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
     establish in the Treasury of the United States a separate 
     fund to be known as the ``Purchase Power Drought Fund'', from 
     which the Administrator may use amounts during extended 
     below-average water conditions--
       (A) for necessary expenses of the Southwestern Power 
     Administration for purchase power and wheeling; and
       (B) to minimize the use, during those conditions, of the 
     continuing fund established by the matter under the heading 
     ``Office of the Secretary'' in title I of the Interior 
     Department Appropriation Act, 1950 (16 U.S.C. 825s-1).
       (2) Deposits.--The Administrator shall deposit in the Fund 
     the amounts collected from the assessment of the purchase 
     power drought adder under subsection (b) and such amounts 
     shall be available to the Administrator without further 
     appropriation or fiscal year limitation.
       (3) Limitation.--The Administrator shall expend from the 
     Fund only those amounts collected and deposited in advance.
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