[House Report 107-492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     107-492

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   COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE RATHDRUM PRAIRIE SPOKANE VALLEY AQUIFER

                                _______
                                

  June 5, 2002.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4609]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 4609) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley 
Aquifer, located in Idaho and Washington, having considered the 
same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend 
that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 4609 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum 
Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, located in Idaho and 
Washington.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    About one third of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley 
Aquifer lies under Spokane County, Washington, and the 
remaining two thirds lies under Kootenai County, Idaho. Even 
though the two States share the aquifer, they manage the 
resource differently. For example, requests for new water 
permits are treated differently in the two States. It takes up 
to 10 years for permit consideration in Washington while a 
similar permit in Idaho would be considered within months.
    This legislation will provide authorization for the funding 
of tools to better coordinate and understand the various 
factors that influence the quantity and quality of the aquifer. 
The information gathered and the modeling capability will help 
provide better management of this shared resource.
    This legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
work with the State of Idaho and the State of Washington to 
conduct a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane 
Valley Aquifer by preparing a groundwater model to help 
establish a mutually acceptable understanding of the aquifer as 
a ground water resource.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 4609 was introduced on April 25, 2002, by Congressman 
George Nethercutt (R-WA). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Water and Power. On May 22, 2002, the Full 
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 
on Water and Power was discharged from further consideration of 
the bill by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered and 
the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by unanimous consent.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations 
are reflected in the body of this report.

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) 
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
    2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) 
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this 
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum 
Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, located in Idaho and 
Washington.
    4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate 
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, May 31, 2002.
Hon. James V. Hansen,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4609, a bill to 
direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive 
study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, located 
in Idaho and Washington.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Julie 
Middleton.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 4609--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
        comprehensive study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley 
        Aquifer, located in Idaho and Washington

    H.R. 4609 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
conduct a study in conjunction with the states of Idaho and 
Washington of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, a 
groundwater source for both states. This bill would authorize 
the appropriation of funds to develop a model of the aquifer so 
that the resource could be better managed.
    Based on information from the Bureau of Reclamation, CBO 
estimates that implementing H.R. 4609 would cost $3.5 million 
over the 2003-2005 period, assuming the availability of 
appropriated funds. H.R. 4609 would not affect direct spending 
or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not 
apply. H.R. 4609 contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Julie Middleton. 
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.

                                
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