[House Report 108-369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



108th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    108-369

======================================================================



 
       TUALATIN RIVER BASIN WATER SUPPLY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2003

                                _______
                                

 November 17, 2003.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

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

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 625]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(S. 625) to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct 
certain feasibility studies in the Tualatin River Basin in 
Oregon, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that 
the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of S. 625 is to authorize the Bureau of 
Reclamation to conduct certain feasibility studies in the 
Tualatin River Basin in Oregon, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    This Act provides authority to the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a feasibility study to determine 
alternatives available for developing additional water 
resources in the Tualatin River Basin. The Tualatin River 
watershed drains 711 square miles in northwestern Oregon. The 
watershed has seen a number of changes in recent years that 
influence water resources management.
    According to an Integrated Water Resources Management 
Strategy developed in 1997 by the Tualatin Basin Water Supply 
Partnership, there is region-wide consensus on the need to 
develop additional water sources, and various efforts aimed at 
such developments are underway. This area has a population of 
approximately 470,000 people, and has almost doubled its 
population in the last 20 years. Demand for water in the 
Tualatin Basin is expected to double by the year 2050, which 
means the basin will need an additional 50,000 acre-feet per 
year. The Strategy identified the need for a Feasibility Study 
to study the impacts and benefits of a range of water source 
options to meet the long-term water resource needs for drinking 
water, agricultural irrigation, water quality, and instream 
flow.
    The total cost of completing the Feasibility Study 
(Planning Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement) is 
estimated to be $6.87 million. The majority of funds, $3.8 
million (55%), will be provided by local water resource 
agencies. The request for federal funding assistance is $2.9 
million (45%).

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    S. 625 was introduced by Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR). On 
June 16, 2003, the Senate passed the bill with an amendment by 
unanimous consent. S. 625 was then referred to the Committee on 
Resources and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Water 
and Power. On October 15, 2003, the Subcommittee held a hearing 
on the bill. On October 29, 2003, the Full Committee met to 
consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged from further 
consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. No amendments 
were offered and the bill was favorably reported to the House 
of Representatives by unanimous consent.

                           SECTION-BY-SECTION

Section 1. Short title

    This Act may be cited as the ``Tualatin River Basin Water 
Supply Enhancement Act of 2003.''

Section 2. Authorization to conduct feasibility studies

    This section describes the objectives of the feasibility 
study are to (1) identify ways to meet future water needs for 
multiple water use purposes; (2) identify water conservation 
opportunities and water storage measures; (3) identify measures 
to improve water quality, enhance the environment, and protect 
species; and (4) evaluate basin-wide and integrated water 
resource management options. The federal share of the costs 
shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of total, which 
shall be non-reimbursable and non-returnable.

Section 3. Authorization of appropriations

    This section authorizes such funds as necessary to carry 
out the purposes of the Act.

            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 authorize the Bureau of 
Reclamation to conduct certain feasibility studies in the 
Tualatin River Basin in Oregon, and for other purposes.
    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, November 10, 2003.
Hon. Richard W. Pombo,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 625, the Tualatin 
River Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2003.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Lanette J. 
Walker.
            Sincerely,
                                       Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

S. 625--Tualatin River Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2003

    S. 625 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, 
through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct a feasibility 
study of the Tualatin River Basin water supply. The study would 
identify ways to meet future water supply needs and to improve 
water quality, as well as water conservation and storage 
measures.
    Based on information from the bureau, CBO estimates that 
the total cost of the feasibility study would be $7 million. 
Under the act, 50 percent of the cost would be paid by the 
federal government. To date, the bureau has spent about 
$200,000 on initial parts of the study. CBO estimates that 
implementing S. 625 would cost an additional $3 million over 
the 2004-2008 period, assuming the availability of appropriated 
funds. Enacting S. 625 would not affect direct spending or 
revenues.
    S. 625 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. 
Any state or local government choosing to participate in this 
study would do so voluntarily.
    On May 29, 2003, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 625 
as ordered reported by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee on May 21, 2003. The language of the two versions of 
the legislation and the two cost estimates are identical.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Lanette J. 
Walker. 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.

                                
