[House Report 109-420]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



109th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     109-420

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   TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO CONDUCT FEASIBILITY 
STUDIES TO ADDRESS CERTAIN WATER SHORTAGES WITHIN THE SNAKE, BOISE, AND 
         PAYETTE RIVER SYSTEMS IN IDAHO, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

 April 25, 2006.--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 H.R. 2563]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 2563) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
conduct feasibility studies to address certain water shortages 
within the Snake, Boise, and Payette River systems in Idaho, 
and for other purposes, having considered the same, report 
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill 
as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT FEASIBILITY STUDIES.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
bureau of Reclamation, is authorized to conduct feasibility studies on 
projects that address water shortages within the Snake, Boise, and 
Payette River systems in Idaho, and deemed appropriate for further 
study by the 2006 Bureau of Reclamation Boise Payette water storage 
assessment report. Studies conducted under this section must comply 
with Bureau of Reclamation policy standards and guidelines for studies.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior $3,000,000 to carry out 
this section.
    (c) Sunset of Authority.--The authority of the Secretary of the 
Interior to carry out this section shall terminate 10 years after the 
date of the enactment of this section.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 2563 is to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to conduct feasibility studies to address certain 
water shortages within the Snake, Boise, and Payette River 
systems in Idaho, and for other purposes.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    In Idaho, water demands for domestic and household uses, 
irrigation, recreation, and Endangered Species Act requirements 
are constantly growing and will surpass the current water 
supply without long term planning. A water use assessment and 
forecast study, funded by the Bureau of Reclamation, estimated 
that by 2025, annual water demand in the Boise Valley would 
grow by 74 percent. As a result of these forecast water 
shortages, many have called for more water storage in the 
Snake, Boise, and Payette River basins. Before any new storage 
could be built, a number of economic, engineering and 
environmental studies are required to take place. As part of 
this process, Reclamation is currently conducting a water 
storage assessment in this area.
    The water storage assessment will use the best available 
information to examine and prioritize water storage options at 
a reconnaissance level and will not require the collection of 
new data. It will specify the volume of additional water 
storage needed to meet future demand and create a general water 
storage opportunities assessment to identify a wide range of 
potential options for achieving this storage. This assessment 
will then be used as the basis for more complex studies that 
could determine the economic, engineering and environmental 
feasibility of specific storage sites on the Upper Snake, Boise 
and Payette River systems. This legislation authorizes 
Reclamation to conduct these feasibility studies.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 2563 was introduced on May 24, 2005, by Congressman 
C.L. ``Butch'' Otter (R-ID). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Water and Power. On November 3, 2005, the 
Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On March 29, 2006, 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. Congressman 
George Radanovich (R-CA) offered an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute to clarify authorizing language and place a 10 
year sunset on the bill's authorization. The amendment was 
adopted by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was then 
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 
unanimous consent.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Authority to conduct feasibility studies

    As amended, this section authorizes the Secretary of the 
Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct 
feasibility studies on potential water storage within the 
Snake, Boise, and Payette River systems. The feasibility 
studies can only be initiated if they are deemed appropriate by 
the 2006 Bureau of Reclamation Boise Payette water storage 
assessment report. As amended, this section also authorizes $3 
million to carry out the studies and limits the federal 
authorization to 10 years.

            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 Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct feasibility studies to address certain 
water shortages within the Snake, Boise, and Payette River 
systems in Idaho, 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:

H.R. 2563--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
        feasibility studies to address water shortages within the 
        Snake, Boise, and Payette River systems in Idaho

    H.R. 2563 would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to 
conduct feasibility studies to address water shortages within 
the Snake, Boise, and Payette River systems in Idaho. H.R. 2563 
would authorize the appropriation of $3 million for those 
studies.
    Assuming appropriation of the specified amount, CBO 
estimates that implementing H.R. 2563 would cost $3 million 
over the 2007-2011 period. Enacting H.R. 2563 would not affect 
direct spending or revenues.
    H.R. 2563 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 bill would authorize funding for studies that would benefit 
water agencies along river systems in the state of Idaho. Any 
costs that they might incur to provide matching funds would 
result from complying with conditions for receiving federal 
assistance.
    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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