[Senate Report 113-226]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       Calendar No. 513
113th Congress    }                                        {     Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session       }                                        {    113-226

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



 
                 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION TRANSPARENCY ACT

                                _______
                                

                 July 31, 2014.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Ms. Landrieu, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1800]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1800) to require the Secretary of the 
Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the 
Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets, 
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 
amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bureau of Reclamation Transparency 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
          (1) the water resources infrastructure of the Bureau of 
        Reclamation provides important benefits related to irrigated 
        agriculture, municipal and industrial water, hydropower, flood 
        control, fish and wildlife, and recreation in the 17 
        Reclamation States;
          (2) as of 2013, the combined replacement value of the 
        infrastructure assets of the Bureau of Reclamation was 
        $94,500,000,000;
          (3) the majority of the water resources infrastructure 
        facilities of the Bureau of Reclamation are at least 60 years 
        old;
          (4) the Bureau of Reclamation has previously undertaken 
        efforts to better manage the assets of the Bureau of 
        Reclamation, including an annual review of asset maintenance 
        activities of the Bureau of Reclamation known as the ``Asset 
        Management Plan''; and
          (5) actionable information on infrastructure conditions at 
        the asset level, including information on maintenance needs at 
        individual assets due to aging infrastructure, is needed for 
        Congress to conduct oversight of Reclamation facilities and 
        meet the needs of the public.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
          Asset.--
                  (A) In general--The term ``asset'' means any of the 
                following assets that are used to achieve the mission 
                of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage, develop, and 
                protect water and related resources in an 
                environmentally and economically sound manner in the 
                interest of the people of the United States:
                          (i) Capitalized facilities, buildings, 
                        structures, project features, power production 
                        equipment, recreation facilities, or quarters.
                          (ii) Capitalized and noncapitalized heavy 
                        equipment and other installed equipment.
                  (B) Inclusions.--The term ``asset'' includes assets 
                described in subparagraph (A) that are considered to be 
                mission critical.
          (2) Asset management report.--The term ``Asset Management 
        Report'' means--
                  (A) the annual plan prepared by the Bureau of 
                Reclamation known as the ``Asset Management Plan''; and
                  (B) any publicly available information relating to 
                the plan described in subparagraph (A) that summarizes 
                the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate 
                and manage infrastructure assets of the Bureau of 
                Reclamation.
          (3) Major repair and rehabilitation need.--The term ``major 
        repair and rehabilitation need'' means major nonrecurring 
        maintenance at a Reclamation facility, including maintenance 
        related to the safety of dams, extraordinary maintenance of 
        dams, deferred major maintenance activities, and all 7 other 
        significant repairs and extraordinary maintenance.
          (4) Reclamation facility.--The term ``Reclamation facility'' 
        means each of the infrastructure assets that are owned by the 
        Bureau of Reclamation at a Reclamation project.
          (5) Reclamation project.--The term ``Reclamation project'' 
        means a project that is owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, 
        including all reserved works and transferred works owned by the 
        Bureau of Reclamation.
          (6) Reserved works.--The term ``reserved works'' means 
        buildings, structures, facilities, or equipment that are owned 
        by the Bureau of Reclamation for which operations and 
        maintenance are performed by employees of the Bureau of 
        Reclamation or through a contract entered into by the Bureau of 
        Reclamation, regardless of the source of funding for the 
        operations and maintenance.
          (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.
          (8) Transferred works.--The term ``transferred works'' means 
        a Reclamation facility at which operations and maintenance of 
        the facility is carried out by a non-Federal entity under the 
        provisions of a formal operations and maintenance transfer 
        contract or other legal agreement with the Bureau of 
        Reclamation.

SEC. 4. ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT ENHANCEMENTS FOR RESERVED WORKS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress an Asset Management 
Report that--
          (1) describes the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation--
                  (A) to maintain in a reliable manner all reserved 
                works at Reclamation facilities; and
                  (B) to standardize and streamline data reporting and 
                processes across regions and areas for the purpose of 
                maintaining reserved works at Reclamation facilities; 
                and
          (2) expands on the information otherwise provided in an Asset 
        Management Report, in accordance with subsection (b).
    (b) Infrastructure Maintenance Needs Assessment.--
          (1) In general.--The Asset Management Report submitted under 
        subsection (a) shall include--
                  (A) a detailed assessment of major repair and 
                rehabilitation needs for all reserved works at all 
                Reclamation projects; and
                  (B) to the extent practicable, an itemized list of 
                major repair and rehabilitation needs of individual 
                Reclamation facilities at each Reclamation project.
          (2) Inclusions.--To the extent practicable, the itemized list 
        of major repair and rehabilitation needs under paragraph (1)(B) 
        shall include--
                  (A) a budget level cost estimate of the 
                appropriations needed to complete each item; and
                  (B) an assignment of a categorical rating for each 
                item, consistent with paragraph (3).
        (3) Rating requirements.--
                  (A) In general.--The system for assigning ratings 
                under paragraph (2)(B) shall be--
                          (i) consistent with existing uniform 
                        categorization systems to inform the annual 
                        budget process and agency requirements; and
                          (ii) subject to the guidance and instructions 
                        issued under subparagraph (B).
                  (B) Guidance.--As soon as practicable after the date 
                of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue 
                guidance that describes the applicability of the rating 
                system applicable under paragraph (2)(B) to Reclamation 
                facilities.
          (4) Public availability.--Except as provided in paragraph 
        (5), the Secretary shall make publically available, including 
        on the Internet, the Asset Management Report required under 
        subsection (a).
          (5) Confidentiality.--Subject to the discretion of the 
        Secretary, the Secretary may exclude from the public version of 
        the Asset Management Report made available under paragraph (4) 
        any information that the Secretary identifies as sensitive or 
        classified, but shall make available to the Committee on Energy 
        and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a version of 
        the report containing the sensitive or classified information.
    (c) Updates.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which the 
Asset Management Report is submitted under subsection (a) and 
biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall update the Asset Management 
Report, subject to the requirements of section 5(b)(2).
    (d) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with the Secretary 
of the Army (acting through the Chief of Engineers) to the extent that 
the consultation would assist the Secretary in preparing the Asset 
Management Report under subsection (a) and updates to the Asset 
Management Report under subsection (c).

SEC. 5. ASSET MANAGEMENT REPORT ENHANCEMENTS FOR TRANSFERRED WORKS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall coordinate with the non-
Federal entities responsible for the operation and maintenance of 
transferred works in developing reporting requirements for Asset 
Management Reports with respect to the condition of, and planned 
maintenance for, transferred works that are similar to the reporting 
requirements described in section 4(b)
    (b) Guidance.--
          (1) In general.--After considering input from water and power 
        contractors of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Secretary shall 
        develop and implement a rating system for transferred works 
        that incorporates, to the maximum extent practicable, the 
        rating system for reserved works developed under section 
        4(b)(3).
          (2) Updates.--The ratings system developed under paragraph 
        (1) shall be included in the updated Asset Management Reports 
        under section 4(c).

                                PURPOSE

    The purpose of S. 1800 is to require the Secretary of the 
Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the 
Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    Founded in 1902, the Bureau of Reclamation provides vital 
services for irrigators, hydropower, dams, recreation, and 
canals in the seventeen western states. Reclamation's inventory 
includes 476 dams and dikes, creating 337 reservoirs with a 
total storage capacity of 245 million acre-per-feet of water. 
Much of Reclamation's infrastructure was constructed over 50 
years ago and the department has faced challenges maintaining 
this aging infrastructure.
    Reclamation has prepared an annual ``Asset Management 
Plan,'' which describes current business practices and 
performance metrics in the past, but does not provide 
information at the project level. S. 1800 seeks to expand on 
the information provided by the Asset Management Plan by 
providing a detailed assessment of major repair and 
rehabilitation needs at the project level at all Reclamation 
sites. In order to better understand the state of Reclamation's 
infrastructure, S. 1800 requires the Bureau to provide a report 
with: (1) an itemized list of major repair and rehabilitation 
needs at each Bureau of Reclamation facility; (2) cost estimate 
of the expenditures needed to address those repairs; and (3) 
categorical safety rating, using the Bureau's own existing 
categorical system, of the importance of addressing each item.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 1800 was introduced by Senators Barrasso and Schatz on 
December 11, 2013. A hearing was held by the Subcommittee on 
Water and Power on February 27, 2014 (S. Hrg. 113-284). At its 
business meeting on June 18, 2014, the Senate Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee ordered S. 1800 favorably reported 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on June 18, 2014, by a voice vote of a 
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 1800, if 
amended as described herein.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

    During its consideration of S. 1800, the Committee adopted 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment adds 
several definitions including ``asset'', ``major repair and 
rehabilitation need'', ``reserved works'', and ``transferred 
works''. The amendment separates the Asset Management Report 
into two parts; one for reserved works and one for transferred 
works, which is addressed in a new section 5. In section 4, the 
amendment directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue 
guidance.
    The amendment is explained in detail in the section-by-
section analysis below.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

    Section 1 provides a short title.
    Section 2 contains Congressional findings about the need 
for a report addressing the Bureau of Reclamation's aging 
infrastructure.
    Section 3 includes definitions of terms.
    Section 4 directs the Secretary to submit a report to 
Congress describing the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to 
manage Reclamation facilities considered reserved works which 
includes facilities and structures that are owned by the Bureau 
of Reclamation. The report will also help to standardize and 
streamline data reporting processes and expands on the 
information otherwise provided in Asset Management Reports, 
including a detailed assessment of major repair and 
rehabilitation needs, with a cost estimate for completion of 
each item and a categorical rating. Section 4 includes a 
confidentiality clause giving the Secretary of the Interior 
discretion to exclude sensitive or classified information from 
the report. Finally, the Secretary shall consult with the 
Secretary of the Army in preparing the Asset Management Report.
    Section 5 directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
coordinate with non-Federal entities responsible for the 
operation and maintenance of transferred works in developing 
reporting requirements for Asset Management Reports. In 
addition, the Secretary shall develop and implement a rating 
system for transferred works that incorporates the rating 
system for reserved works.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The following estimate of costs of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

S. 1800--Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act

    S. 1800 would direct the Bureau of Reclamation to assess 
the maintenance needs of its facilities and submit a report to 
the designated Congressional committees every two years. Under 
current law, the bureau gathers and publishes similar 
information in various reports throughout the year. Under the 
bill, the bureau would be required to coordinate the timing and 
analysis of that information, consolidate it, and include some 
new analysis specified by the bill.
    Based on information from the Bureau of Reclamation, CBO 
estimates that implementing the legislation would cost about $2 
million over the 2015-2019 period. Enacting S. 1800 would not 
affect revenues or direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures do not apply.
    S. 1800 would require the bureau to develop a ranking 
system to prioritize the rehabilitation needs of facilities 
that it operates and to work with nonfederal partners that have 
taken over the operation of certain other facilities to develop 
a similar system for those facilities. Under current law, the 
bureau gathers data on its facilities, analyzes the data, and 
makes the results of its analysis available to the Congress and 
the public through its budget documents and various other 
reports throughout the year. Under the bill, the bureau would 
need to consolidate those results into one report every two 
years and include the ranking information and the estimated 
costs of necessary rehabilitation projects.
    S. 1800 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no cost on state, local, or tribal governments. 
Any costs incurred by public entities to comply with the 
reporting requirements of this legislation would result from 
participating in a voluntary federal program.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aurora Swanson. 
This estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 1800.
    The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of 
imposing Government-established standards or significant 
economic responsibilities on private individuals and 
businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 1800, as ordered reported.

                   CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

    S. 1800, as reported, does not contain any congressionally 
directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited 
tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules 
of the Senate.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The testimony provided by the Bureau of Reclamation at the 
February 27, 2014, Subcommittee on Water and Power hearing on 
S. 1800 follows:

   Statement of Robert Quint, Senior Advisor, Bureau of Reclamation, 
                       Department of the Interior

    Chairman Schatz and members of the Subcommittee, I am Bob 
Quint, Senior Advisor at the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation). Jam pleased to provide the views of the 
Department of the Interior (Department) on S. 1800, the Bureau 
of Reclamation Transparency Act. As currently written, the 
Department does not support S. 1800 but would be pleased to 
work with the bill sponsors on refinements to the legislation 
to address the concerns described below.
    Under Section 4 of S. 1800, the Secretary of the Interior 
would be required to submit biennial reports to Congress on 
`the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage all 
Reclamation facilities,' including efforts to standardize and 
streamline data reporting and processes for managing 
Reclamation facilities. S. 1800 directs that the reports 
provide itemized lists of ``major repair and rehabilitation 
needs'' at all Reclamation facilities, showing estimated costs, 
and ranked via a categorical rating system to be developed 
through new regulations pursuant to Section 4(b)(3)(B) of the 
bill. Sensitive or classified information could be excluded 
from a required public version of the report, but that 
information would be required in the versions delivered to 
Congress. The Department has several concerns with this 
legislation as introduced, and believes that the preparation 
and publication of the reports in this bill would constitute a 
duplication of other existing efforts which will not improve 
the body of information available on Reclamation's 
infrastructure, nor result in more effective application of 
available resources to address facility maintenance. Having 
said that, the Department is aware of the desire in Congress 
for more information on the status of Reclamation's 
infrastructure, and in accordance with the Administration's 
Open Data Policy and Executive Order, the Department is 
committed to openness and transparency of data, including 
Reclamation data on facility management. To that end we would 
appreciate the opportunity to work with the sponsors on 
potential amendments to the bill that would provide Congress 
and the public additional information regarding Reclamation's 
infrastructure though augmentation of other existing reporting 
efforts.
    Reclamation's annual budget requests include the best 
yearly representations of the appropriated funds needed for 
maintenance at Reclamation facilities. Reclamation's budget 
documents, delivered to Congress annually and posted online, 
are developed over a multi-step 18-month process that begins at 
the field office level where managers consider the condition of 
the facilities under their jurisdiction, safety considerations 
associated with facilities' condition, and--very importantly--
the ability of operating partners to fund the work identified 
pursuant to the terms of their contract and requirements of 
Reclamation Law. Investments in major rehabilitations and 
replacements are analyzed and prioritized at the field, 
regional, and bureau levels based on criteria such as: 
Engineering Need; Risks and Consequences of Failure; Efficiency 
Opportunities; Financial Feasibility; and availability of Non-
Federal Cost Share.
    During this process, Reclamation categorizes the 
information that will go into its budget requests using its 
Programmatic Budget Structure (PBS). The PBS uses two of its 
five primary categories to show the budget request for 
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) activities: I. Facility 
Operations, and 2. Facility Maintenance and Rehabilitation. It 
should be noted that in addition to the appropriated funds in 
these two budget categories, a generally equal amount of O&M 
activities are paid for directly by water and power users with 
their own funds or project revenues.
    The Facility Operations category includes items and 
activities that are necessary to operate Reclamation facilities 
to produce authorized project benefits for water supplies, 
power, flood control, fish and wildlife, and recreation. This 
category includes not only facility operations by Reclamation 
at reserved works, but also Reclamation's oversight of the 
operations of facilities performed by water user entities at 
transferred works. Facility Operations includes all routine or 
preventive maintenance activities. Routine maintenance is 
defined as recurring daily, weekly, monthly, or annually, and 
most tasks performed by Reclamation maintenance staff are 
included in this category. Also included in this category are 
routine safety and occupational health items, including those 
for workplace safety inspection and hazard abatement. The 
amount budgeted under this category for each facility is the 
funding necessary to perform routine O&M activities. On an 
annual basis, each region, along with centralized program 
management staff, determines the appropriate budget level to 
support staffing and other resources necessary at each facility 
for continued operations to deliver authorized project 
benefits.
    The second category, Facility Maintenance and 
Rehabilitation, addresses the needs over and above the 
resources in Facility Operations, and corresponds roughly to 
the concept of major rehabilitations and replacements. The 
Facility Maintenance and Rehabilitation category includes major 
and non-routine replacements and extraordinary maintenance of 
existing infrastructure. This category also includes activities 
to review and conduct condition assessments (facility O&M, dam 
safety and site security inspections), as well as funding 
necessary for the correction of dam safety deficiencies (dam 
safety modifications), the implementation of security upgrades, 
and building seismic safety retrofits. Consequently, most of 
the budgeted items under this category are related to site-
specific facility needs.
    After the field offices identify prioritized major 
rehabilitation and replacement activities in their jurisdiction 
that require appropriated funds, they are evaluated at the 
regional level where these are compared to the needs and 
priorities of other activities and facilities in that region. 
There are five regions within Reclamation. The regions' PBS 
allotments for Facility Maintenance and Rehabilitation each 
year are then evaluated at the next level of internal review, 
with Reclamation's Budget Review Committee (BRC) process. A 
given year's BRC is working in advance of a budget request two 
years into the future, and is comprised of senior management 
from across the agency, providing the maximum breadth of 
relevant experience and program knowledge. The region presents 
its priorities to the BRC, which evaluates the major 
rehabilitation and replacement needs and priorities against 
those of other regions in order to ensure that Facility 
Maintenance and Rehabilitation activities reflect Reclamation's 
greatest overall need and agency priorities. No urgent 
maintenance issues necessary to the safe operation of a 
facility are deferred in the budgeting or facility review 
processes. The end result is a budget request that has been 
prioritized and vetted across the organization, concurrent with 
input from the Department and Reclamation leadership.
    To better understand upcoming needs, and for the purpose of 
reporting asset condition at a specific point in time to the 
Federal Real Property Profile to meet requirements of the 
Executive order 13327, ``Federal Real Property Management'', in 
a separate effort which informs the annual budget process, 
Reclamation develops and annually updates estimates of major 
rehabilitation and replacement (MR&R) needs, including deferred 
maintenance, for its infrastructure looking out five years. As 
a result, these ``MR&R needs'' represent an outlook of 
Reclamation's best estimate of identified extraordinary 
maintenance, repairs, rehabilitation, and replacement needs at 
a point in time looking forward five years, regardless of 
funding source, for all assets. The estimated total in 2011 
amounted to $2.6 billion over five years (fiscal years 2012-
2016).\1\ It is important to note that a substantial portion of 
projected needs to address the rehabilitation of aging 
infrastructure (roughly $1.2 billion of the $2.6 billion 
estimate) will be financed directly by our water and power 
customers. Cost estimates associated with these identified 
needs range from ``preliminary'' to ``appraisal/feasibility'' 
level. Thus, these estimates should not be collectively assumed 
to be at one particular uniform level of detail. Variability in 
the MR&R estimates from year to year may be the result of 
additional information received from the estimating source 
(i.e., Reclamation field offices and non-federal operating 
entities), changes in field conditions, further evaluations 
conducted, and work priorities, thus impacting the inclusion or 
deletion of specific identified needs within a particular year, 
or from year to year.
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    \1\www.usbr.gov/Assetmanagement/Asset%20Inventory/
AssetManagementPlanFY2011 FinalWithSignaturePageOnly.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As stated in prior testimony before this Subcommittee, one 
of the main challenges Reclamation faces in securing funding 
for the identified near-term needs as well as longer-term MR&R 
needs is the varying economic strength of our operating 
partners. Given the requirement under Reclamation Law for the 
repayment of maintenance costs either in the year incurred or 
over time, Reclamation must work in collaboration with our 
water and power partners that must repay these investments. For 
some of these partners, the cost-share requirements associated 
with MR&R work are simply beyond the financial capabilities of 
their beneficiaries. Like any organization tasked with 
constructing, operating, and maintaining a wide portfolio of 
assets, Reclamation has to prioritize its actions to maximize 
the benefits derived from its investment of both federal and 
non-federal funds. Over the past 10 years, funds requested for 
Facility Operations and Facility Maintenance and Rehabilitation 
have kept pace with or grown relative to Reclamation's overall 
Water and Related Resources budget (graphic attached). Given 
the substantial economic and financial interest of 
Reclamation's non-federal partners, the development of cost 
estimates for maintenance requirements on reserved and 
transferred works is both collaborative and dynamic. 
Reclamation must also balance its asset management 
responsibilities with other aspects of its mission to manage 
water and related resources in the West. We acknowledge there 
are tradeoffs associated with decisions to fund one identified 
need versus another, but Reclamation's annual budget request 
reflects our best effort to balance those constantly evolving 
needs associated with all elements of our mission.
    The requirements of S. 1800 would duplicate and draw 
resources away from the processes described above, and the bill 
makes no allowance for the valuable input from operating 
partners that is central to Reclamation's asset management 
program. Based on arrangements originating with Section 6 of 
the Reclamation Act of 1902, over two-thirds of Reclamation's 
facilities are managed by non-federal project beneficiaries. 
These operating entities provide valuable input to the 
formulation of Reclamation's annual asset management 
activities. Reclamation believes the requirements of S. 1800 
will complicate Reclamation's and our operating entities' 
budget processes, since the reporting requirements would make 
no allowance for operating partners' budgeting and financing 
processes associated with most of the tasks that would be 
identified. Reclamation also believes that providing a new 
layer of reports separate and apart from the annual budget 
request process would create unnecessary difficulties, since 
budget requests for subsequent years would not be consistent 
with the maintenance snapshot provided by the reports under S. 
1800. If possible, we would like to propose amendments to S. 
1800 which would still provide additional information on the 
status of Reclamation's infrastructure, but allow for the 
bill's reporting requirements to better integrate with 
Reclamation's existing budget formulation process and schedule 
and fully consider the needs and interests of our water and 
power contractors.
    In conclusion, the Department of the Interior is aware of 
and appreciates the concerns expressed by some Members of 
Congress about the accessibility of data on Reclamation's 
infrastructure. In accordance with the Administration's Open 
Data Policy and Executive Order, we are working to improve the 
availability and accessibility of data on Reclamation's 
infrastructure and would be happy to keep the committee 
informed of our progress in this area. In recent years, 
Reclamation has made substantial progress in developing and 
improving estimates of MR&R needs for both reserved and 
transferred works, and has provided testimony at hearings of 
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on this 
topic, as well as responding in writing to several questions 
for the record. It is also worth noting that the Federal 
Government is making important strides in improving the 
accuracy, efficiency and level of data available on the federal 
real property portfolio. The Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) established the Real Property Advisory Committee (RPAC) 
in 2011 to work across agencies to determine real property best 
practices, opportunities for short and long-term cost savings, 
and realigning real property inventories to agency mission and 
service delivery. We believe these processes should be allowed 
to work or be accounted for in the requirements of this bill 
before S. 1800 or similar legislation is enacted.
    This concludes my written statement. I am pleased to answer 
questions at the appropriate time.

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                        changes in existing law


    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by S. 1800 as ordered 
reported.

                                  [all]
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