[House Report 118-580]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


118th Congress    }                                     {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                     {      118-580

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



 
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 
                                  2025

                                _______
                                

 July 11, 2024.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

        Mr. Fleischmann, from the Committee on Appropriations, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                             MINORITY VIEWS

                        [To accompany H.R. 8997]

    The Committee on Appropriations submits the following 
report in explanation of the accompanying bill making 
appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes.

                        INDEX TO BILL AND REPORT

                                                            Page Number

                                                            Bill Report
Introduction
                                                                      5
I. Department of Defense Civil:
        Corps of Engineers Civil:..........................     2     8
                Investigations.............................     2    15
                Construction...............................     3    27
                Mississippi River and Tributaries..........     4    36
                Operation and Maintenance..................     4    39
                Regulatory Program.........................     6    69
                Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action 
                    Program................................     6    70
                Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies......     7    70
                Expenses...................................     7    71
                Office of the Assistant Secretary of the 
                    Army (Civil Works).....................     8    71
                Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation 
                    Program................................     8    72
        General Provisions.................................     9    73
II. Department of the Interior: 
        Central Utah Project:..............................    16    73
                Central Utah Project Completion Account....    16    73
        Bureau of Reclamation:.............................    17    74
                Water and Related Resources................    17    75
                Central Valley Project Restoration Fund....    19    88
                California Bay-Delta Restoration...........    20    88
                Policy and Administration..................    20    88
        General Provisions.................................    21    89
III. Department of Energy: 
        Introduction.......................................    29    89
        Committee Recommendations..........................          89
        Energy Programs: 
                Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.....    29    95
                Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and 
                    Emergency Response.....................    29   106
                Electricity................................    30   108
                Grid Deployment............................    31   109
                Nuclear Energy.............................    31   110
                Fossil Energy and Carbon Management........    32   114
                Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves.....    33   118
                Strategic Petroleum Reserve................    33   118
                Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.........    33   119
                Energy Information Administration..........    33   119
                Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup..........    34   120
                Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and 
                    Decommissioning Fund...................    34   120
                Science....................................    35   121
                Nuclear Waste Disposal.....................    35   127
                Technology Transitions.....................    36   127
                Clean Energy Demonstrations................    36   128
                Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy..    36   128
                Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan 
                    Guarantee Program......................    36   129
                Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing 
                    Loan Program...........................    38   129
                Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program.......    38   130
                Indian Energy Policy and Programs..........    38   130
                Departmental Administration................    39   130
                Office of the Inspector General............    40   133
        Atomic Energy Defense Activities:
        National Nuclear Security Administration: 
                Weapons Activities.........................    40   134
                Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation...........    40   137
                Naval Reactors.............................    41   138
                Federal Salaries and Expenses..............    41   138
        Environmental and Other Defense Activities.........    42   138
                Defense Environmental Cleanup..............    42   138
                Other Defense Activities...................    42   140
        Power Marketing Administrations: 
                Bonneville Power Administration............    43   141
                Southeastern Power Administration..........    43
                                                                    141
                Southwestern Power Administration..........    44
                                                                    141
                Western Area Power Administration..........    46   141
                Falcon and Amistad Operating and 
                    Maintenance Fund.......................    47   142
         Federal Energy Regulatory Commission..............    49   142
        Committee Recommendation...........................         142
        General Provisions.................................    50   188
IV. Independent Agencies: 
        Appalachian Regional Commission....................    64   188
        Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board............    65   189
        Delta Regional Authority...........................    65   190
        Denali Commission..................................    66   190
        Northern Border Regional Commission................    67   191
        Southeast Crescent Regional Commission.............    67   191
        Southwest Border Regional Commission...............    67   191
        Great Lakes Authority..............................    67   192
        Nuclear Regulatory Commission......................    68   192
        Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board...............    69   194
        General Provisions.................................    69   194
V. General Provisions......................................    72   194
House of Representatives Report Requirements...............         195 
 
                SUMMARY OF ESTIMATES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    The Committee has considered budget estimates, which are 
contained in the Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal 
Year 2025. The following table summarizes appropriations for 
fiscal year 2024, the budget estimates, and amounts recommended 
in the bill for fiscal year 2025.


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                              INTRODUCTION

    The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies 
Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 totals 
$59,190,000,000, $999,000,000 above fiscal year 2024 and 
$139,361,000 below the budget request.
    Title I of the bill provides $9,957,000,000 for the civil 
works programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
$1,276,500,000 above fiscal year 2024 and $2,736,786,000 above 
the budget request. The bill makes use of the adjustments 
provided in Public Law 116-136 and Public Law 116-260 regarding 
the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and section 2106(c) of the 
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. Total 
funding for activities eligible for reimbursement from the 
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) are estimated at 
$3,147,000,000, $318,000,000 above fiscal year 2024 and 
$1,421,000,000 above the budget request.
    Title II provides $1,951,450,000 for the Department of the 
Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation, $28,450,000 above 
fiscal year 2024 and $335,473,000 above the budget request. The 
Committee recommends $1,928,450,000 for the Bureau of 
Reclamation, $28,450,000 above fiscal year 2024 and 
$329,473,000 above the budget request. The Committee recommends 
$23,000,000 for the Central Utah Project, equal to fiscal year 
2024 and $6,000,000 above the budget request.
    Title III provides $49,935,006,000 for the Department of 
Energy, $311,748,000 below fiscal year 2024 and $2,042,589,000 
below the budget request. Funding for the National Nuclear 
Security Administration (NNSA), which includes Weapons 
Activities, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Naval Reactors, 
and Federal Salaries and Expenses, is $25,467,000,000, 
$1,332,000,000 above fiscal year 2024 and $470,000,000 above 
the budget request. Funding for Energy Programs within the 
Department of Energy, which includes basic science research and 
the applied energy programs, is $16,073,483,000, $1,369,731,000 
below fiscal year 2024 and $2,207,914,000 below the budget 
request. Environmental Management activities--Non-defense 
Environmental Cleanup, Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and 
Decommissioning, and Defense Environmental Cleanup--are funded 
at $8,320,182,000.
    The net amount appropriated for the Power Marketing 
Administrations is $1,000,000 below the requested levels.
    Title IV provides $520,200,000 for several Independent 
Agencies, $17,946,000 above fiscal year 2024 and $790,000 above 
the budget request. Net funding for the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission is $151,000,000, $13,910,000 above fiscal year 2024 
and equal to the budget request.

                       National Defense Programs

    The Committee considers the national defense programs of 
the National Nuclear Security Administration to be the 
Department of Energy's top priority. As the global nuclear 
threat landscape continues to evolve, so, too, must the U.S. 
nuclear deterrent. The nation's defense against all 
adversaries, including China and Russia, rests on a strong 
nuclear deterrent. Therefore, the recommendation strongly 
supports efforts to modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile, 
increase investment in the NNSA's infrastructure, prevent the 
proliferation of nuclear materials, and provide for the needs 
of the naval nuclear propulsion program.
    Within funding for the NNSA's Weapons Activities, the 
recommendation continues support of the multi-year 
modernization plans for the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile 
and its supporting infrastructure. The Committee recommendation 
also addresses deficiencies in the budget request, such as 
funding for the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM) and 
plutonium pit production, to ensure these critical activities 
move forward on-time and on-budget. Program and project 
management efforts must be improved to prevent further schedule 
delays and cost increases, particularly on major construction 
projects.
    The recommendation provides strong support for the NNSA's 
nuclear nonproliferation programs. The Committee views these 
programs as key to combating the proliferation threat posed by 
both state and non-state actors.
    The Committee also strongly supports the activities to 
maintain the nation's nuclear naval fleet, which is funded 
through the Naval Reactors account. The Naval Reactors funding 
supports the current operational nuclear fleet, continues the 
Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine reactor development, 
and ensures research and development efforts for the next 
generation of nuclear-powered warships continue to progress.

                            Energy Security

    The Department of Energy and its national laboratory system 
have been instrumental in advancing scientific and 
technological developments contributing to ensuring a safe, 
reliable, and affordable energy system for the nation. 
Unfortunately, the Department seems to have lost this focus in 
recent years and instead has focused inordinate attention and 
resources on ancillary goals, some of which may reduce energy 
security. The recommendation targets investments to the 
activities most important to refocusing the Department on its 
fundamental mission and to advancing energy security. Programs 
that have received significant supplemental funding in recent 
years and that still have significant unspent balances are 
funded at more reasonable levels in this annual appropriations 
bill.
    The Committee has long supported nuclear power as a 
significant contributor to the nation's energy mix. This 
baseload, carbon-free source of electricity will be essential 
to achieving any emissions reduction goals. A revitalized 
American nuclear industry also provides an additional energy 
export of geopolitical consequence, especially for countries 
seeking alternatives to Russian and Chinese entanglements. In 
contrast to the Administration's continued de-prioritization of 
Nuclear Energy, the recommendation strongly supports the 
accelerated development and deployment of advanced reactors, 
including small modular reactors.
    The Administration's rush to electrification and deployment 
of certain energy sources without alignment with the 
availability of domestic sources of critical minerals threatens 
to make the U.S. energy system dependent on China. The 
recommendation seeks to avoid this decrease in energy security 
through funding the full spectrum of production technologies of 
critical minerals, including extraction, separation, 
processing, manufacturing, and recycling. This approach makes 
full use of the nation's vast domestic resources and enhances 
U.S. technological capabilities while securing the full supply 
chain of critical minerals. These investments will lay the 
foundation to reduce the country's reliance on foreign sources 
and bring further production capabilities back to America.
    The recommendation continues strong support for basic 
science research programs, which provide the foundation for new 
energy technologies. The recommendation increases support for 
continued operations of experimental user facilities, 
construction of large-scale and innovative scientific 
experiments, quantum information sciences, and advanced 
computing research. The recommendation also makes strategic 
investments in fusion energy sciences to help usher in a new 
wave of energy technologies that can lead to fusion energy 
breakthroughs and an eventual commercial fusion power plant. 
The Committee also recognizes the importance of securing the 
energy sector against cyber threats. In addition to maintaining 
funding for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and 
Emergency Response, the recommendation supports prioritization 
of cybersecurity issues across most programs of the Department.

                        Economic Competitiveness

    The water resource infrastructure funded by the 
recommendation is a critical component of ensuring a robust 
national economy and supporting American competitiveness in 
international markets. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) 
has been instrumental in reducing the risk of flooding for 
public safety, businesses, and much of this country's food-
producing lands. The Corps' maintenance of commercial waterways 
is directly tied to the ability of the nation to ship 
manufactured and bulk products, as well as to compete with the 
ports of neighboring countries for the business of ships 
arriving from around the world. The Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) supplies reliable water to approximately 10 
percent of the country's population and to much of its fertile 
agricultural lands. Both agencies make significant 
contributions to national electricity production through 
hydropower facilities.
    The recommendation makes key changes to the budget request 
to sustain critical funding for major infrastructure projects 
and other activities by the Corps that promote economic 
competitiveness and public safety; it prioritizes funding 
within the Bureau of Reclamation toward projects that increase 
water supply. The bill ensures that the Corps and Reclamation 
have the resources to continue to support America's economy.

                        Congressional Direction

    Program, Project, or Activity.--The term ``program, 
project, or activity'' shall include the most specific level of 
budget items identified in the Energy and Water Development and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 and the Committee 
report accompanying this Act.
    Performance Measures.--The Committee directs each of the 
agencies funded by this Act to comply with title 31 of the 
United States Code, including the development of their 
organizational priority goals and outcomes such as performance 
outcome measures, output measures, efficiency measures, and 
customer service measures.
    Advertising.--The Committee directs each department and 
agency to include the advertising contracting information in 
its fiscal year 2026 budget justification, including total 
obligations in fiscal year 2024 and expected obligations for 
fiscal years 2025 and 2026 for advertising services, and 
contracts for the advertising services with small businesses. 
For small businesses, both prime contracts and subcontracts, 
the agency shall identify obligations associated with small 
businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled 
veteran-owned small businesses, women owned small businesses, 
and HUBZone small businesses. The agency shall also report if 
it has met its small business goals in each of these categories 
in fiscal year 2024.
    Regional Public Engagement.--The Committee recognizes the 
post-2024 potential for a shift in Columbia River Treaty 
operations, which will increase the need for transparent 
communication with water and power users in the Pacific 
Northwest. The Committee has heard reports that the Army Corps 
of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power 
Administration have not maintained regular and transparent 
communication with non-federal partners. The Corps, 
Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration are urged to 
establish and maintain regular meetings with public utility 
districts in the region, as appropriate, regarding operational 
requirements to inform local planning efforts.

                   TITLE I--CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL


                         DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY


                       Corps of Engineers--Civil


                              INTRODUCTION

    The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act funds the civil works missions of the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). This program is responsible 
for activities in support of coastal and inland navigation, 
flood and coastal storm damage reduction, environmental 
protection and restoration, hydropower, recreation, water 
supply, and disaster preparedness and response. The Corps also 
performs regulatory oversight of navigable waters. 
Approximately 26,000 civilians and 244 military personnel 
located in eight Division offices and 38 District offices work 
to carry out the civil works program.

                        BUDGET STRUCTURE CHANGES

    The fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Corps proposed 
numerous structural changes, including the creation of a new 
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund account and Inland Waterways 
Trust Fund account; the shifting of various studies and 
projects among accounts and business lines; and the 
consolidation of certain remaining items. The Committee rejects 
all such proposed changes and instead funds all activities in 
the accounts in which funding has traditionally been provided. 
Unless expressly noted, all projects and studies remain at the 
levels proposed in the budget request but may be funded in 
different accounts. In particular:
           Projects proposed for funding in the Harbor 
        Maintenance Trust Fund account in the budget request 
        are funded in the Construction, Mississippi River and 
        Tributaries, and Operation and Maintenance accounts, as 
        appropriate;
           Dredged Material Management Plans, requested 
        in the Investigations account, are funded in the 
        Operation and Maintenance account;
           Disposition studies will continue to be 
        funded under the remaining item Disposition of 
        Completed Projects in the Investigations account;
           Inspection of Completed Works, Project 
        Condition Surveys, Scheduling of Reservoir Operations, 
        and Surveillance of Northern Boundary Waters will 
        continue to be funded under states instead of 
        consolidated into national programs as requested in the 
        Operation and Maintenance account; and
           Dam Safety Modification Studies, requested 
        in the Investigations and Mississippi River and 
        Tributaries accounts, will be funded under the Dam 
        Safety and Seepage/Stability Correction Program 
        remaining item in the Construction account.
    For any future fiscal year, if the Corps proposes budget 
structure changes, the budget proposal shall be accompanied by 
a display of the funding request in the traditional budget 
structure.

              APPORTIONMENT UNDER A CONTINUING RESOLUTION

    For the purposes of continuing resolutions starting in 
fiscal year 2018, the Office of Management and Budget changed 
the long-standing policy by which funding is apportioned to the 
civil works program of the Corps. Under the new policy, funding 
within an individual account was apportioned separately for 
amounts from the general fund of the Treasury and amounts from 
various trust funds.
    The Committee has long intended the Corps to have the 
flexibility to address the projects most in need of funding 
under a continuing resolution. The creation of artificial 
accounting distinctions has the potential to cause serious 
impediments to the efficient and effective implementation of 
the civil works program. For example, work on many navigation 
projects is limited by environmental or other regulatory 
windows. Further limitations imposed by separately apportioning 
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund monies could cause serious 
disruptions to the economic activity that depends on these 
navigation channels.
    For these reasons, the Committee rejects the change in 
apportionment policy and directs the Administration to follow 
the previous policy during any continuing resolutions that may 
occur in this or any future fiscal years.

                         DEEP-DRAFT NAVIGATION

    The Committee remains mindful of the evolving 
infrastructure needs of the nation's ports. Meeting these 
needs--including deeper drafts to accommodate the move toward 
larger ships--will be essential if the nation is to remain 
competitive in international markets and to continue advancing 
economic development and job creation domestically.
    Investigation and construction of port projects, including 
the deepening of existing projects, are cost-shared between the 
federal government and non-federal sponsors, often local or 
regional port authorities. The operation and maintenance of 
these projects are federal responsibilities and are funded as 
reimbursements from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF), 
which is supported by an ad valorem tax on the value of 
imported and domestic cargo. Expenditures from the trust fund 
are subject to annual appropriations. The balance in the HMTF 
at the beginning of fiscal year 2025 is estimated to be 
approximately $7,841,000,000.
    The CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) and the Water Resources 
Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 (Public Law 116-260) made 
certain changes to the methods by which funds from the HMTF are 
treated under discretionary budget rules. The Committee 
provides an estimated $3,087,000,000 in accordance with these 
changes. This funding will enable the Corps to make significant 
progress on the backlog of dredging needs. Additionally, WRDA 
2020 made certain changes to the methods by which funds for 
section 2106(c) of the Water Resources Reform and Development 
Act (WRRDA) of 2014 are treated under discretionary budget 
rules. The Committee provides $60,000,000 for these purposes.

                        INLAND WATERWAYS SYSTEM

    The nation's inland waterways system--consisting of 
approximately 12,000 miles of commercially navigable channels 
and 237 lock chambers--is also essential to supporting the 
national economy. Freight transported on the inland waterways 
system includes a significant portion of the nation's grain 
exports, domestic petroleum and petroleum products, and coal 
used in electricity generation. Much of the physical 
infrastructure of the system is aging, however, and in need of 
improvements. For example, commercial navigation locks 
typically have a design life of 50 years, yet nearly 80 percent 
of these locks in the United States are more than 50 years old, 
with the average age being 65 years old.
    In accordance with WRDA 2020 and WRDA 2022, capital 
improvements to the inland waterways system are generally 
funded 65 percent from the general fund of the Treasury and 35 
percent from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF), while 
operation and maintenance costs are funded 100 percent from the 
general fund of the Treasury. The IWTF is supported by a tax on 
barge fuel.
    The Committee is disappointed that, for a second 
consecutive year, the Corps did not include any funds for 
inland waterways construction projects in its budget request. 
For fiscal year 2025, the Committee provides robust funding 
above the budget request from the IWTF for inland waterways 
projects. The Committee recommends funding above the budget 
request for additional operation and maintenance activities on 
the inland waterways.

                            PROGRAM DELIVERY

    The Committee continues to monitor significant cost 
escalations across the civil works program, particularly for 
major water resources development projects already costly to 
construct. While projects funded--and particularly those 
initiated--with supplemental appropriations have experienced 
some of the greatest cost escalations, this challenge affects 
the entire enterprise, placing an increasing burden on annual 
appropriations. Inflation and supply chain disruptions in the 
construction sector have contributed greatly to increasing 
costs; however, the Committee does not have adequate visibility 
into the nature or scale of these escalations. The Corps is 
directed to notify the Committee for any project with an 
initial cost estimate of $50,000,000 or greater when the cost 
estimate for the project increases by at least $100,000,000 or 
by at least 50 percent, whichever is less. The Corps should 
include in its notification a description of the cause for the 
increase, the total amount by which the project cost has 
increased, the date on which the new project cost was 
finalized, and the date on which the previous cost estimate was 
finalized.

                      FORMAT OF FUNDING PRIORITIES

    The recommendation includes Community Project Funding 
requested by Members of Congress to meet urgent needs across 
the United States. Community Project Funding has been included 
in this recommendation in the Investigations, Construction, 
Mississippi River and Tributaries, and Operation and 
Maintenance accounts in a manner that adheres to the Rules of 
the House of Representatives and the increased transparency and 
accountability standards put in place by the Committee.
    As in previous years, the Committee lists in report tables 
the studies, projects, and activities within each account 
requested by the President along with the Committee-recommended 
funding level.
    To advance its programmatic priorities, the Committee has 
included additional funding in some accounts for certain 
categories of projects. Project-specific allocations within 
these categories will be determined by the Corps based on 
further direction provided in this report.

                           ADDITIONAL FUNDING

    The recommendation includes funding in addition to the 
budget request to ensure continued improvements to water 
resources infrastructure that benefit the national economy, 
public safety, and environmental health. This funding is for 
additional work that either was not included in the budget 
request or was inadequately budgeted.
    The executive branch retains discretion over project-
specific allocation decisions within the additional funds 
provided, subject to only the direction here and under the 
heading ``Additional Funding for Ongoing Work'' within each of 
the Investigations, Construction, Mississippi River and 
Tributaries, and Operation and Maintenance accounts. A study or 
project may not be excluded from consideration for funding for 
being ``inconsistent with Administration policy.'' The 
Administration is reminded that these funds are in addition to 
the budget request, and Administration budget metrics shall not 
be a reason to disqualify a study or project from being funded.
    The Committee remains concerned that the Administration has 
communicated, either implicitly or explicitly, to non-federal 
sponsors that chances of being included in a budget request or 
work plan increase with the amount of funding a non-federal 
sponsor can bring to a project in excess of the required cost-
share. Therefore, the Administration is reminded that voluntary 
funding in excess of legally required cost shares for studies 
and projects, though acceptable, shall not be used as a 
criterion for inclusion in the budget request or for allocating 
the additional funding provided.
    It is expected that all the additional funding provided by 
this Act will be allocated to specific programs, projects, or 
activities. The focus of the allocation process shall favor the 
obligation, rather than expenditure, of funds. Additionally, 
the Administration shall consider the extent to which the Corps 
is able to obligate funds within the fiscal year as it 
allocates the additional funding.
    The Corps shall evaluate all studies and projects only 
within accounts and categories consistent with previous 
congressional funding.
    A project or study shall be eligible for additional funding 
within the Investigations, Construction, and Mississippi River 
and Tributaries accounts if: (1) it has received funding, other 
than through a reprogramming, in at least one of the previous 
three fiscal years; or (2) it was previously funded and could 
reach a significant milestone, complete a discrete element of 
work, or produce significant outputs in fiscal year 2025. None 
of the additional funding in any account may be used for any 
item where funding was specifically denied or for projects in 
the Continuing Authorities Program. Funds shall be allocated 
consistent with statutory cost share requirements.
    Work Plan.--Not later than 60 days after enactment of this 
Act, and not less than three business days prior to public 
release, the Corps shall provide to the Committee a work plan 
including the following information: (1) a detailed description 
of the process and criteria used to evaluate studies and 
projects; (2) delineation of how these funds are to be 
allocated; (3) a summary of the work to be accomplished with 
each allocation, including phase of work; and (4) a list of all 
studies and projects that were considered eligible for funding 
but did not receive funding, including an explanation of 
whether the study or project could have used funds in fiscal 
year 2025 and the specific reasons each study or project was 
considered as being less competitive for an allocation of 
funds.

                               NEW STARTS

    The Committee faces the competing challenges of ensuring 
the Corps can finish the work it starts in as efficient a 
manner as possible while continuing to address the most urgent 
water resources challenges across the nation. In furtherance of 
these goals, in recent years when Congress has made 
supplemental appropriations available to promote resiliency to 
future natural disasters, the Committee routinely directed the 
Corps to complete projects within supplemental funds, and the 
executive branch routinely oversubscribed those funds. This 
dynamic, coupled with significant cost escalations facing the 
entire enterprise, has imposed a tremendous burden on annual 
appropriations to continue delivering an effective program that 
promotes America's economic competitiveness and public safety. 
While there remains significant need for investments in new 
water resources projects, the Committee must prioritize 
advancing and completing ongoing work and recommends no funding 
for new starts.
    Although no new starts are recommended in this Act, the 
executive branch's policies and guidelines regarding which 
studies and projects require new start designations remain 
unclear. The Corps is directed to notify the Committee at least 
seven days prior to execution of an agreement for construction 
of any project except environmental infrastructure projects and 
projects under the Continuing Authorities Program.
    Decisions regarding the processes by which projects may be 
made eligible for funding or the manner in which projects are 
funded can be made only by the Committees on Appropriations. As 
such, the Committee reiterates previous congressional direction 
as follows. Neither study nor construction activities related 
to individual projects authorized under section 1037 of the 
WRRDA of 2014 shall require a new start or new investment 
decision; these activities shall be considered ongoing work. No 
new start or new investment decision shall be required when 
moving from feasibility to preconstruction engineering and 
design (PED). The initiation of construction of an individually 
authorized project funded within a programmatic line item may 
not require a new start designation provided that some amount 
of construction funding under such programmatic line item was 
appropriated and expended during the previous fiscal year. No 
new start or new investment decision shall be required to 
initiate work on a separable element of a project when 
construction of one or more separable elements of that project 
was initiated previously; it shall be considered ongoing work. 
A new construction start shall not be required for work 
undertaken to correct a design deficiency on an existing 
federal project; it shall be considered ongoing work.
    During the budget formulation process, the Corps is 
strongly encouraged to give careful consideration to the out-
year budget impacts of any studies selected as new starts and 
to whether there appears to be an identifiable non-federal 
sponsor that will be ready and able to provide, in a timely 
manner, the necessary cost share for the feasibility and PED 
phases.
    During the budget formulation process, the Corps also shall 
consider the out-year budget impacts of any selected new starts 
and the non-federal sponsor's ability and willingness to 
promptly provide required cash contributions, if any, as well 
as required lands, easements, rights-of-way, relocations, and 
disposal areas. When considering new construction starts, the 
Corps should include only those that can execute a project cost 
sharing agreement during the upcoming fiscal year.

                             INVASIVE CARP

    The Corps is undertaking multiple efforts to stop the 
spread of invasive carp throughout the United States. Section 
509 of WRDA 2020 authorized demonstration projects to prevent 
the spread of invasive carp into the Tennessee River and 
Cumberland River watersheds. There is an urgent need to prevent 
their migration from the Ohio River into these watersheds and 
the Great Lakes. The Committee remains concerned that the Corps 
is making insufficient progress in implementing section 509 and 
inadequately communicating with interagency partners, despite 
funding being provided in the fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 
2023 Acts to implement this program. The Corps is directed to 
finalize the program management plan and begin assessing 
demonstration projects, including appropriate deterrent systems 
at Kentucky Lock. The Corps is directed to provide quarterly 
updates to the Committee on the status of section 509 
implementation.
    Additionally, projects such as at Brandon Road Lock and Dam 
and at the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal are critical to 
preventing the spread of invasive carp into the Great Lakes. 
Because these efforts are critical to keeping invasive carp out 
of the Chicago Area Waterways System, the Corps is urged to 
expedite efforts to execute a project partnership agreement for 
Brandon Road to enable the project to move into construction 
utilizing previously provided funds. If additional work can be 
done, the Corps is reminded that both projects are eligible to 
compete for the additional funds provided in this Act, and the 
Corps is encouraged to include appropriate funding for projects 
in future budget submissions. In addition, the Committee 
directs the Corps to continue to collaborate at levels 
commensurate with previous years with the U.S. Coast Guard, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Illinois, and 
members of the Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, 
including identifying navigation protocols that would be 
beneficial or effective in reducing the risk of vessels 
inadvertently carrying aquatic invasive species, including 
invasive carp, through the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, 
Illinois. Any findings of such an evaluation shall be included 
in the quarterly briefings to the Committee. The Corps is 
further directed to implement navigation protocols shown to be 
effective at reducing the risk of entrainment without 
jeopardizing the safety of vessels and crews.

                     AGING WATERWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

    The Committee recognizes the extraordinary implications to 
the local, regional, and national economy, as well as national 
security, due to aging waterway infrastructure. The Committee 
urges the Corps to continue to prioritize ongoing deep draft 
lock modernization or replacement projects.

               CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTION AND REPROGRAMMING

    To ensure that the expenditure of funds in fiscal year 2025 
is consistent with congressional direction, to minimize the 
movement of funds, and to improve overall budget execution, the 
Act incorporates by reference the projects and direction 
identified in the report accompanying this Act into statue. 
Further, the Act carries a legislative provision outlining the 
circumstances under which the Corps may reprogram funds. 
Decisions regarding reprogramming limits and processes can only 
be made by the Committees on Appropriations.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee recommends $9,957,000,000 for the Corps, 
$1,276,500,000 above fiscal year 2024 and $2,736,786,000 above 
the budget request.
    A table summarizing the fiscal year 2024 enacted 
appropriation, the fiscal year 2025 budget request, and the 
Committee-recommended levels is provided below:

                                             (Dollars in thousands)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Account                          FY 2024 enacted     FY 2025 request       Cmte. rec.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investigations......................................            $131,577            $110,585            $159,000
Construction........................................           1,845,010           1,958,370           3,010,000
Mississippi River and Tributaries...................             366,927             244,834             370,000
Operation and Maintenance...........................           5,552,786           2,469,500           5,714,000
Regulatory Program..................................             221,000             221,000             218,000
FUSRAP..............................................             300,000             200,285             200,000
Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies...............              35,000              45,000              45,000
Expenses............................................             216,000             231,240             231,000
Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for                  5,000               6,400               5,000
 Civil Works........................................
Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program.               7,200               7,000               5,000
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.......................               - - -           1,726,000               - - -
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
    Total, Corps of Engineers--Civil................           8,680,500           7,220,214           9,957,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                             INVESTIGATIONS

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $131,577,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       110,585,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       159,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +27,423,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       +48,415,000
 

    This appropriation funds studies to determine the need for, 
the engineering and economic feasibility of, and the 
environmental and social suitability of solutions to water and 
related land resource problems; preconstruction engineering and 
design; data collection; interagency coordination; and 
research.
    The budget request for this account and the approved 
Committee allowance are shown on the following table:

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Additional Funding for Ongoing Work.--The Corps shall 
allocate the additional funding provided in this account 
primarily to specific feasibility and preconstruction 
engineering and design (PED) phases, rather than to remaining 
items line items as has been the case in previous work plans. 
When allocating the additional funding provided in this 
account, the Corps shall consider giving priority to completing 
or accelerating ongoing studies that: will enhance the nation's 
economic development, job growth, and international 
competitiveness; are for projects located in areas that have 
suffered recent natural disasters; are for projects that 
protect life and property; or are for projects to address legal 
requirements. While the additional funding is shown in the 
feasibility column, the Corps shall use these funds for 
additional work in both the feasibility and PED phases, except 
as specifically provided for in this report. The Administration 
is reminded that a project study is not complete until the PED 
phase is complete and that no new start or new investment 
decision shall be required when moving from feasibility to PED.
    The Committee supports the Corps' policy outlined in 
Engineering Regulation (ER) 1110-2-1302 and further clarified 
in a June 2023 memorandum that requires feasibility studies to 
include class 3 estimates prior to the signing of a Chief of 
Engineer's report. Of the additional funding provided in this 
account, the Corps shall allocate not less than $4,000,000 to 
feasibility studies initiated in fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 
2024 to progress those studies in a manner consistent with this 
policy, and the Secretary shall issue a waiver pursuant to 
section 1001(b) of Public Law 113-121 for each such study for 
such an amount and time as necessary to achieve a class 3 cost 
estimate.
    The June 2023 memorandum provided additional guidance 
related to ER 1110-2-1302 for updating project costs for 
authorized but unconstructed projects. Of the additional 
funding provided in this account, the Corps shall allocate 
$4,000,000 to studies in the PED phase and for which 
construction has been authorized to achieve a class 3 estimate 
for the entire scope of the project prior to execution of a 
project partnership agreement.
    Arkansas-Red River Basins Chloride Control-Area VIII, TX.--
The recommendation rejects the budget request proposal to fund 
a disposition study for the Arkansas Red River Chloride Control 
Project. No funds from this Act or a prior Act may be used to 
continue this effort.
    Baltimore Harbor and Channels, MD (Seagirt Loop 
Deepening).--The Committee notes that funding provided in the 
fiscal year 2024 Act was intended to complete the PED phase; 
the Corps is urged to proceed expeditiously with this work.
    Buffalo Bayou Tributaries and Resiliency Study, TX.--The 
Committee is aware of the need for additional flood control 
measures in Harris County, Texas, and is concerned by the lack 
of progress. The Corps is reminded that this study is eligible 
to compete for the additional funding provided in this account 
and is directed to coordinate with the non-federal sponsor to 
determine a viable path forward.
    Coastal Hazard Assessment, Mitigation, and Protection 
Studies (CHAMPS) Center.--The Committee is aware of the 
existing, university-led CHAMPS Center that seeks to develop 
robust and cost-effective strategies and designs for coastal 
storm risk management activities for the Greater Houston Area. 
The Corps is encouraged to collaborate with the CHAMPS Center, 
as appropriate.
    Comprehensive Central and Southern Florida, FL.--The Corps 
is reminded that section 8214 of WRDA 2022 authorized a 
feasibility study for resiliency and comprehensive improvements 
or modifications to existing water resources development 
projects in the central and southern Florida area. The Corps is 
encouraged to include appropriate funding in the fiscal year 
2026 budget submission.
    Disposition of Completed Projects.--The Corps is directed 
to provide to the Committee copies of disposition studies upon 
completion.
    Disposition of Completed Projects, Fruitvale Avenue 
Railroad Bridge, CA.--The Committee notes that funding 
recommended in fiscal year 2025 is expected to complete the 
disposition study, and the Corps is encouraged to proceed 
expeditiously.
    Grand Lake Infrastructure Report.--The Corps is reminded of 
the report required by section 7612(d) of Public Law 116-92 and 
is encouraged to make expeditious progress.
    Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity, LA (200-Yr LORR General 
Reevaluation).--The Committee supports efforts to provide 
additional flood protection for south Louisiana, including 
studying increasing the flood protection provided by the 
Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System to the 200-
year level. The Corps is encouraged to continue collaboration 
with the non-federal sponsor.
    Louisiana Coastal Area Task Force.--The Corps is encouraged 
to establish, as appropriate, the Task Force authorized by 
section 7004 of WRDA 2007 to improve coordination of ecosystem 
restoration in the Louisiana Coastal Area and is reminded of 
the reporting requirement in section 212 of WRDA 2020 (Public 
Law 116-260).
    Lower San Joaquin River (Lathrop & Manteca), CA.--The Corps 
is reminded that this project is eligible to compete for the 
additional funding provided in this account and encouraged to 
include appropriate funding in future budget submissions.
    Matagorda Ship Channel, TX.--The Committee understands the 
significant economic impact of Lavaca Bay on the U.S. economy 
and notes the importance of ensuring its competitiveness for 
global commerce. The Committee continues to monitor the status 
of the Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project and is 
concerned over repeated delays to its completion. The Committee 
urges quick completion of the Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement. The Corps is directed to provide to the Committee 
not later than 60 days after enactment of this Act a briefing 
on opportunities to expedite the project ahead of its scheduled 
completion.
    National Inventory of Dams.--Funding above the budget 
request is provided to continue progress on the Low-Head Dam 
Inventory.
    New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries, NY and NJ.--The 
Corps is reminded that the New York-New Jersey Harbor and 
Tributaries study is eligible to compete for the additional 
funding provided in this account and encouraged to include 
appropriate funding in future budget submissions.
    Planning Assistance to States, Vulnerable Coastal 
Communities.--The Committee notes the important role the Corps 
plays in managing flood risk and threats from coastal hazards 
and that the Planning Assistance to States program provides in 
assisting with comprehensive plans and technical assistance to 
eligible state, tribal, or U.S. territory partners. The 
Committee encourages the Corps to continue building capacity to 
provide this assistance to vulnerable coastal communities, 
including tribal, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian 
communities. Within funds provided, the Corps is directed to 
prioritize technical assistance to federally recognized tribes 
located on the coast that are actively working to relocate or 
address issues due to continued high lift safety risks from 
flooding and storm surge, or to improve coastal resiliency, 
that include but are not limited to studies, surveys, and rates 
of erosion of land being evaluated for relocation.
    Port Fourchon Belle Pass Channel, LA.--The Committee 
continues to support the Port Fourchon Belle Pass Channel 
deepening study and encourages the Corps to proceed 
expeditiously. The Corps is reminded that this study is 
eligible to compete for the additional funding provided in this 
account.
    Remote Sensing/Geographic Information System Support.--The 
recommendation includes $2,100,000 for the Corps to continue 
procurement efforts for advanced integrated GPS and optical 
surveying and mapping equipment. This funding increase shall be 
competitively awarded or provided to programs that have 
received competitive awards in the past.
    Research and Development.--The Committee is aware of high-
priority research and development needs and the value of 
leveraging university partnerships to address the highest 
priority challenges impacting the Corps' civil works mission. 
The Corps is encouraged to work with university partners to 
evaluate development of new construction automation 
technologies utilizing ultra high-performance concrete with the 
highest impact to the Corps' civil works mission.
    The Committee is aware of the potential research 
opportunity to evaluate the transition of small unmanned 
aircraft system (UAS) technologies to larger Group 3 and Group 
4 aircraft. The Committee recognizes there is no capability at 
this time for this work. The Corps is directed to evaluate 
opportunities for further research into its application to the 
civil works mission.
    The Corps is encouraged to work with university and 
industry partners to assess the application of fiber reinforced 
plastic composites for the replacement of aging steel 
infrastructure.
    Research and Development, Coastal and Hydraulics Models.--
The recommendation includes $4,000,000 within available funds 
to continue the effort of modernizing existing Corps coastal 
and hydraulics models and to make them accessible for use by 
other agencies, universities, and the public. It is understood 
that this effort will be completed in fiscal year 2026.
    Research and Development, Sea Port Security.--The Corps is 
encouraged to evaluate existing digital platforms that support 
interoperable communications for maritime security and response 
to extreme weather and supply chain disruptions and determine 
the need for additional research in this area to the benefit of 
the Corps' civil works mission.
    River Commissions.--The Congress has made clear its intent 
that the River Basin Commissions for the Susquehanna, Delaware, 
and Potomac Rivers be supported, and the Corps is encouraged to 
include appropriate funding in future budget submissions.
    Upper St. Anthony Falls.--The Corps is reminded that the 
Upper St. Anthony Falls project remains an authorized federal 
project and is encouraged to continue to operate and maintain 
the lock to keep it in a state of good repair. The 
recommendation includes funding to continue the disposition 
study and directs the Corps to do so at full federal expense. 
The Corps is directed to provide to the Committee not later 
than 60 days after enactment of this Act a briefing on the 
schedule for the disposition study, real estate requirements 
for ongoing maintenance activities and alternatives that could 
allow for appropriate maintenance levels, and the Corps' role 
once the disposition study is completed.

                              CONSTRUCTION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $1,845,010,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     1,958,370,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     3,010,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................    +1,164,990,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................    +1,051,630,000
 

    This appropriation funds construction, major 
rehabilitation, and related activities for water resource 
projects whose principal purpose is to provide commercial 
navigation, flood and storm damage reduction, or aquatic 
ecosystem restoration benefits to the nation. Portions of this 
account are funded from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and 
the Inland Waterways Trust Fund.
    The fiscal year 2025 budget request for Construction is a 
total of $1,958,370,000, of which $1,558,370,000 is base 
funding and $400,000,000 is emergency-designated funding 
referred to as ``shifted base'' by the Administration.
    The budget request for this account and the approved 
Committee allowance are shown on the following table, and for 
ease of comparison, amounts requested in the Harbor Maintenance 
Trust Fund Account are displayed in the appropriate line in 
this table:


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Additional Funding for Ongoing Work.--When allocating the 
additional funding provided in this account, the Corps is 
encouraged to evaluate authorized reimbursements in the same 
manner as if the projects were being evaluated for new or 
ongoing construction and shall consider giving priority to the 
following:
           benefits of the funded work to the national 
        economy;
           extent to which the work will enhance 
        national, regional, or local economic development;
           number of jobs created directly and 
        supported in the supply chain by the funded activity;
           significance to national security, including 
        the strategic significance of commodities;
           prevention and mitigation of coastal erosion 
        that impacts coastal rail routes that are critical to 
        national defense;
           ability to obligate the funds allocated 
        within the fiscal year, including consideration of the 
        ability of the non-federal sponsor to provide any 
        required cost share;
           ability to complete the project, separable 
        element, or project phase with the funds allocated;
           legal requirements, including 
        responsibilities to tribes;
           for flood and storm damage reduction 
        projects, including authorized nonstructural measures 
        and periodic beach renourishments:
                   population, economic activity, 
                or public infrastructure at risk, as 
                appropriate; and
                   the severity of risk of flooding 
                or the frequency with which an area has 
                experienced flooding;
           for shore protection projects, projects in 
        areas that have suffered severe beach erosion requiring 
        additional sand placement outside of the normal beach 
        renourishment cycle or in which the normal beach 
        renourishment cycle has been delayed, and projects in 
        areas where there is risk of environmental 
        contamination;
           for environmental infrastructure projects, 
        authorities for which water recycling projects are 
        eligible;
           for mitigation projects, projects with the 
        purpose to address the safety concerns of coastal 
        communities impacted by federal flood control, 
        navigation, and defense projects;
           for navigation projects, the number of jobs 
        or level of economic activity to be supported by 
        completion of the project, separable element, or 
        project phase; and
           for other authorized project purposes and 
        environmental restoration or compliance projects, to 
        include the beneficial use of dredged material.
    The Corps is reminded that environmental infrastructure 
projects are eligible to compete for the additional funding 
provided in this account for Other Authorized Project Purposes. 
The Corps is reminded that shore protection projects are also 
eligible to compete for additional funding for Flood and Storm 
Damage Reduction. The Corps is further reminded that 
nonstructural flood control projects are eligible to compete 
for the additional funding provided in this account.
    Of the additional funding provided for Other Authorized 
Project Purposes and Environmental Restoration or Compliance, 
the Corps shall allocate not less than $2,785,000 for execution 
of comprehensive restoration plans developed by the Corps for 
major bodies of water, including major bodies of freshwater.
    The recommendation includes $148,050,000 of estimated 
annual revenues in the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF), of 
which $71,750,000 are provided under this heading. The Corps 
shall allocate all funds provided in the IWTF Revenues line 
item along with the statutory cost share from funds provided in 
the Navigation line item prior to allocating the remainder of 
funds in the Navigation line item. None of the additional 
funding provided in this account, including allocation of any 
amounts from the IWTF Revenues line, may be used in 
contravention of the direction contained under the heading 
``Upper Mississippi River-Illinois WW System, IL, IA, MN, MO, 
and WI''.
    Administrative Fees.--The Committee has heard reports that 
the Corps is assessing undue administrative fees and overhead 
costs to funding Congress provides above the budget request, 
particularly Community Project Funding. Any inconsistencies 
between the methodology used to charge these costs to programs, 
projects, and activities included in the budget request and 
other high-priority activities would be unacceptable. The Corps 
is directed to provide to the Committee not later than 90 days 
after enactment of this Act a briefing on the methodology for 
applying project-specific administrative fees. The briefing 
shall include any considerations related to the total funding 
provided to a project in any fiscal year, impacts to scope of 
work that can be accomplished as a share of total funding 
provided to a project, and any differences in how project-
specific administrative fees are assigned whether a project is 
or is not included in the budget request.
    Aquatic Plant Control Program.--Of the additional funding 
recommended for the Aquatic Plant Control Program, $10,000,000 
shall be for watercraft inspection stations, as authorized in 
section 104 of the River and Harbor Act of 1958, equally 
distributed to carry out subsections (d)(1)(A)(i), 
(d)(1)(A)(ii), and (d)(1)(A)(iii); $3,000,000 shall be for 
related monitoring, as authorized by section 1170 of the 
America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018; and $2,000,000 
shall be for activities related to monitoring, surveying, and 
control of hydrilla verticillata and flowering rush. The Corps 
is encouraged to consider work to address and prevent the 
threat of hydrilla infestation within the states of Florida and 
Georgia. The recommendation also includes $5,500,000 for 
nationwide research, and the Corps is encouraged to consider 
work to address invasive aquatic plants in the Northern 
Everglades region. The recommendation also provides $10,500,000 
to continue activities authorized under section 509 of WRDA 
2020.
    Boulevard Park Flood Reduction and Environmental 
Protection, WA.--The Committee recognizes the importance of 
reducing chronic flooding in the Boulevard Park neighborhood of 
Burien, Washington, with respect to restoring septic functions, 
improving resiliency, and supporting stream and wetlands 
habitat. The Corps is reminded that this project is eligible to 
compete for the additional funding provided in this account.
    Brandon Road Lock and Dam, Aquatic Nuisance Species 
Barrier, IL.--The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin 
Study was authorized by Congress under section 3061(d) of WRDA 
2007 (Public Law 110-114). The Committee notes that the Brandon 
Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, is critical to keeping 
invasive carp out of the Chicago Area Waterways System, which 
is the only continuous connection between the Great Lakes and 
Mississippi River basins.
    Chesapeake Bay Comprehensive Water Resources and 
Restoration Plan.--The Committee is supportive of the 
Chesapeake Bay Comprehensive Water Resources and Restoration 
Plan. The Corps is reminded that the Chesapeake Bay 
Environmental Restoration and Protection Program is eligible to 
compete for the additional funding provided in this account, 
and the Corps is encouraged to include appropriate funding in 
future budget submissions.
    Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery, MD and VA.--The Committee 
is supportive of the Corps' work on the Chesapeake Bay Oyster 
Recovery program and urges the Corps to include appropriate 
funding in future budget submissions for these efforts.
    Continuing Authorities Program (CAP).--The recommendation 
includes $38,500,000 for seven CAP sections to undertake small, 
localized projects without the lengthy study and authorization 
process typical of larger Corps projects. The Committee 
continues to support strongly the work carried out under the 
various CAP authorities and understands that there are 
uncertainties pending Administration policy determinations 
regarding the amount of authorized work that can be 
accomplished in fiscal year 2025. The management of CAP should 
continue consistent with direction provided in previous fiscal 
years.
    CAP, Kentucky River Flood Mitigation.--The Committee notes 
persistent flooding along the Kentucky River and that multiple 
efforts are underway to address flood risk management 
challenges in the region. The Corps is reminded that additional 
measures, such as projects authorized pursuant to CAP sections 
14 and 205, are valuable tools to address challenges of this 
nature and is encouraged to work with prospective non-federal 
sponsors toward that end.
    Continuing Contracts.--The Corps is authorized by section 
621 of title 33, United States Code, to execute its civil works 
projects through the use of a Special Continuing Contract 
Clause or Incremental Funding Clause as described in 
Engineering Circulars 11-2-221 and 11-2-222. The Committee 
appreciates the Administration's attention to this issue and 
directs the Administration to continue using its existing 
continuing contract authorities in accordance with the general 
provisions in this Act as an efficient approach to managing 
large, multi-year projects.
    Cuyahoga River Old Channel Remediation, OH.--The Committee 
recognizes progress made to complete the design phase for the 
Cuyahoga River Old Channel (CROC) project, which is now at 65 
percent. However, the Committee is concerned that the Corps is 
limiting its analysis of dredge disposal options for the 
project. To better capture potential options, the Corps is 
encouraged to consider the installation of a bulkhead adjacent 
to the CROC for containment of contaminated material.
    San Joaquin River Basin, Lower San Joaquin, CA.--The Corps 
is reminded that this project is eligible to compete for the 
additional funding provided in this account and is encouraged 
to include appropriate funding in future budget submissions.
    Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island, MD.--The Corps is encouraged to 
continue preparations necessary for construction and to include 
appropriate funding in future budget submissions.
    Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Recovery, IA, KS, MO, MT, 
NE, ND and SD.--The Committee has heard concerns regarding the 
Corps' implementation of this authority with respect to land 
acquisition on the landward side of levees and the extent to 
which this acquisition supports the mitigation goals of the 
program. The Corps is directed to provide to the Committee not 
later than 90 days after enactment of this Act a briefing on 
the comprehensive goals of the program and the justification 
for land acquisition on the landward side of levees in the 
broader context of the program.
    Puerto Rico Flood Control Projects.--The Committee is aware 
of significant flood risk management challenges facing Puerto 
Rico and the projects originally allocated funding from amounts 
made available in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The Corps 
is encouraged to continue collaboration with non-federal 
sponsors to identify potential paths forward toward delivery of 
projects to address these challenges, to include the Rio de la 
Plata and Rio Puerto Nuevo projects. Additionally, the Corps is 
further encouraged to work with non-federal sponsors and engage 
with local communities to identify needs related to Rio Inabon, 
Rio Descalabrado, Rio Guadiana in Naranjito, Rio Yauco, and Rio 
Guamani in Puerto Rico. The Corps is directed to provide to the 
Committee not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act a 
briefing on the status of these efforts.
    Prado Dam, CA.--The Committee applauds the Corps for its 
continued collaboration with the local community to ensure 
appropriate opportunity to preserve the bicentennial mural. The 
Committee understands the importance of the mural to the local 
community and that it will need to be repainted following 
project construction. The Corps is encouraged to collaborate 
with the community to allow for expeditious repainting upon 
completion of construction and, to the extent compatible with 
the construction schedule, evaluate opportunities to keep the 
current mural in place in celebration of the United States 
Semiquincentennial.
    Real Estate Requirements for Shore Protection Projects.--
The fiscal year 2024 Act directed the Corps to provide 
alternatives to existing real estate requirements that remain 
compliant with existing law while providing flexibility for 
non-federal sponsors and incorporating their views. The 
Committee has yet to receive these recommendations. The Corps 
is directed to provide to the Committee not later than 15 days 
after enactment of this Act the recommendations required in the 
2024 Act and a briefing on the process by which they were 
developed.
    New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam, GA and SC.--The Committee 
maintains interest in the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam and 
understands the importance to the local community of 
maintaining the existing water levels. The Committee will 
continue to monitor the status of this effort and reminds the 
Corps of the requirement in section 1319 of the WIIN Act of 
2016.
    Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration, Duckabush 
River Estuary, WA.--The Corps is reminded that this project is 
eligible to compete for the additional funding provided in this 
account and is encouraged to include appropriate funding in 
future budget submissions.
    San Joaquin and Stanislaus, CA.--The Committee understands 
the critical role of investment in San Joaquin and Stanislaus 
counties to enhance water infrastructure in a region 
continuously faced with flooding and drought. To the extent 
authorized, the Corps is encouraged to allow for 
reimbursements, as appropriate, for work carried out by non-
federal sponsors to expedite project delivery.
    South Florida Ecosystem Restoration, FL.--As in previous 
years, the Committee provides funding for all study and 
construction authorities related to Everglades restoration 
under the line item titled ``South Florida Ecosystem 
Restoration, Florida.'' This single line item allows the Corps 
flexibility in implementing the numerous activities underway in 
any given fiscal year. The Committee supports the Corps' 
participation in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task 
Force. The Corps is encouraged to partner with local public 
universities focused on Everglades restoration technology to 
modernize the capacity of remote sensing, bathymetric 
surveying, and other measurements to advance the Task Force's 
restoration goals.
    Upper Mississippi River-Illinois WW System, IL, IA, MN, MO, 
and WI.--The funding provided is for ecosystem restoration 
purposes. None of the funds made available by this Act may be 
used to initiate construction on LaGrange Lock and Dam New 
1200-Foot Lock.
    Will County, Section 219, IL.--Funding is recommended for 
this activity in fiscal year 2025, and the Corps is reminded 
that, if additional work can be done, this project is eligible 
to compete for the additional funding provided in this account.

                   MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $366,927,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       244,834,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       370,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +3,073,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................      +125,166,000
 

    This appropriation funds planning, construction, and 
operation and maintenance activities associated with projects 
to reduce flood damage in the lower Mississippi River alluvial 
valley below Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
    The budget request for this account and the approved 
Committee allowance are shown on the following table, and for 
ease of comparison, amounts requested in the Harbor Maintenance 
Trust Fund Account are displayed in the appropriate line in 
this table:


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Additional Funding.--When allocating the additional funding 
provided in this account, the Corps shall consider giving 
priority to completing or accelerating work that will enhance 
the nation's economic development, job growth, and 
international competitiveness or are for studies or projects 
located in areas that have suffered recent natural disasters. 
While this funding is shown under remaining items, the Corps 
shall use these funds in Investigations, Construction, and 
Operation and Maintenance, as applicable.
    Lower Mississippi River Main Stem.--The budget request 
proposes to consolidate several activities across multiple 
states into one line item. The Committee does not support this 
change and instead continues to fund these activities as 
separate line items.
    Mississippi River Commission.--No funding is provided for 
this new line item. The Corps is directed to continue funding 
the costs of the commission from within the funds provided for 
activities within the Mississippi River and Tributaries 
project.

                       OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $5,552,786,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     2,469,500,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     5,714,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      +161,214,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................    +3,244,500,000
 

    This appropriation funds operation, maintenance, and 
related activities at water resource projects the Corps 
operates and maintains. Work to be accomplished consists of 
dredging, repair, and operation of structures and other 
facilities as authorized in various River and Harbor, Flood 
Control, and Water Resources Development Acts. Related 
activities include aquatic nuisance control, monitoring of 
completed projects, removal of sunken vessels, and the 
collection of domestic, waterborne commerce statistics. 
Portions of this account are financed through the Harbor 
Maintenance Trust Fund.
    The fiscal year 2025 budget request for Operation and 
Maintenance is a total of $2,469,500,000, of which 
$1,804,500,000 is base funding and $665,000,000 is emergency-
designated funding referred to as ``shifted base'' by the 
Administration.
    The budget request for this account and the approved 
Committee allowance are shown on the following table and for 
ease of comparison, amounts requested in the Harbor Maintenance 
Trust Fund Account are displayed in the appropriate line in 
this table:


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Additional Funding for Ongoing Work.--When allocating the 
additional funding provided in this account, the Corps shall 
consider giving priority to the following:
           ability to complete ongoing work maintaining 
        authorized depths and widths of harbors and shipping 
        channels, including where contaminated sediments are 
        present;
           ability to address critical maintenance 
        backlog;
           presence of the U.S. Coast Guard;
           extent to which the work will enhance 
        national, regional, or local economic development, 
        including domestic manufacturing capacity;
           extent to which the work will promote job 
        growth or international competitiveness;
            number of jobs created directly by the 
        funded activity;
           ability to obligate the funds allocated 
        within the fiscal year;
           ability to complete the project, separable 
        element, project phase, or useful increment of work 
        within the funds allocated;
           dredging projects that would provide 
        supplementary benefits to tributaries and waterways in 
        close proximity to ongoing island replenishment 
        projects;
           ability to address hazardous barriers to 
        navigation due to shallow channels;
           risk of imminent failure or closure of the 
        facility;
           improvements to federal breakwaters and 
        jetties where additional work will improve the safety 
        of navigation and stabilize infrastructure to prevent 
        continued deterioration; and
           for harbor maintenance activities,
                   total tonnage handled;
                   total exports;
                   total imports;
                   dollar value of cargo handled;
                   energy infrastructure and 
                national security needs served;
                   designation as strategic 
                seaports;
                   maintenance of dredge disposal 
                facilities;
                   lack of alternative means of 
                freight movement; and
                   savings over alternative means 
                of freight movement.
    The Corps is reminded that projects and activities eligible 
under the Deep-Draft Harbor and Channel; Inland Waterways; and 
Small, Remote, or Subsistence lines are also eligible to 
compete for funds provided in the Navigation Maintenance line. 
The Committee provides additional funds in this line to 
maximize the Corps' flexibility to address the highest-priority 
and emerging needs throughout the fiscal year.
    Aquatic Nuisance Control Research Program.--Within 
available funds, $5,000,000 shall be to supplement activities 
related to harmful algal bloom research and control, and the 
Committee directs the Corps to target freshwater ecosystems; 
$5,000,000 shall be to continue work on the Harmful Algal Bloom 
Demonstration Program, as authorized by WRDA 2020; and 
$5,000,000 shall be to continue development of next generation 
ecological models to maintain inland and intracoastal 
waterways. The Corps is urged to work collaboratively with 
university partners as appropriate to address these issues. In 
addition, $2,000,000 shall be to develop, test, and apply in 
situ sensor technology to monitor and detect dissolved reactive 
phosphorus continuously and in real time, and the Corps is 
reminded that WRDA 2022 provided flexibility to partner with 
non-traditional contractors. The recommendation includes 
$150,000 to conduct a literature review and preliminary 
evaluation of commercially available electro-magnetic and other 
non-chemical control technologies to determine if further 
research is warranted in this area. The Corps is directed to 
report to the Committee not later than 180 days after enactment 
of this Act on the results of this review and opportunities to 
carry out any related work in the Southwestern Division.
    Asset Management/Facilities Equipment Maintenance Program 
(FEM).--Within available funds, $3,000,000 shall be to 
demonstrate multi-material hybrid replacement-part approaches 
to repair and maintenance practices that will increase civil 
infrastructure intelligence and resilience; $5,000,000 shall be 
for Structural Health Monitoring; and $1,200,000 shall be to 
continue research into mitigation of overtopping damage with a 
focus on erosion monitoring during levee rehabilitation and 
early detection of erosion.
    Bonneville Lock and Dam, WA.--The Corps is encouraged to 
work with interagency partners to consider novel technologies 
to enhance pinniped deterrence.
    Coastal Inlets Research Program.--Funding above the budget 
request is included for the Corps-led, multi-university effort 
to identify engineering frameworks to address coastal 
resilience needs; to develop adaptive pathways that lead to 
coastal resilience; for efforts to measure the coastal forces 
that lead to infrastructure damage and erosion during extreme 
storm events; and to improve coupling of terrestrial and 
coastal models.
    Coastal Ocean Data System (CODS).--The recommendation 
includes $11,500,000 for base activities, including not less 
than $7,500,000 toward long-term coastal wave and coastal 
sediment observations, research, and data products that support 
sustainable coastal and navigation projects.
    CODS, Inland Waterway Container-On-Barge Technology.--The 
Corps is encouraged to leverage the experience of research 
universities to commence studies to better understand the 
challenges of weather extremes on increasing inland waterway 
commerce utilizing container-on-barge technologies.
    Dredge Recapitalization.--The Corps is reminded that the 
fiscal year 2024 Act provided funding to carry out the report 
authorized in section 8205 of WRDA 2022, and, in addition to 
capturing the full need across the enterprise for HMTF-eligible 
work, this study is intended to identify dredging capacity and 
needs across the nation, in a manner consistent with the 
authorized purposes of the study. The Corps is reminded of its 
industry-first policy and is expected to incorporate the views 
of the dredging industry as it relates to the latter 
requirement of the study.
    Dredging Operations Technical Support.--The Corps is 
encouraged to evaluate research opportunities related to 
impacts to the national dredging program of freight flow across 
a multimodal and marine transportation system.
    The Committee is concerned that the Corps is pursuing a 
recapitalization strategy that is financially irresponsible 
with respect to the constraints of its working capital fund, 
fails to evaluate the need and purpose of the federal fleet, 
and has the potential to undermine the role of the industrial 
base. The Committee does not believe that a sound 
recapitalization strategy can move out in advance of the 
results of the aforementioned study and without close 
collaboration with industry.
    Engineering with Nature.--The recommendation provides 
$10,000,000 for the Engineering With Nature (EWN) initiative. 
Funding under this line item is intended for EWN activities 
having a national or regional scope or that benefit the Corps' 
broader execution of its mission areas. It is not intended to 
replace or preclude the appropriate use of EWN practices using 
project-specific funding or work performed across other Corps 
programs that might involve EWN. Within available funds, 
$5,000,000 is to support ongoing research with university 
partners to develop standards, design guidance, and testing 
protocols to improve and standardize nature-based and hybrid 
infrastructure solutions.
    Floating Vessel Fuel Efficiency.--The Corps is encouraged 
to consider opportunities to maximize fuel efficiency, 
including through the use of real-time monitoring technology, 
of its existing fleet of dredging vessels, floating plant 
assets, and other maritime equipment in order to reduce fuel 
costs and save taxpayer funds. The Corps is directed to brief 
the Committee not later than 180 days after enactment of this 
Act on potential opportunities to leverage commercially 
available technologies to improve vessel and floating plant 
fuel efficiency.
    Inspection of Completed Federal Flood Control Projects.--
The Committee is aware of commercially available satellite 
technologies utilizing L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar to 
analyze soil moisture content. The Corps is directed to provide 
to the Committee not later than 120 days after enactment of 
this Act a briefing on opportunities to utilize this technology 
to improve levee performance and early detection of seepage and 
other deficiencies. The briefing should include the benefits to 
the civil works mission, an overview of the scope of relevant 
authorities, and projected costs to incorporate this technology 
in a manner consistent those authorities.
    Intracoastal Waterway, Delaware River to Chesapeake Bay, DE 
and MD.--The Corps is reminded that this project is eligible to 
compete for the additional funding provided in this account if 
additional work can be accomplished.
    Lake Okeechobee, FL.--In accordance with section 1106 of 
the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, the Corps is 
finalizing the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual. The 
Committee awaits the release of the Final Environmental Impact 
Study and Water Control Plan. The Corps is encouraged to use 
the best available science and weigh the concerns of all water 
users to preserve the ecosystem, maintain an adequate water 
supply, and ensure the safety of all people in the region.
    Lake Providence Harbor, LA.--The Committee is aware of the 
importance of Lake Providence Harbor in transporting critical 
commodities and supplies. The Committee notes the desire for 
the port to be fully operational during agricultural harvest 
season. The Committee directs the Corps to perform the 
necessary dredging prior to the beginning of harvest season, to 
the extent practicable, to minimize potential economic impacts.
    Levee Maintenance Requirements.--The Committee continues to 
hear concerns from levee districts regarding new requirements, 
rules, and guidelines related to levee inspections and the 
related levee accreditation process. The Congress has invested 
significant resources in many of the impacted levee systems to 
provide flood protection for those communities. The Corps is 
urged to collaborate with levee operators and incorporate their 
views on the economic impact of increasing requirements.
    Monitoring of Completed Navigation Projects, Fisheries.--
The Committee continues to support research to mitigate the 
impacts of reduced lock operations on certain fish species. 
Within available funds, $4,000,000 shall be to continue 
research to assist the Corps across all waterways, lock 
structures, lock operation methods, and fish species that will 
more fully inform Corps' operations. In addition, $2,000,000 
shall be for the National Informational Cooperative for 
Ecohydraulics effort by the Corps to research the impact of 
reduced lock operations on riverine fish.
    National Coastal Mapping.--The Corps is reminded that the 
mapping study authorized in section 8110 of WRDA 2022 is 
eligible to compete for the additional funding provided under 
this heading.
    National Portfolio Assessment for Reallocations.--The Corps 
is directed to provide to the Committee not later than 120 days 
after enactment of this Act an update to the FY 2016 Municipal, 
Industrial and Irrigation Water Supply Database Report, IWR-
2017-R-02. The Corps' report shall identify each reservoir 
project where a reallocation of storage space under the Water 
Supply Act of 1958 has been requested or a study of such a 
request is ongoing or anticipated.
    Ohio Harbors.--Toledo Harbor and the channel at the mouth 
of western Lake Erie serve as a major thoroughfare to the Great 
Lakes navigation system, supporting manufacturing and commerce 
throughout the region. Neighboring harbors are key components 
of the Great Lakes navigation system and support economic 
activity in the region. The Corps is reminded that the Toledo, 
Huron, Port Clinton, Lorain, and Sandusky Harbors are eligible 
to compete for additional funding in this account; that 
Sandusky, Lorain, and Huron qualify as emerging harbors; and 
that emerging harbors must be prioritized for funding, as 
appropriate. In addition, the Corps is directed to maximize 
beneficial use of dredged material under the base plan for 
these harbors in accordance with section 8130(b) of WRDA 2022. 
In furtherance of this goal, the Committee encourages the Corps 
to consider the use of dredged material to fortify Lake Erie 
shorelines against damage from seasonal high water in 
accordance with section 8102(b) of WRDA 2022, if the Governor 
requests assistance.
    Recreational Facilities.--The Corps is one of the nation's 
largest providers of conventional outdoor recreation 
opportunities, and the Committee recognizes the important role 
that the Corps plays in providing recreational opportunities to 
the public. The Corps is encouraged to recognize the importance 
of concessionaires at their recreational facilities and to work 
with them on ways to improve recreational facilities. The Corps 
is further encouraged to assess lease terms to identify undue 
impediments they create for lessee financing for developments 
that enhance public access and recreation opportunities.
     Regional Sediment Management Program, Integrated Tools.--
Within available funds, $4,000,000 shall be to continue 
development of integrated tools that build coastal resilience 
across navigation, flood risk management, and ecosystem 
projects within the program, to include continued progress on 
the Regional Sediment Management Decision Support Tool.
    Regional Sediment Management, Modeling.--Within available 
funds, $3,400,000 shall be to support ongoing research into 
geochemical, geophysical, and sedimentological analysis and 
modeling which will help the Corps assess strategies to 
mitigate related changes and to detect and prevent adverse 
consequences of engineering solutions. It is understood that 
this effort will be completed in 2027.
    Remote Lock Operations.--The Committee is concerned with 
uncertainties and unknowns in the Corps' plans to implement 
remote operations for mission-critical navigational locks and 
dams and hydroelectric dams. The Corps is directed to provide 
to the Committee not later than 90 days after enactment of this 
Act a briefing on its plans to mitigate and manage operational, 
environmental, and budgetary risks associated with remote 
operation of critical infrastructure, including physical 
security vulnerabilities, cybersecurity risks, and threats to 
the nation's economic stability and homeland security from 
adversarial nations and non-state actors.
    Stakeholder Engagement.--The Committee recognizes the 
essential work the Corps does to maintain the integrity of its 
locks, dams, and other water navigation structures and the 
importance of those structures to the public. The Committee is 
aware that any waterway maintenance closures significantly 
impact local communities and businesses, including the 
agricultural sector. The Corps is directed to consult with 
local industrial stakeholders, including those in the 
agricultural sector, prior to the announcement of the closure 
of major waterways and significant work on locks, dams, and 
other water navigation structures that may impact navigation 
for an extended period.
    St. Mary's River, MI.--The Committee reminds the Corps that 
section 5 of the River and Harbor Act of 1915 provides 
authority for the Corps to increase channel dimensions at 
entrances, bends, sidings, and turning places to allow for the 
free movement of vessels on the channel, and that such work is 
eligible to compete for the additional funding provided in this 
Act. Further, the Corps is encouraged to include appropriate 
funding in future budget requests.
    Water Control Manuals.--The Committee appreciates the 
inclusion of funding in the budget request to undertake water 
control manuals at a significant number of Corps projects in 
fiscal year 2025 and notes the Corps reports that it has no 
additional capability in this area. The Corps is encouraged to 
continue to update water control manuals across its projects, 
especially those projects located in states where a Reclamation 
facility is also located, in regions where Forecast-Informed 
Reservoir Operations projects exist, and in locations where 
atmospheric rivers cause flood damages. The Corps is also 
encouraged to evaluate water control manual updates at Section 
7 projects, including those in California.
    Water Operations Technical Support (WOTS), Forecast-
Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO).--Within available funds, 
$10,000,000 shall be to continue progress on the FIRO research 
program.
    WOTS, Managed Aquifer Recharge.--Within available funds, 
$840,000 shall be to implement sections 8108(a), 8108(c), and 
8108(d) of WRDA 2022, of which, not less than $290,000 shall be 
for the national assessment authorized in section 8108(a).
    WOTS, Urban Flood Damage Reduction.--Within available 
funds, $4,000,000 shall be to continue research focusing on the 
management of water resources infrastructure and projects that 
promote public safety, reduce risk, improve operational 
efficiencies, reduce flood damage, and sustain the environment. 
The Corps is encouraged to focus on issues unique to the 
western United States like wildfire; rain-on-snow; effects of 
atmospheric rivers on flood risk management; and incorporating 
the latest scientific information into engineering solutions to 
address flood risk management, emergency management, and 
ecosystem management. To the maximum extent practicable, the 
tools and technologies developed under this program shall also 
be applicable to other parts of the country.

                           REGULATORY PROGRAM

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $221,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       221,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       218,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        -3,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        -3,000,000
 

    This appropriation provides funds to administer laws 
pertaining to the regulation of activities affecting U.S. 
waters, including wetlands, in accordance with the Rivers and 
Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899, the Clean Water Act, and the 
Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. 
Appropriated funds are used to review and process permit 
applications, ensure compliance on permitted sites, protect 
important aquatic resources, and support watershed planning 
efforts in sensitive environmental areas in cooperation with 
states and local communities.
    Electronic Submission of Permit Applications.--The Corps 
shall develop and implement a process for the electronic 
preparation and submission of permit applications, as 
authorized by WRDA 2007 and section 8226 of WRDA 2022. The 
Corps is directed to provide to the Committee quarterly updates 
on the status of implementation.
    Mitigation Bank Credits.--The Committee appreciates the 
promise of mitigation banks for accelerating project delivery. 
The Corps is encouraged to approve mitigation bank credits 
expeditiously, consistent with existing laws and regulations. 
Additionally, the Corps is encouraged to continue making 
progress to improve its application of the mitigation hierarchy 
in the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation Rule.
    Protection of Historic Properties.--The Committee is aware 
of the Corps' proposal to replace agency-specific implementing 
regulations for the National Historic Preservation Act by 
adopting more general regulations promulgated by the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation. The Committee is concerned 
this approach may not fully accommodate the authorities, 
mandates, and circumstances specific to the Corps Regulatory 
Program. The Corps is directed to provide to the Committee not 
later than 90 days after enactment of this Act a briefing on 
the proposed rulemaking with a focus on how the Advisory 
Committee's regulations comport with the scope of Corps 
authorities.
    Shore Protection Project Permitting.--The Committee is 
aware of non-federal efforts to carry out beach renourishment 
projects in Dauphin Island, Alabama. The Corps is encouraged to 
work with local governments to develop a framework for 
efficient disposition of permits required for such activities.

            FORMERLY UTILIZED SITES REMEDIAL ACTION PROGRAM

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $300,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       200,285,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       200,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      -100,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................          -285,000
 

    This appropriation funds the cleanup of certain low-level 
radioactive materials and mixed wastes located at sites 
contaminated as a result of the nation's early efforts to 
develop atomic weapons.
    The Committee continues to support the prioritization of 
sites, especially those that are nearing completion. The 
Committee is aware that the Corps is completing the Feasibility 
Study, a Proposed Plan, and a draft Record of Decision in 
fiscal year 2024 and is planning to complete and release the 
Record of Decision in fiscal year 2025 for the former Sylvania 
nuclear fuel site at Hicksville, New York. The Committee 
encourages the Corps to proceed expeditiously, as appropriate, 
to complete and release the Record of Decision so that a remedy 
for cleanup can begin in accordance with the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 
(CERCLA). As the Corps completes the Record of Decision, the 
Committee encourages the Corps to work with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) to fully encompass and address all on-
site and off-site groundwater contamination related to the 
former Sylvania nuclear fuel site at Hicksville, New York.

                 FLOOD CONTROL AND COASTAL EMERGENCIES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $35,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        45,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        45,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +10,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    This appropriation funds planning, training, and other 
measures that ensure the readiness of the Corps to respond to 
floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, and to support 
emergency operations in response to such natural disasters, 
including advance measures, flood fighting, emergency 
operations, the provision of potable water on an emergency 
basis, and the repair of certain flood and storm damage 
reduction projects.

                                EXPENSES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $216,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       231,240,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       231,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +15,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................          -240,000
 

    This appropriation funds the executive direction and 
management of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, the 
Division Offices, and certain research and statistical 
functions of the Corps.
    Recent reprogramming actions have highlighted an oversight 
failure on the part of Division Offices and Headquarters to 
monitor expenditure of funds at the District level. The Corps 
is reminded that the oldest funds associated with projects 
should be used first. The Corps is directed to develop an 
oversight plan to ensure proper use of aged funds and provide 
to the Committee not later than 120 days after enactment of 
this Act its implementation plan. The Corps is further reminded 
that notification requirements in this Act and the report 
accompanying this Act, while required to ensure transparency, 
do not preclude nor replace proper, proactive communication on 
significant issues related to the Committee's prerogatives.
     Responsiveness to Congressional Inquiries.--The Committee 
notes that Corps Districts utilize different processes and 
procedures to communicate with congressional offices regarding 
projects and initiatives of interest. While some Districts 
communicate with congressional offices effectively, the 
Committee has heard concerns that these best practices are not 
employed nationwide. The Committee expects Corps Districts to 
be responsive to congressional inquiries and directs the Corps 
to provide to the Committee not later than 180 days after 
enactment of this Act a briefing on a plan to improve 
communication between Corps Districts and members of Congress.
    Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Locks) Employee Compensation 
Adjustments.--The Committee is aware the Department of 
Defense's wage scale adjustment has negatively impacted 
salaries for government employees at Soo Locks. The Committee 
understands the highly specialized nature of these positions 
and is concerned that this action imposes both hardship on 
these employees and could pose a risk to retention, hiring, and 
to the Corps' ability to meet operational requirements at a 
facility that is critical to domestic supply chains. The Corps 
is directed to provide to the Committee not later than 90 days 
after enactment of this Act a briefing on the status of any 
efforts related to a special salary rate.
    The Corps is encouraged to develop enterprise-wide best 
practices and ongoing oversight thereof across Districts and 
Divisions to ensure consistency and effectiveness of public 
outreach.

     OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY FOR CIVIL WORKS

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $5,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         6,400,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         5,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        -1,400,000
 

    The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works 
oversees the civil works budget and policy, whereas the Corps' 
executive direction and management of the civil works program 
are funded from the Expenses account.
    The recommendation includes legislative language 
restricting the availability of 75 percent of the funding 
provided in this account until such time as at least 95 percent 
of the additional funding provided in each account has been 
allocated to specific programs, projects, or activities. This 
restriction shall not affect the roles and responsibilities 
established in previous fiscal years of the Office of the 
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, the Corps 
headquarters, the Corps field operating agencies, or any other 
executive branch agency.
    The Committee counts on a timely and accessible executive 
branch in the course of fulfilling its constitutional role in 
the appropriations process. The requesting and receiving of 
basic, factual information, such as budget justification 
materials and statutorily required reports, including execution 
reports and damage repair estimates, is vital to maintain a 
transparent and open governing process. The Committee 
appreciates the progress made on submitting these reports and 
improvements in providing this factual information necessary 
for informed decision making. The Committee looks forward to 
continued progress and expects these reports to be submitted on 
a regular and timely basis.
    The Committee supports efforts to identify the federal 
interest in authorized projects in advance of committing 
resources toward their execution. The Secretary is directed to 
finalize implementation guidance in fiscal year 2025 for 
section 8156 of WRDA 2022. This authority provides flexibility 
to the Corps in managing the scope of the civil works program 
and early clarity for non-federal sponsors.

          WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND INNOVATION PROGRAM

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $7,200,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         7,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         5,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        -2,200,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        -2,000,000
 

    The financial assistance the Secretary is authorized to 
provide pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Finance and 
Innovation Act (Public Law 113-121) (WIFIA) can play an 
important role in improving the nation's infrastructure. The 
recommendation provides $5,000,000 for program development, 
administration, and oversight. Language is included permitting 
the Corps to collect and expend fees, as authorized by law.
    The Committee notes the expansion of this program in the 
fiscal year 2024 Act to provide assistance for non-federal 
levees. The Corps has not developed a concrete plan to 
incorporate such projects into the existing program and there 
is no clear timeline for execution of the funds made available 
for this purpose. Additionally, the Corps has yet to announce 
awards related to the significant funding made available in 
prior years for non-federal dam safety projects. The Committee 
awaits details on how the Corps plans to execute the 2024 funds 
prior to providing additional funding.

             GENERAL PROVISIONS--CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

    Section 101 continues a provision that prohibits the 
obligation or expenditure of funds through a reprogramming of 
funds in this title except in certain circumstances.
    Section 102 continues a provision regarding the allocation 
of funds.
    Section 103 continues a provision prohibiting the use of 
funds in this Act to carry out any contract that commits funds 
beyond the amounts appropriated for that program, project, or 
activity.
    Section 104 continues a provision authorizing the transfer 
of funds to the Fish and Wildlife Service to mitigate for 
fisheries lost due to Corps projects.
    Section 105 continues a provision regarding certain dredged 
material disposal activities. The Committee is aware of certain 
issues regarding placement of dredge material. The Corps is 
directed to brief the Committee not later than 90 days after 
enactment of this Act on these activities.
    Section 106 continues a provision regarding reallocations 
at a project.
    Section 107 continues a provision regarding eligibility for 
additional funding. Whether a project is eligible for funding 
under a particular provision of additional funding is a 
function of the technical details of the project; it is not a 
policy decision. The Chief of Engineers is the federal 
government's technical expert responsible for execution of the 
civil works program and for offering professional advice on its 
development. Therefore, the provision clarifies that a 
project's eligibility for additional funding shall be solely 
the professional determination of the Chief of Engineers.
    Section 108 requires transmission of certain Clean Water 
Act implementation documents.
    Section 109 prohibits implementation of a rule related to 
eligibility for participation in the Public Law 84-99 program.
    Section 110 allows the possession of firearms at water 
resources development projects under certain circumstances.
    Section 111 prohibits the modification of final rules 
pertaining to nationwide permits.
    Section 112 prohibits funds to implement or enforce section 
370 of Public Law 116-283 with respect to civil works projects.

                  TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


                          Central Utah Project


                CENTRAL UTAH PROJECT COMPLETION ACCOUNT

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $23,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        17,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        23,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        +6,000,000
 

    The Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA) (Titles II-
VI of Public Law 102-575) provides for the completion of the 
Central Utah Project by the Central Utah Water Conservancy 
District. CUPCA also authorizes the appropriation of funds for 
fish, wildlife, and recreation mitigation and conservation; 
establishes an account in the Treasury for the deposit of these 
funds and of other contributions for mitigation and 
conservation activities; and establishes a Utah Reclamation 
Mitigation and Conservation Commission to administer funds in 
that account. CUPCA further assigns responsibilities for 
carrying out the Act to the Secretary of the Interior and 
prohibits delegation of those responsibilities to the Bureau of 
Reclamation.
    The Committee recommendation includes a total of 
$23,000,000 for the Central Utah Project Completion Account, 
which includes $17,100,000 for Central Utah Project 
construction, $4,000,000 for transfer to the Utah Reclamation 
Mitigation and Conservation Account for use by the Utah 
Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, and 
$1,900,000 for necessary expenses of the Secretary of the 
Interior.

                         Bureau of Reclamation


                              INTRODUCTION

    The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is 
to develop, manage, and protect water and related resources in 
an environmentally and economically sound manner in the 
interest of the American public. Since its establishment by the 
Reclamation Act of 1902, Reclamation has developed water supply 
facilities that have contributed to sustained economic growth 
and an enhanced quality of life in the western states. Lands 
and communities served by Reclamation projects have been 
developed to meet agricultural, tribal, urban, and industrial 
needs. Reclamation continues to develop authorized facilities 
to store and convey new water supplies and is the largest 
supplier and manager of water in the 17 western states 
Reclamation maintains 338 reservoirs with the capacity to store 
140 million acre-feet of water.
    While hydrology in certain western states has improved 
dramatically, other regions continue to experience severe and 
exceptional drought. Infrastructure investments are critical to 
secure water resources for both municipal and agricultural 
usage now and into the future. Accordingly, the Committee 
recommendation includes targeted, increased investments in 
programs to assist western states as they respond to the 
drought crisis and continues to build on long-term efforts to 
address future challenges.
    As Reclamation's facilities reach their design life, the 
projected cost of operating, maintaining, and rehabilitating 
this infrastructure continues to grow, yet Reclamation has not 
budgeted sufficient funding to implement a comprehensive 
program to reduce its maintenance backlog. At the same time, 
Reclamation is increasingly relied upon to supply water to 
federally-recognized Indian tribes through water settlements, 
rural communities through its Title I Rural Water Program, and 
municipalities through its Title XVI Water Reclamation and 
Reuse Program. Balancing these competing priorities will be 
challenging and requires active participation and leadership on 
the part of Reclamation and its technical staff.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee recommendation totals $1,928,450,000, an 
increase of $28,450,000 above fiscal year 2024 and $329,473,000 
above the budget request.
    A table summarizing the fiscal year 2024 enacted 
appropriation, the fiscal year 2025 budget request, and the 
Committee recommendation is provided below:

                                             (Dollars in thousands)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Account                          FY 2024 enacted     FY 2025 request        Cmte rec.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water and Related Resources.........................          $1,751,698          $1,443,527          $1,773,000
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund.............              48,508              55,656              55,656
California Bay-Delta Restoration....................              33,000              33,000              33,000
Policy and Administration...........................              66,794              66,794              66,794
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
    Total, Bureau of Reclamation....................           1,900,000           1,598,977           1,928,450
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      WATER AND RELATED RESOURCES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $1,751,698,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     1,443,527,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     1,773,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +21,302,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................      +329,473,000
 

    The Water and Related Resources account supports the 
development, construction, management, and restoration of water 
and related natural resources in the 17 western states. The 
account includes funds for operating and maintaining existing 
facilities to obtain the greatest overall levels of benefits, 
to protect public safety, and to conduct studies on ways to 
improve the use of water and related natural resources.
    The budget request for this account and the approved 
Committee allowance are shown on the following table:


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Additional Funding for Water and Related Resources Work.--
The recommendation includes funds above the budget request for 
Water and Related Resources studies, projects, and activities. 
Reclamation is urged to give priority in allocating these funds 
to advancing and completing ongoing work, including 
preconstruction activities and where environmental compliance 
has been completed; improve water supply reliability; improve 
water deliveries; enhance national, regional, or local economic 
development; promote job growth; advance tribal and nontribal 
water settlement studies and activities; or address critical 
backlog maintenance and rehabilitation activities. Funding 
provided under this heading may be utilized for ongoing work, 
including preconstruction activities, on projects that provide 
new or existing water supplies through additional 
infrastructure.
    Of the additional funding provided under the heading 
``Water Conservation and Delivery'', $134,000,000 shall be for 
water storage projects as authorized in section 4007 of Public 
Law 114-322.
    Of the additional funding provided under the heading 
``Water Conservation and Delivery'', not less than $25,000,000 
shall be for planning, pre-construction, or construction 
activities related to projects found to be feasible by the 
Secretary and that are ready to be initiated for the repair of 
critical Reclamation canals where operational conveyance 
capacity has been seriously impaired by factors such as land 
subsidence, especially those that would imminently jeopardize 
Reclamation's ability to meet water delivery obligations in 
drought prone states.
    Of the additional funding provided under the heading 
``Water Conservation and Delivery'', $50,000,000 shall be for 
implementing the Drought Contingency Plan in the Lower Colorado 
River Basin to create or conserve recurring Colorado River 
water that contributes to supplies in Lake Mead and other 
Colorado River water reservoirs in the Lower Colorado River 
Basin or projects to improve the long-term efficiency of 
operations in the Lower Colorado River Basin, consistent with 
the Secretary's obligations under the Colorado River Drought 
Contingency Plan Authorization Act (Public Law 116-14) and 
related agreements. None of these funds shall be used for the 
operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant and nothing in this 
section shall be construed as limiting existing or future 
opportunities to augment the water supplies of the Colorado 
River.
    Not later than 45 days after enactment of this Act, 
Reclamation shall provide to the Committee a report delineating 
how the additional funds in this account are to be distributed, 
in which phase the work is to be accomplished, and an 
explanation of the criteria and rankings used to justify each 
allocation.
    Reclamation is reminded that projects within the Anadromous 
Fish Screen Program are eligible to compete for the additional 
funding provided under ``Fish Passage and Fish Screens''. 
Reclamation is also reminded that activities authorized under 
Indian Water Rights Settlements and under section 206 of Public 
Law 113-235 are eligible to compete for the additional funding 
provided under ``Water Conservation and Delivery''.
    The Committee provides additional funds for distinct 
categories of work and expects Reclamation to adhere to those 
categories; there is no overlap. Additionally, the Committee 
provides additional funds above the budget request to mitigate 
for the impacts of inadequate budgeting for critical work. 
Reclamation has repeatedly made allocations from one funding 
line for activities appropriately funded through a different 
line. Reclamation's failure to budget for high-priority work in 
a particular category does not justify these actions, and the 
executive branch's pattern of rewriting enacted funding levels 
is unacceptable. Furthermore, the Committee expects additional 
funding allocations to be made to specific projects, programs, 
or activities. None of these funds may be used for research and 
development activities.
    Aging Infrastructure Account.--The Committee recommends 
$100,000 for the Aging Infrastructure Account for the purpose 
of making financing available for the cost of emergency and 
extraordinary maintenance improvements to aging federal 
Reclamation-owned facilities. The Committee does not support 
allowing increases or decreases in transfer amounts at this 
time and directs Reclamation to provide to the Committee prior 
to the obligation of any funds for this purpose a report 
detailing implementation plans for this program. As it 
implements the program, Reclamation is encouraged to prioritize 
financing improvements to eligible transferred operation and 
maintenance work beneficiaries in drought prone areas with the 
greatest need for repair.
    Anadromous Fish Screen Program.--The Committee appreciates 
Reclamation's efforts to devote additional resources to 
completing work on the last two remaining priority unscreened 
diversions on the Sacramento River, which are identified as 
priorities in the California Natural Resources Agency 
Sacramento Valley Salmon Resiliency Strategy. Reclamation is 
encouraged to maintain its focus on screening high priority 
diversions in the San Joaquin River Basin.
    Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, Habitat Conservation Plans 
(HCP).--The Committee appreciates HCPs implemented pursuant to 
section 10 of the Endangered Species Act as tools to maximize 
economic development opportunities while mitigating impacts to 
listed species. Reclamation is encouraged to consider project 
applications that contain voluntary actions under an HCP.
    Central Valley Project.--The Committee is aware of 
economically disadvantaged communities in the Central Valley of 
California. Reclamation is encouraged to evaluate all tools at 
its disposal to support these communities and enhance access to 
clean and reliable water supplies.
    Colorado River Basin Drought.--The Committee maintains 
interest in the long-term drought afflicting the Colorado River 
Basin and the Tribes, farmers, ecosystems, and communities that 
depend on reliable water and power deliveries from the system. 
Reclamation is encouraged to include in future budget 
submissions robust funding for activities that promote 
voluntary water conservation and enhance water supply 
infrastructure throughout the basin.
    In addition, the Committee is aware of unavoidable 
deliveries of water to Mexico in excess of treaty obligations. 
Additional infrastructure in the Lower Basin could enable this 
water to be captured and utilized domestically. Reclamation is 
encouraged to continue to identify opportunities to support 
infrastructure development to reduce such excess water 
deliveries.
    Columbia Basin Project.--The Committee is aware of the 
Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program within the Columbia 
Basin Project to deliver surface water to the Odessa Subarea. 
The Subarea groundwater is being withdrawn at a rate beyond the 
aquifer's capacity to recharge, and aquifers in the Subarea are 
quickly declining. Groundwater is virtually depleted to such an 
extent that water must be pumped from wells as deep as 2,400 
feet. Water pumped from such depths is hot and has dangerously 
high sodium concentrations. The Committee supports 
Reclamation's partnership in the program to provide farmlands 
in Central and Eastern Washington with surface water supply 
through operational changes in the storage and delivery system 
and urges Reclamation to move forward to implement the program.
    The Committee understands the importance of continuing to 
build out the Columbia Basin Project. Reclamation is directed 
to provide to the Committee not later than 180 days after 
enactment of this Act a briefing on the costs and benefits of 
continued progress. The briefing shall consider impacts to 
local Tribal populations, salmon habitat, agricultural 
production and employment, and food security.
    Flathead Lake.--To the extent authorized in law, 
Reclamation is encouraged to collaborate with local water 
managers who request such assistance on a voluntary basis to 
identify opportunities for technical assistance that could 
support maintaining certain water levels for recreational uses 
while appropriately balancing multiple uses of the resource.
    Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan 
(LTEMP) for Smallmouth Bass.--The Committee has heard concerns 
from Colorado River Storage Project power customers regarding 
the additional strain the LTEMP will place on affordable power 
deliveries amid an historic drought in the basin. These 
concerns have included Reclamation inadequately addressing 
comments from power customers and the Western Area Power 
Administration (WAPA). However, the Committee also understands 
that existing law provides that costs associated with 
implementation of the LTEMP will not be reimbursable to power 
customers and mitigates for impacts to existing repayment 
obligations. Reclamation is directed to provide to the 
Committee not later than 45 days after enactment of this Act a 
briefing, in conjunction with WAPA, regarding any remaining 
opportunities to further mitigate any impacts to power 
customers following finalization of the LTEMP.
    Land Resources Management Program.--No funding is provided 
to purchase electric vehicles or related refueling or 
recharging infrastructure in this program or from any amount 
recommended for Reclamation.
    Milk River Project.--The Committee is aware of the recent 
failure of the St. Mary siphon near Babb, Montana. The 
Committee notes extensive emergency response authorities 
available for Reclamation to address the situation and restore 
functionality to project works. Reclamation is directed 
collaborate with local Tribes, water managers, emergency 
management officials, and local communities, as appropriate.
    Mni Wiconi Project.--Reclamation is urged to continue 
working with Tribes and appropriate federal agencies to 
coordinate existing authorities and available funding to 
expedite needed community system upgrades and connections, as 
well as transfers of those systems. The Administration is 
encouraged to include appropriate funding for upgrades and 
transferred community systems in future budget requests.
    Research and Development.--The Committee applauds 
Reclamation's ongoing work to support water managers through 
participation in the development of water management decision 
support tools to balance competing demands and maximize water 
supplies. Reclamation is encouraged to collaborate with water 
users, agricultural producers, and fisheries managers in the 
Upper Missouri River watershed to enhance water use efficiency.
    In addition, the Committee has invested significant 
resources in the Corps-led Forecast Informed Reservoir 
Operations research initiative, which has benefitted 
Reclamation's mission. Reclamation is directed to begin 
quantifying the economic value of the water supply benefits of 
this research and provide to the Committee not later than 90 
days after this Act a briefing on the requirements to fully 
quantify the benefits to Reclamation's mission.
    Research and Development, Desalination and Water 
Purification Program.--The recommendation provides $12,000,000 
for desalination projects as authorized in section 4009(a) of 
Public Law 114-322.
    Research and Development, Science and Technology Program: 
Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) Program.--The recommendation 
includes $5,000,000 for this program to support additional ASO 
flights.
    Salton Sea.--The Committee remains interested in 
Reclamation's role in and plans for managing the air quality 
impacts of the estimated 8.75 square miles of lands it owns 
that will emerge from the receding Sea over the next decade. 
Reclamation is directed to provide to the Committee not later 
than 90 days after enactment of this Act a briefing covering 
updated information on anticipated exposed federal lands over 
the next decade and a funding estimate associated with meeting 
its Salton Sea obligations.
    WaterSMART Program.--While coordinating funding 
opportunities can maximize viable projects, make opportunities 
more accessible, and provide for a more holistic assessment of 
proposed work, Reclamation is reminded that the authorities for 
each program are controlling for those awards. Reclamation is 
further reminded of modifications to WaterSMART made by Public 
Law 117-58 and directed to consider the full range of 
applicants, as appropriate and as authorized in law.
    WaterSMART Program, Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse 
Program.--Of the funding provided for this program, $20,000,000 
shall be for water recycling and reuse projects as authorized 
in section 4009(c) of Public Law 114-322.
    Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project.--The 
Committee is supportive of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, 
developed to address water storage, water supply, and fishery 
and ecosystem restoration needs for agriculture, fish, and 
municipalities within the Yakima River Basin in Central 
Washington and authorized by Public Law 116-9.

                CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT RESTORATION FUND

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $48,508,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        55,656,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        56,656,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +7,148,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    This fund was established to carry out the provisions of 
the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and to provide 
funding for habitat restoration, improvement and acquisition, 
and other fish and wildlife restoration activities in the 
Central Valley area of California. Resources are derived from 
donations, revenues from voluntary water transfers and tiered 
water pricing, and Friant Division surcharges. The account is 
also financed through additional mitigation and restoration 
payments collected on an annual basis from project 
beneficiaries.
    The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation, which 
allows Reclamation to expend funds collected in fiscal year 
2025. The estimate of collections in fiscal year 2025 is 
$55,656,000.

                    CALIFORNIA BAY-DELTA RESTORATION

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $33,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        33,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        33,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The California Bay-Delta Restoration account funds the 
federal share of water supply and reliability improvements, 
ecosystem improvements, and other activities being developed 
for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and associated watersheds 
by a state and federal partnership (CALFED). Federal 
participation in this program was initially authorized in the 
California Bay-Delta Environmental and Water Security Act 
enacted in 1996.

                       POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $66,794,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        66,794,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        66,794,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Policy and Administration account provides for the 
executive direction and management of all Reclamation 
activities, as performed by the Commissioner's office in 
Washington, D.C.; the Technical Service Center in Denver, 
Colorado; and in six regional offices. The Denver and regional 
offices charge individual projects or activities for direct 
beneficial services and related administrative and technical 
costs. These charges are covered under other appropriations.

                        ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

    The bill includes an administrative provision allowing for 
the purchase of not more than 30 replacement motor vehicles.

             GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

    Section 201 continues a provision regarding the 
circumstances in which the Bureau of Reclamation may reprogram 
funds.
    Section 202 continues a provision regarding the San Luis 
Unit and Kesterson Reservoir in California.
    Section 203 extends the authorization for the Calfed Bay-
Delta Authorization Act.
    Section 204 extends the authorization for the Reclamation 
States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991.
    Section 205 addresses certain ongoing revisions to water 
project operations in California.
    Section 206 directs water project operations in California.
    Section 207 removes eligibility restrictions under an 
existing infrastructure program.
    Section 208 modifies public water agency involvement in 
revising project operations.
    Section 209 extends the authorization for certain WIIN Act 
infrastructure programs.

                    TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


                              INTRODUCTION

    Funds recommended in Title III provide for all Department 
of Energy (Department) programs, including Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy; Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and 
Emergency Response; Electricity; Grid Deployment; Nuclear 
Energy; Fossil Energy and Carbon Management; Naval Petroleum 
and Oil Shale Reserves; Strategic Petroleum Reserve; Northeast 
Home Heating Oil Reserve; Energy Information Administration; 
Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup; Uranium Enrichment 
Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund; Science; Nuclear 
Waste Disposal; Technology Transitions; Clean Energy 
Demonstrations; Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy; 
Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program; Advanced 
Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program; Tribal Energy 
Loan Guarantee Program; Indian Energy Policy and Programs; 
Departmental Administration; Office of the Inspector General; 
National Nuclear Security Administration (Weapons Activities, 
Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Naval Reactors, and Federal 
Salaries and Expenses); Defense Environmental Cleanup; Other 
Defense Activities; Power Marketing Administrations; and 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

                        Committee Recommendation

    The Department of Energy has requested a total budget of 
$51,977,595,000 in fiscal year 2025 to fund programs in its 
four primary mission areas: science, energy, environment, and 
national security. The recommendation provides $49,935,006,000 
for the Department of Energy, $311,748,000 below fiscal year 
2024 enacted and $2,042,589,000 below the budget request.
    The Committee's recommendations for Department of Energy 
programs in fiscal year 2025 are described in the following 
sections. A detailed funding table is included at the end of 
this title.

                        CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTION

    Article I, section 9 of the United States Constitution 
states, ``No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in 
consequence of Appropriations made by law.''
    The Committee continues to include the Department's 
reprogramming authority in statute to ensure that the 
Department carries out its programs consistent with 
congressional direction. This reprogramming authority is 
established at the program, project, or activity level, 
whichever is the most specific level of budget items identified 
in this Act and the Committee report accompanying this Act. The 
Committee also prohibits new starts through the use of 
reprogramming and includes other direction to improve public 
oversight of the Department's actions. In addition, the 
recommendation continues to include a general provision 
specifying which transfer authorities may be used for accounts 
funded by this Act.
    The Committee counts on a timely and accessible executive 
branch in the course of fulfilling its constitutional role in 
the appropriations process. Requesting and receiving basic, 
factual information, including budget justification materials 
and responses to inquiries, is vital in order to ensure 
transparency and accountability. While some discussions 
internal to the executive branch may be pre-decisional in 
nature, the Committee's access to the facts, figures, and 
statistics that inform the decisions of the executive branch 
are not subject to the same sensitivities. The Committee shall 
have ready and timely access to information from the 
Department, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, 
and any recipient of funding from this Act. Further, the 
Committee appreciates the ability for open and direct 
communication with all recipients of funding from this Act, and 
the Department shall not interfere with such communication and 
shall not penalize recipients of funding from this Act for such 
communication.

                 REPROGRAMMING AND TRANSFER GUIDELINES

    The Committee requires the Department to inform the 
Committee promptly when a change in program execution and 
funding is required during the fiscal year. The Department's 
reprogramming requirements are detailed in the bill. To assist 
the Department in this effort, the following guidance is 
provided for programs and activities.
    Definition.--A reprogramming includes the reallocation of 
funds from one activity to another within an appropriation. The 
recommendation includes a general provision providing internal 
reprogramming authority to the Department, as long as no 
program, project, or activity is increased or decreased by more 
than $5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, compared to 
the levels in the table detailing the Committee's 
recommendations for the Department's various accounts. For 
construction projects, a reprogramming constitutes the 
reallocation of funds from one construction project to another 
project or a change of $2,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is 
less, in the scope of an approved project.
    Criteria for Reprogramming.--A reprogramming should be made 
only when an unforeseen situation arises, and then only if 
delay of the project or activity until the next fiscal year 
would result in a detrimental impact to an agency program or 
priority. A reprogramming may also be considered if the 
Department can show that significant cost savings can accrue by 
increasing funding for an activity. Mere convenience or 
preference shall not be a factor for consideration. A 
reprogramming may not be employed to initiate new programs or 
to change program, project, or activity allocations 
specifically provided, denied, limited, or increased by the 
Congress in the Act or report.
    Reporting and Approval Procedures.--In recognition of the 
security missions of the Department, the legislative guidelines 
allow the Secretary and the Administrator of the National 
Nuclear Security Administration jointly to waive the 
reprogramming restriction by certifying to the Committee that 
it is in the nation's security interest to do so. The 
Department shall not deviate from the levels for activities 
specified in the report that are below the level of the detail 
table, except through the regular notification procedures of 
the Committee. No funds may be added to programs for which 
funding has been denied. Any reallocation of new or prior-year 
budget authority or prior-year de-obligations or any request to 
implement a reorganization that includes moving previous 
appropriations between appropriations accounts must be 
submitted to the Committee in writing and shall not be 
implemented prior to approval by the Committee.
    Transfers.--As in fiscal year 2024, funding actions into or 
out of accounts funded by this Act may only be made by transfer 
authorities provided by this or other appropriations Acts.

                        DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT

    Commonly Recycled Paper.--The Department shall not expend 
funds for projects that knowingly use as a feedstock commonly 
recycled paper that is segregated from municipal solid waste or 
collected as part of a collection system that commingles 
commonly recycled paper with other solid waste at any point 
from the time of collection through materials recovery.
    General Plant Projects.--In alignment with the requirements 
of section 3118(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for fiscal year 2010, the Department is directed to notify the 
Committee at least 15 days prior to starting any General Plant 
Project unless the project is directed by this recommendation 
or explicitly included in the fiscal year 2025 budget request.
    Office of Critical and Emerging Technologies.--The 
Committee notes the Department established an Office of 
Critical and Emerging Technologies during a period in which the 
government was operating under a Continuing Resolution and 
began operations before funding was included in a budget 
request. The purpose of the Office of Critical and Emerging 
Technologies is to coordinate efforts for research, 
development, and other activities regarding artificial 
intelligence, machine learning, quantum information science and 
technology, microelectronics, semiconductors, and other 
technologies within the Department of Energy. The Committee 
recognizes the value of this role and supports efforts to 
formulate a coherent vision and strategy on these technologies. 
However, the Committee believes a more effective approach is to 
perform these coordinating functions within the office of the 
Undersecretary for Science and Innovation.
    Permitting Process Improvements Using Artificial 
Intelligence.--The Department is directed to assess the 
feasibility of using data from past environmental reviews to 
develop artificial intelligence models to streamline permitting 
processes and identify gaps in data necessary to develop such 
artificial intelligence models. The Department is directed to 
provide to the Committee not later than 180 days after 
enactment of this Act a briefing on the results of its 
assessment.
     Product Emissions.--The Department is directed to assess 
substantial national and international efforts that have been 
made to determine the emissions intensity of major products in 
the energy and industrial goods sectors. Further, the 
Department is directed to provide to the Committee not later 
than 180 days after enactment of this Act a report discussing 
the gaps in publicly available data sets for developing 
comparative data of other countries that are major 
manufacturers for products within these sectors.
    Mortgaging Future-Year Awards.--The Committee remains 
concerned about the Department's practice of making awards 
dependent on funding from future years' appropriations. The 
fiscal year 2022 Act directed the Department to provide a 
briefing on how it can better track and provide information 
about the accounting of future-year awards by control point. 
The Committee is still awaiting this briefing and directs the 
Department to provide it not later than 15 days after enactment 
of this Act.
    Graphite Purification.--The Committee directs the 
Department to provide not later than 30 days after enactment of 
this Act a brief on its strategy to expand domestic graphite 
purification capabilities. The briefing shall include: an 
assessment of projected purified natural graphite supply 
shortfalls through 2035; an assessment of current capabilities 
to satisfy rising demand for purified natural graphite; the 
Department's stance on funding battery materials applications 
submitted by American companies with ownership by foreign 
entities of concern or research, development, testing, and 
evaluation partnerships with foreign entities of concern; a 
delineation of the Department's efforts to support domestic 
graphite purification projects; and the Department's plans to 
invest in additional research on graphite purification.
    Natural Gas.--The Committee is concerned that the 
Department is excluding natural gas, including renewable 
natural gas as a feedstock by not incorporating certain data 
into the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use 
in Transportation (GREET) model. The Committee directs the 
Department to ensure that any technical assistance provided in 
support of the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit, including 
via the GREET model, does not treat potential feedstocks 
differently and does not exclude project-specific data inputs 
from natural gas, including renewable natural gas projects. In 
addition, the Department is encouraged to assess the inclusion 
of upstream methane loss rates from background to foreground 
data and provide flexibility in the foreground for thermal 
pathways, including renewable natural gas, alternatives, and 
refinery fuel gas.
    The Department is directed to develop a strategy to ensure 
entities that receive funding under this title and that are 
partnering with foreign-owned or partially foreign-owned 
organizations are protecting novel technologies from, and the 
flow of information to, foreign entities of concern. This 
strategy shall include mechanisms to require these institutions 
to ensure they are meeting responsibilities to protect this 
technology and information. The Committee notes the fiscal year 
2024 Act included direction for the Department to conduct a 
report on this strategy.

                      FOREIGN ENTITIES OF CONCERN

    The Committee has noticed growing recognition of the threat 
of foreign entities of concern to U.S. research security, 
economic competitiveness, and energy security. The CHIPS and 
Science Act (Public Law 117-167) established some research 
security requirements and procedures to enhance protection of 
federal investments in advanced technologies. The fiscal year 
2024 Act built on those provisions by establishing additional 
restrictions to ensure U.S. assets, particularly energy 
reserves and federal taxpayer dollars, are not passed to 
foreign entities of concern. This recommendation continues and 
builds on those provisions.
    The Committee is concerned by the potential for advanced 
technologies to be used by foreign entities of concern to 
exploit data and threaten economic security. In particular, the 
Committee notes the prevalence of photovoltaic modules 
assembled outside the United States, the reliance on other 
renewable energy technologies produced outside the United 
States, and the use of artificial intelligence in numerous 
energy technologies. The Department shall focus efforts, to the 
greatest extent possible, on supporting and protecting 
technology and intellectual property created in the United 
States.
    Award Vetting.--The Committee is concerned that foreign 
entities of concern are applying for grants, contracts, and 
other awards of all sizes. The Committee encourages the 
Department to develop plans to thoroughly review all potential 
awardees as expeditiously as possible.
    The recommendation includes additional requirements within 
the direction provided for various specific DOE programs.

                        MULTI-PROGRAM DIRECTIVES

    Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.--
The Committee notes that the fiscal year 2023 Act directed the 
Department to provide a briefing on its efforts to offer 
technical and other programmatic assistance to the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico regarding the implementation of innovative 
energy technologies. The Committee still awaits this brief.
    Distribution Transformers.--The Committee notes the unique 
challenges facing the distribution transformer supply chain. A 
stable supply of distribution transformers is critical to 
preserving the reliability of the grid. The Department is 
encouraged to conduct activities that will expand domestic 
manufacturing capacity within the distribution transformer 
supply chain, including efforts to increase the energy 
efficiency of the manufacturing process. In addition, the 
Committee directs the Department to continue its efforts to 
engage with utilities, distribution transformer manufacturers, 
and other industry stakeholders in the supply chain to analyze 
and help identify potential solutions that can help ease the 
supply-demand mismatch.
    DOE and USDA Interagency Working Group.--The Committee 
supports the establishment of the interagency working group to 
promote energy and develop technologies that will support and 
advance agricultural communities and domestic manufacturing, as 
required by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The 
Committee directs the working group to pursue joint activities 
related to the research and development of climate-controlled, 
affordable, deployable, energy- and water-efficient 
technologies for four-season food production platforms.
    Energy-Water Nexus.--The Committee supports the 
Department's ongoing efforts, including through the Water 
Security Grand Challenge, on advancing transformational 
technology and innovation to meet the global need for safe, 
secure, and affordable water. The Committee recognizes the 
impact of water security and availability on energy production 
and reliability and the growing interconnectedness between 
energy and water systems. The Department is directed to 
continue programs that provide basic research, technology 
innovation, modeling and assessment tools, technical support, 
planning tools to inform financing, and workforce development 
to focus on the energy-water nexus. The Committee supports the 
Department's use of a diverse portfolio of prizes; 
competitions; research, development, and demonstration; and 
other programs.
    Hybrid Nuclear-Geothermal Systems.--The Department is 
directed to provide to the Committee not later than 180 days 
after enactment of this Act a briefing outlining a strategic 
plan to establish a research and development program on hybrid 
nuclear-geothermal systems. The briefing shall focus on 
technology development needed to pair nuclear fission generated 
waste heat with low-grade geothermal resources for direct use 
heating, power generation, and reservoir thermal energy 
storage.
    Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Coordination.--The Department 
is directed to coordinate its efforts in hydrogen energy and 
fuel cell technologies across the Offices of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, 
Nuclear Energy, Electricity, Science, and Clean Energy 
Demonstrations; the Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy; 
and any other relevant program offices to maximize the 
effectiveness of investments in hydrogen-related activities.
    Industrial Sector Research and Development Activities.--The 
Committee supports the Department's efforts to foster 
innovation and enable rapid scale-up of cost-competitive, low-
emissions technologies for the industrial sector. The Committee 
looks forward to reviewing a Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP) to 
ensure coordination across all participating offices. The MYPP 
should be updated annually to reflect changes in technology 
development.
    Quantum Roadmap.--The Committee directs the Department to 
develop not later than one year after enactment of this Act a 
technology roadmap to outline research and development goals 
for quantum applications in the applied energy offices. The 
roadmap should include a discussion of efforts thus far and a 
discussion of opportunities to inform further detailed analyses 
and a long-term program strategy for the Department. In 
addition, the Committee directs the Office of Technology 
Transitions to include an addendum to this technology roadmap 
that incorporates analyses of technology-market fit and 
pathways to commercialization for quantum applications in the 
applied energy offices. The Committee expects the Department to 
consult with industry stakeholders and other federal government 
agencies in the development of this plan to gain an 
understanding of ongoing research and development efforts 
outside the Department and identify any gaps.

                            ENERGY PROGRAMS


                 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $3,460,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     3,118,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     1,960,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................    -1,500,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................    -1,158,000,000
 

    The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account supports 
activities of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy, the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, the 
Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, and the 
Federal Energy Management Program.
    The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) 
program is divided into three portfolios: sustainable 
transportation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. The 
sustainable transportation portfolio, which consists of the 
vehicles, bioenergy, and hydrogen and fuel cell programs, 
focuses on efforts to enable greater vehicle electrification, 
commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell trucks, sustainable 
aviation fuel from biomass, and lower-pollution options for 
off-road vehicles, rail, and maritime transport. The renewable 
energy portfolio, which consists of the solar, wind, water, and 
geothermal programs, supports efforts to reduce the costs and 
accelerate the use and integration of renewables to contribute 
to a reliable, secure, and resilient electric grid. The energy 
efficiency portfolio, which consists of the industrial 
efficiency and decarbonization, advanced materials and 
manufacturing technologies, and buildings programs, develops 
cost-effective solutions to reduce energy consumption in 
plants, buildings, and homes.
    The Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) 
focuses on efforts under the Weatherization Assistance Program 
and State Energy Program to increase energy affordability and 
efficiency by working with state and local-level implementation 
partners.
    The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) 
prioritizes activities to strengthen and secure manufacturing 
and energy supply chains needed to modernize the nation's 
energy infrastructure.
    The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides 
technical assistance and financial assistance to federal 
agencies to reduce energy consumption by identifying affordable 
solutions, facilitating public-private partnerships, and 
sharing and leveraging government best practices.
    The Department is directed to maintain a balanced portfolio 
of research, development, demonstration, and deployment 
activities. The Department is encouraged to examine its 
portfolio on a regular basis and prioritize activities as 
necessary to maintain balance across research, development, 
demonstration, and deployment activities.
    Aquatic Decarbonization.--The recommendation provides up to 
$40,000,000 for efforts that will contribute to multiple areas 
of ocean- and water-based energy technologies and support 
research, development, and infrastructure that leverages the 
Department's existing ocean-based assets and infrastructure. 
The Department is directed to provide to the Committee prior to 
the obligation of these funds a detailed spending plan 
highlighting which offices are contributing to this effort and 
the planned investments in research, development, and 
deployment, including infrastructure needs.
    Use of Prior-Year Balances.--The recommendation makes use 
of $803,664,000 in prior-year balances. The Committee notes 
there are numerous ongoing activities within EERE that have 
received large funding increases in recent supplemental bills. 
The Committee utilizes prior-year balances from the following 
programs within EERE: $366,000,000 from the Weatherization 
Assistance Program; $52,664,000 from the State Energy Program; 
$205,000,000 from clean hydrogen electrolysis and clean 
hydrogen manufacturing; $43,000,000 from building energy codes; 
$52,000,000 from marine energy; $38,000,000 from electric drive 
vehicle battery recycling; $35,000,000 from battery recycling 
research, development, and demonstration; and $12,000,000 from 
solar energy technologies.
    Workforce Development.--The Committee supports training and 
workforce development programs that assist and support workers 
in trades and activities required for the continued growth of 
the U.S. energy sector, including training programs focused on 
building retrofits, the construction industry, and the electric 
vehicle industry. The Department is encouraged to continue to 
work with two-year community and technical colleges; labor; and 
nongovernmental and industry consortia to pursue job training 
programs, including programs focused on displaced fossil fuel 
workers, that lead to an industry-recognized credential in the 
energy workforce. In addition, the Committee supports the use 
of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, 
machine learning, and digital twins, for improved decision 
support and analysis when assessing future workforce needs and 
trends.

                       SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION

    The recommendation provides $35,000,000 to continue the 
SuperTruck program in support of the electrification of medium- 
and heavy-duty vehicles, including Class-8 long haul trucks, 
and associated charging infrastructure. In addition, the 
Committee encourages the SuperTruck program to focus on 
improving charging infrastructure, fleet connectivity, and 
battery health monitoring.
    Vehicle Technologies.--The recommendation provides not less 
than $140,000,000 for Battery and Electrification Technologies, 
including for electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling 
technology.
    The recommendation provides up to $10,000,000 to improve 
12-volt lead batteries for safety-critical EV applications.
    The recommendation provides $2,000,000 to support a 
competitive solicitation for university-led teams to develop 
vehicular or structural strategies to reduce the likelihood of 
cascading effects during EV fires.
    The recommendation provides up to $5,000,000 to continue 
research and development on plug-in hybrids for on- and off-
road applications.
    The Committee recognizes combusting hydrogen in internal 
combustion engines may offer a practical pathway to zero-carbon 
fuels. The recommendation provides $5,000,000 to support 
continued work on novel engine designs that can achieve 
significant efficiency improvements in hydrogen combustion. The 
Department is encouraged to support research and development 
for hydrogen combustion by two-stroke opposed piston engines.
    The recommendation provides $5,000,000 to continue work on 
low-carbon fuels for off-road applications, including hybrid 
technologies.
    The recommendation provides up to $5,000,000 for fluid 
power systems. These funds shall be awarded through a 
competitive solicitation in which university and industry teams 
are eligible to apply.
    The recommendation provides up to $4,000,000 to conduct 
research and development activities on heating, ventilation, 
and air conditioning technologies tailored for low- and zero-
emission vehicles, including electric compressors, motors, and 
related systems.
    The recommendation provides up to $20,000,000 to address 
technical barriers to the increased use of natural gas hybrid 
vehicles, including vehicles that utilize non-fossil-based, 
renewable natural gas. The Committee notes that technical 
barriers can include natural gas fueling infrastructure, 
efficiency improvements, emission reductions, hydrogen 
combustion research, natural gas storage, and renewable gas 
production.
    Within available funds for Energy Efficient Mobility 
Systems, the Department is directed to conduct early-stage 
research and development at the vehicle, traveler, and system 
levels and demonstration projects pairing new entrants to the 
transportation system, including advanced driver assistance 
systems and automated driving technologies.
    The recommendation provides $100,000,000 for Vehicle 
Technology Integration and Deployment, previously called 
Outreach, Deployment, and Analysis.
    The Department is directed to continue to support the Clean 
Cities alternative fuels deployment program focused on vehicles 
that can deliver lower emissions and meet customer needs, which 
can include vehicles powered by biofuels, electricity, 
hydrogen, natural gas, renewable natural gas, propane, and 
renewable propane. The nation's Clean Cities Coalitions are 
uniquely suited to assist state and local governments, school 
districts, and public and private sector fleets with successful 
implementation of the sustainable transportation programs. 
Within available funds, the recommendation provides not less 
than $65,000,000 for deployment through the Clean Cities 
program, including not less than $20,000,000 in direct 
cooperative agreements with the Clean Cities Coalitions and not 
less than $40,000,000 for competitive grants to support 
alternative fuel, infrastructure, new mobility, and vehicle 
deployment activities. When issuing competitive grants in 
support of these activities, the Department is encouraged to 
include some awards that range from $500,000 to $1,000,000 each 
and to include at least one Clean Cities coalition partner. The 
Committee encourages the Department to ensure balance in the 
award of funds to achieve varied aims in fostering broader 
adoption of clean vehicles and installation of supporting 
infrastructure. The Committee further encourages the Department 
to prioritize projects that can contribute the greatest 
reductions in lifecycle emissions. The Committee encourages the 
Department to work with the Department of Transportation and 
industry on coordinating efforts to deploy electric vehicle 
charging infrastructure and implement electric vehicle 
workforce development programs. The Committee encourages the 
Department to explore ways in which the Clean Cities Program 
can leverage funding to provide greater support, including 
through grants, technical assistance, and community engagement, 
for electrification efforts.
    The recommendation provides not less than $5,000,000 for 
electric vehicle workforce development activities. The 
Department is encouraged to coordinate these efforts with the 
Department of Transportation and the Joint Office of Energy and 
Transportation. The Department is encouraged to build upon its 
existing partnerships with the GridEd workforce training 
program to advance a national electric vehicle workforce.
    The Committee is interested in reducing U.S. dependence on 
foreign sources of critical minerals due to environmental, 
economic, human rights, and national security concerns 
associated with sourcing critical minerals from foreign 
entities of concern. In order to address these critical mineral 
sustainability and reliability concerns, the Department is 
directed to maximize the use of existing resources for the 
development of technologies and systems that enable circular 
electric vehicle supply chains.
    The Department is directed to conduct a study comparing the 
lifecycle costs and related benefits of medium- and heavy-duty 
commercial vehicles powered by a variety of engine 
technologies, including internal combustion engines, electric 
motors, and battery electric vehicles charged conductively and 
inductively. The study shall also cover a variety of duty 
cycles for vehicles in Classes 3-8 and take into consideration 
electrical grid upgrade costs, battery depletion, and managed 
charging.
    The Committee notes the technological advancements thus far 
of all solid-state lithium metal batteries. The Committee 
directs the Department to partner with academic institutions to 
increase research, development, and understanding of 
freestanding all solid-state lithium metal batteries.
    The Committee encourages the Department to coordinate 
electric vehicle and related infrastructure funding with other 
relevant agencies.
    The Committee encourages the Department to support 
technologies and specialized, advanced battery manufacturing 
supply chains that will reduce emissions in aviation, including 
advanced air mobility technologies and electric vertical take-
off and landing aircraft.
    The Committee encourages the Department to support research 
and development activities focused on production capacity for 
technologies or materials, such as graphene, that can improve 
rate performance and capacity loss in batteries.
    Bioenergy Technologies.--The recommendation provides not 
less than $45,000,000 for feedstock technologies research and 
the Biomass Feedstock National User Facility (BFNUF) and 
$40,000,000 for algae-related activities.
    The recommendation provides $4,000,000 for continued 
research and development of the increased production of 
renewable propane through byproduct pathways, such as 
sustainable aviation fuel production, renewable diesel 
production, and through dedicated pathways.
    The Department is encouraged to support research and 
development activities to advance the development and 
deployment of conversion and purification processes to increase 
the supply of renewable natural gas and clean hydrogen.
    The recommendation includes $7,500,000 to initiate a 
competitive grant program to conduct research and development 
on utilizing existing ethanol fermentation infrastructure to 
increase biobased chemical production, including the anaerobic 
bio-production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid.
    The recommendation includes $5,000,000 for efforts to 
improve thermochemical conversion processes and increase the 
production of biofuels from various waste streams, including 
municipal waste.
    The recommendation includes $5,000,000 to support 
university and national laboratory research collaborations to 
advance research on regional supply chains utilizing semi-arid 
fallow farmland for bio-energy crops, including camelina.
    The Department is directed to support university-led 
research to assess renewable pine biomass forestry feedstocks 
as potential production pathways to sustainable aviation fuel.
    The Committee encourages the Department's continued work on 
sustainable aviation fuels. The Committee is aware that the 
Department has convened a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions 
working group to define and agree on the appropriate science-
based methodology for establishing lifecycle emissions 
reductions under the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. 
The Department notes that the fiscal year 2024 Act required a 
report outlining carbon accounting tools under consideration by 
the working group and an assessment of how feedstocks compare 
under the Argonne GREET model versus other models. The 
Committee awaits the results of this effort.
    The Department is encouraged to consider refining the GREET 
model's assumptions regarding upstream methane, biomethane, 
biomass, and hydrogen emissions.
    Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies.--The Department is 
directed to maintain a diverse program that focuses on early-, 
mid-, and late-stage research and development and technology 
acceleration, including market transformation. The Department 
is directed to continue to emphasize hydrogen production and 
the development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure nationwide 
to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission fuel cell 
transportation. The Department is directed to maintain regular 
consultation with industry to avoid duplication of private-
sector activities and ensure retention of fuel cell technology 
and systems development in the United States.
    The Department is directed to coordinate with the Office of 
Clean Energy Demonstrations to ensure that hydrogen workforce 
development efforts prioritize specialized hydrogen and fuel 
cell research and experiential technical training and 
education.
    The recommendation provides not less than $75,000,000 for 
H2@Scale activities to support the development of hydrogen as a 
clean energy resource for hard-to-electrify transportation 
applications and to help build out the infrastructure needed to 
transport and store hydrogen.
    The Department is directed to assess industry needs for 
material development, simulation, and final testing with pure 
hydrogen for all critical components in the hydrogen 
manufacturing and distribution ecosystem.
    The Committee encourages the Office of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, in collaboration with the Office of 
Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, to establish pilot sites 
for blended hydrogen and natural gas at facilities that closely 
simulate real world gas distribution networks.
    The Department is encouraged to conduct research and 
development activities that validate fuel cell functionality 
and hydrogen-related infrastructure in different climates, 
rural conditions, and small ports.
    The Department is directed to assess how alkaline and 
proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers respond to 
variable operation conditions associated with electricity from 
intermittent sources, specifically the impact on performance 
and lifetime. The Department is directed to conduct large-scale 
testing and analysis in conjunction with an electric power 
research organization, utilities, and other stakeholders. The 
Department is directed to conduct tests under various 
conditions, configurations, and in geographically diverse 
regions, including the Northeast. The results shall be made 
publicly available to contribute to grid reliability and plant 
design optimization.
    The Department is directed to conduct research in 
partnership with an academic institution to analyze the 
capabilities of liquid hydrogen to act as an energy carrier to 
produce electricity on demand to recover quickly after natural 
disasters and to improve resiliency of rural electrical grids.

                            RENEWABLE ENERGY

    Solar Energy Technologies.--The Committee is encouraged by 
the success of the SolarAPP+ program in facilitating easier, 
less expensive, faster, and more efficient permitting for solar 
projects through automation. The Department is encouraged to 
explore ways in which similar automated processes can increase 
efficiency and predictability in establishing interconnections 
with the utility distribution grid. The Department is directed 
to provide to the Committee not later than 180 days after 
enactment of this Act a report on its efforts thus far.
    The Committee supports the Department's decision to 
establish the Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Accelerator Consortium 
as a comprehensive and systematic approach to support CdTe 
photovoltaics. The Committee notes that the United States is a 
leader in CdTe manufacturing, contributing to high-value job 
production in the Midwest and elsewhere. The recommendation 
provides not less than $25,000,000 for research, development, 
and demonstration activities related to CdTe. This work shall 
align with the goals of the technology roadmap for research, 
including reducing CdTe module manufacturing costs, addressing 
supply chain challenges, achieving greater cell and module 
efficiency, cutting CdTe solar costs while extending solar 
panel life, improving recycling, and increasing the global 
market share of domestically produced photovoltaics.
    The recommendation provides $25,000,000 for research, 
development, and demonstration activities related to 
perovskites.
    The recommendation includes up to $5,000,000 for research 
and development on agrivoltaics and rural siting research, 
development, and field trials to scale up and optimize 
agrivoltaic system siting, construction, maintenance, and 
operations.
    The Committee is aware of and supports the recently 
established Perovskite Accelerator for Commercializing 
Technologies (PACT) Center, which has been established for 
testing the durability of perovskite photovoltaics. The 
Department is encouraged to consider establishing a companion 
research accelerator to advance the underpinnings of the 
technology, following the model established for the CdTe 
Consortium.
    The Department is directed to continue supporting the 
regional demonstration sites under the Solar Energy 
Technologies Office.
    The Committee directs the Department to provide to the 
Committee not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act a 
briefing on the national security and geopolitical implications 
in the coming decades of U.S. dependence on foreign entities of 
concern at every stage of crystalline silicon solar 
manufacturing.
    The Committee supports research activities that improve the 
recycling process of solar panels.
    Wind Energy.--The recommendation provides not less than 
$25,000,000 for distributed wind technologies to support 
research activities that lead to lower costs and increased 
deployments of distributed wind systems for rural homes, farms, 
and other applications.
    Within available funds for offshore wind, the Committee 
supports activities focused on development, testing, and 
verification of technologies that avoid, minimize, and mitigate 
impacts on wildlife.
    Within available funds for offshore wind, the Committee 
supports efforts to establish university-based centers to 
develop regional and national strategies to accelerate and 
maximize the effectiveness, reliability, and sustainability of 
offshore wind deployment.
    Water Power.--The recommendation provides $48,000,000 for 
Hydropower Technologies and $112,000,000 for Marine Energy.
    The Committee remains supportive of the Department's 
ongoing scoping activities toward establishing a network of 
hydropower testing facilities. The recommendation provides up 
to $10,000,000 to begin implementation of the recent scoping 
analysis, including initial efforts to establish testing 
facilities.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides 
$24,000,000 for Powering the Blue Economy efforts. The 
Department is directed to continue leveraging existing core 
capabilities at national laboratories to execute this work, in 
partnership with universities and industry.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides not 
less than $10,000,000 for continuation of foundational research 
activities led by the National Marine Energy Centers and 
affiliated universities and research institutions.
    Within available funds for Marine Energy, the 
recommendation provides up to $15,000,000 to address 
infrastructure needs at marine energy technology testing sites.
    The Department is directed to continue to coordinate with 
the U.S. Navy and other federal agencies on marine energy 
technology development for national security and other 
applications.
    The Department is directed to provide to the Committee not 
later than 180 days after enactment of this Act a report that 
explores various models to provide support for long-term 
operations at the grid-connected wave energy test facility.
    Geothermal Technologies.--The recommendation provides not 
less than $100,000,000 for competitively awarded enhanced 
geothermal system demonstrations (EGS) and next-generation 
geothermal demonstration projects in diverse geographic areas. 
The Department is encouraged to prioritize EGS demonstration 
projects that have previously received earlier-stage 
competitive Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal 
Energy (FORGE) funding to test and validate their technology. 
The Department is directed to include demonstration projects in 
an area with no obvious surface expression or to develop deep, 
direct-use geothermal technologies to distribute geothermal 
heat through an integrated energy system or district heating 
system. The Department is directed to consider geothermal 
demonstrations in which water, at that depth, would reach 
supercritical conditions and demonstrate incremental 
improvements toward producing supercritical water at the 
surface. In addition, the Committee urges the Geothermal 
Technologies Office to focus on the development of a pathway to 
producing high-temperature geothermal energy on a commercial 
scale.
    The Department is directed to provide to the Committee not 
later than 180 days after enactment of this Act a briefing on 
its efforts to support the full range of geothermal 
technologies.
    The Committee encourages the Department, in collaboration 
with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to establish a 
working group to provide information regarding the ground 
source heat pump industry's access to public capital. The 
Department is encouraged to organize relevant stakeholder 
communities to develop financing standards for ground source 
heat pump deployment. The Department is directed to provide to 
the Committee not later than 180 days after enactment of this 
Act a briefing on its progress in establishing the working 
group.

                           ENERGY EFFICIENCY

    Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization.--Within 
available funds, the recommendation includes $15,000,000 to 
continue to support research and development of innovative 
technologies aimed at both increasing U.S. technological and 
economic competitiveness and reducing emissions in the 
production of iron, steel, and steel mill products.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides 
$20,000,000 for continued research for energy efficiency 
improvement and emissions reduction in the chemical industry, 
including processes that utilize dynamic catalyst science 
coupled with data analytics.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides 
$20,000,000 for technical assistance and research and 
development to help water and wastewater treatment facilities 
achieve energy efficiency, including through the deployment of 
alternative energy sources, as appropriate. The Department is 
encouraged to support innovation in water technologies that 
will incentivize technology developments for the blue economy.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides 
$10,000,000 for the issuance of a competitive solicitation for 
university and industry-led teams to improve the efficiency of 
industrial drying processes.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides not 
less than $10,000,000 for the Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship 
Program to advance the entrepreneurial development of clean 
energy innovations.
    The Committee notes the Energy-Water Desalination Hub has 
been fully funded through fiscal year 2025 and does not require 
additional funding in this Act. Within available funds, the 
Department is directed to issue a competitive solicitation for 
industry-led teams to conduct research and development and 
pilot activities to explore the energy efficiency of membrane 
distillation technologies, including vacuum membrane 
distillation for treating wastewater at industrial facilities.
    The Committee provides up to $10,000,000 for research and 
development activities to improve the energy efficiency of 
water purification technologies, including the development of 
membranes that can remove and concentrate PFAS and the 
integration of these membranes into electrochemical, 
photochemical, and plasma-based destruction systems.
    Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies.--Within 
available funds, the recommendation provides $25,000,000 for 
the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) and the Carbon 
Fiber Technology Center.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides 
$50,000,000 for Critical Materials, including the Critical 
Materials Institute and additional research, development, and 
demonstration activities for efficient material production and 
recycling, as well as production of alternatives.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides 
$10,000,000 for the development of advanced tooling for 
lightweight automotive components. The Department is directed 
to further foster the partnership between the MDF, 
universities, and industry in the Great Lakes region for 
economic growth and technology innovation, thereby accelerating 
technology deployment and increasing the competitiveness of 
U.S. manufacturing industries.
    Within available funds, the recommendation includes up to 
$10,000,000 to establish a permanent magnet motor circularity 
program to advance technologies and secure the domestic supply 
chain of permanent magnets. In issuing funds in support of this 
program, the Committee expects the Department to make 
competitive grants to develop technologies and supply chains to 
enable permanent magnet motor reuse, repair, refurbishing, and 
recycling from end-of-life products, including the development 
of rare earths.
    Within available funds, the Department is directed to 
continue its support for industry-led teams to lessen the 
dependence on using foreign suppliers of films, reduce the 
energy transportation costs of using foreign-made films, and 
develop critical domestic manufacturing capabilities to produce 
nanolayered capacitor film and film manufacturing capabilities.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides not 
less than $10,000,000 to continue support for multi-
disciplinary partnerships between the national laboratories, 
universities, and industry, including the research, 
development, and use of bio-based thermoplastics composites 
such as micro and nanocellulosic materials that leverage 
innovative manufacturing processes.
    In consultation with the national laboratories and the 
Vehicle Technologies Office, the Department is directed to 
develop recommendations to improve recyclability of end-of-life 
automotives, including recommendations on research and 
development to support capturing and recycling durable 
automotive plastics.
    The Department is encouraged to advance recycling 
technologies that support increasing recycling rates and 
address plastic waste. In addition, the Committee encourages 
the Department to continue to support innovation in biological 
plastic recycling as a critical component of its 
decarbonization efforts and to reduce plastic waste.
    Within available funds, the recommendation provides 
$10,000,000 to support a pilot project for recycling waste tire 
rubber utilizing advanced manufacturing technologies.
    Building Technologies.--The recommendation provides 
$10,000,000 for Building Energy Codes to meet statutory 
obligations.
    The Committee recommends not less than $15,000,000 for 
research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities related to advanced solid-state lighting 
technology development. These activities shall include research 
considering the intersection of solid-state lighting efficiency 
and human health and new market deployment opportunities. In 
accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Department 
is encouraged to work in coordination with the industry 
alliance that was established as part of that Act.
    The recommendation includes $2,000,000 to improve, test, 
and demonstrate the reliability, efficiency, and efficacy of 
spray foam products and installation as building envelope 
sealing technologies. As part of this effort, the Department is 
encouraged to evaluate the relative installation, maintenance, 
and energy cost savings of spray foam technologies compared to 
traditional approaches used in residential and commercial 
construction as an air, vapor, and thermal barrier.
    The recommendation includes up to $2,000,000 to conduct 
research, prototype development, and piloting of energy 
efficient roof construction technologies that utilize advanced 
mechanical roof fasteners.
    The Department is encouraged to ensure its support of 
technical assistance and workforce development activities in 
residential energy efficiency efforts are effectively reaching 
nonprofit, industry, and educational institution stakeholders.
    The Committee urges the Department to support, to the 
extent practicable, research and development to advance the 
effectiveness of American-made insulation and weatherization 
materials used in the construction of residential homes and 
commercial buildings to improve building envelope integrity and 
energy efficiency.
    The Department is encouraged to advance research that 
supports building upgrades and energy efficiency retrofits of 
homes. This work may include partnerships with cities, states, 
affordable housing entities, utilities, manufacturers, and 
others to spur innovative approaches and dramatically drive 
investment in energy upgrades of homes. In addition, these 
efforts may include work in grid-integrated efficient buildings 
and inclusion of smart grid systems, demand flexibility, as 
well as new initiatives in workforce training to ensure the 
technology and research findings reach practitioners. Programs 
and investments may promote solutions that consider consumer 
interests and are therefore more likely to gain widespread 
uptake. The Department is encouraged to support research, 
demonstration, and field testing of new technology through 
direct engagement with builders, the construction trades, 
equipment manufacturers, smart grid technology and systems 
suppliers, integrators, and state and local governments and 
other market transformation activities.
    The Department is encouraged to continue to explore 
research and development that can advance future natural gas, 
renewable natural gas, propane gas, and renewable propane gas 
systems and appliances, including hybrid technologies and 
controls, to meet consumer demand for high efficiency and 
environmentally friendly products. The Department is encouraged 
to continue research, development, and market transformation 
programs on energy efficiency and demand management efforts 
related to the direct use of natural gas and propane gas in 
residential applications, including gas heat pump heating with 
power generation and water heating, on-site combined heat and 
power, gas appliance venting, and on site (micro) combined heat 
and power including a cooling integration with renewables.
    The Committee recognizes the mission of the Department to 
advance research to improve energy efficiency in industrial 
buildings and directs the Department to support collaborative 
projects with the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural 
Research Service (ARS) to improve the energy efficiency in 
controlled environmental agriculture. The Committee encourages 
the Department, in collaboration with the ARS, to investigate 
and evaluate the use of thin films to prevent emissions, 
improve energy efficiency, and maintain target temperatures and 
light levels.

                  STATE AND COMMUNITY ENERGY PROGRAMS

    Within State and Community Energy Programs, the Department 
is encouraged to provide technical assistance for energy 
efficiency and resiliency retrofits to public buildings, 
including schools, hospitals, and community centers.
    Energy Future Grants.--The recommendation includes no 
funding in support of the budget request proposal on extreme 
heat. In addition, the Committee expects that previously 
appropriated funds will not be used to support this activity.

                 MANUFACTURING AND ENERGY SUPPLY CHAINS

    The Committee recognizes the importance of permanent rare 
earth magnets in defense applications, energy technologies, and 
other commercial products. As the Office of Manufacturing and 
Energy Supply Chains (MESC) fulfills its responsibilities 
related to supporting the manufacturing capacity for advanced 
energy projects and onshoring critical energy supply chains, 
the Committee directs MESC to conduct an analysis of gaps, 
vulnerabilities, and risks in the domestic supply chain for 
these magnets, including recycling projects, and to brief the 
Committee on its analysis not later than 180 days after 
enactment of this Act.

                           CORPORATE SUPPORT

    Facilities and Infrastructure.--The Committee directs the 
Department to establish a quantum-enabled energy validation 
platform within Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems 
(ARIES) to integrate and apply advanced quantum computing 
resources and test and validate quantum-generated algorithms.

         Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $200,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       200,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       200,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency 
Response (CESER) leads efforts to secure the nation's energy 
infrastructure against all hazards, reduce the risks of and 
impacts from cyber events and other disruptive events, and 
assist with restoration activities. A reliable and resilient 
power grid is critical to the nation's economic competitiveness 
and leadership.
    The Department is directed to include an itemization of 
funding levels below the control point in future budget 
submissions. In addition, the Department is directed to provide 
quarterly execution briefings to cover ongoing and planned 
activities.
    In light of documented cyber targeting of utilities, 
including by state actors, the Committee encourages the 
Department to incorporate pilot programs with energy industry 
asset owners and operators able to demonstrate active defense 
cybersecurity protection.
    The Committee is concerned about the potential security 
risks of electric vehicles built by automakers located in 
foreign entities of concern operating in the United States. In 
particular, the Committee notes the increasing risk of exposing 
U.S. cybersecurity vulnerabilities if these vehicles connect to 
individual charging stations or the nation's electric grid 
through bidirectional charging. Therefore, the Department is 
directed to provide to the Committee not later than 180 days 
after enactment of this Act a report that identifies and 
addresses cybersecurity risks to and recommended solutions for 
the U.S. energy grid, charging station infrastructure, and 
bidirectional charging capabilities through vehicles assembled 
by automakers from foreign entities of concern.
    The Committee recognizes the Department's ongoing efforts 
to protect federal government networks by modernizing and 
implementing stronger cybersecurity standards. These efforts 
include moving the enterprise to secure cloud services and a 
zero-trust architecture, as well as deploying multi-factor 
authentication and encryption. The Committee directs the 
Department to work with the Office of the Chief Information 
Officer to submit within one year of enactment of this Act a 
detailed cybersecurity readiness level assessment and 
implementation plan for protecting the Department's 
headquarters, field, sites, and laboratory computers, networks, 
and data from unauthorized access.
    Risk Management Technology and Tools.--The recommendation 
includes $4,000,000 to continue efforts to enable security by 
design through execution of the national cyber-informed 
engineering strategy.
    The Committee encourages collaborations between the 
Department and universities to develop scalable cyber-physical 
platforms for resilient and secure electric power systems that 
are flexible, modular, self-healing, and autonomous. This 
activity should be conducted in coordination with the Office of 
Electricity.
    The Committee supports continued efforts to monitor 
vegetation management to improve grid resiliency. The 
Department is directed to provide to the Committee not later 
than 90 days after enactment of this Act a report on the 
activities it has conducted in support of previous funding 
related to mitigating the effects of wildfires on grid 
resiliency.
    The recommendation provides $10,000,000 to enhance quantum 
entanglement networking research and development, including 
quantum entanglement timing, at a quantum-ready municipal 
utility. The Committee expects this effort will include 
activities to research and demonstrate quantum-protected 
network capabilities for securing communications between energy 
systems, including microgrid timing and communication from a 
control center to a microgrid and internal timing and 
communications within the microgrid; the capability for reuse 
at the Department's electric grid facilities; and to protect 
electric grid Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).
    The Committee recommends $20,000,000 to support efforts to 
foster partnerships between national laboratories, 
universities, electricity sector utilities, and state and local 
government entities to identify and mitigate evolving national 
security threats to critical infrastructure.
    Response and Restoration.--The Committee supports the 
Energy Threat Analysis Center (ETAC) and includes $5,000,000 to 
begin efforts to fully operationalize ETAC. However, the 
Committee notes that basic information requests regarding 
ETAC's multi-year program plans and cost estimates have been 
met with unacceptable delays and lack of information. While the 
Committee supports the concept of ETAC and its goals of 
enhancing interdepartmental and industry partnerships to 
mitigate threats to critical energy infrastructure, the current 
communications between the Department and the Committee must 
improve to ensure ETAC's enduring capability.
    The Committee notes the value of more effective, higher 
resolution data for the purposes of energy infrastructure 
inspection efforts and encourages the Department to support the 
long dwell inspection and damage assessments program.
    Preparedness, Policy, and Risk Analysis.--The Committee 
directs the Department to establish partnerships between 
national labs, public universities, and private industry to 
develop and implement a semiconductor industry workforce 
cybersecurity curriculum.

                              Electricity


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $280,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       293,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       250,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       -30,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       -43,000,000
 

    The Office of Electricity leads efforts in developing new 
technologies to strengthen, transform, and improve electricity 
delivery infrastructure so all consumers have equitable access 
to resilient, secure, and clean sources of electricity.
    Electricity transformers are critical for maintaining the 
electric grid's reliability, resilience, and security. 
Unfortunately, there remain several challenges in ensuring the 
availability of sufficient numbers of both low and high voltage 
transformers. The Committee directs the Department to establish 
plans, including time frames as appropriate, to guide efforts 
to develop solutions and support for addressing transformer 
supply chain challenges and to increase support for utilities 
and facilitate greater participation in industry sharing 
efforts.
    The Department is directed to include an itemization of 
funding levels below the control point in future budget 
submissions.

                    GRID CONTROLS AND COMMUNICATIONS

    Transmission Reliability and Resilience.--The Department is 
encouraged to work with utilities and transmission developers 
to assess solutions to reduce bird collisions and habitat 
disruption. In addition, the Department is directed to 
coordinate with stakeholders to work on updated best practices 
that reduce avian collisions.
    Energy Delivery Grid Operations Technology.--The Committee 
supports efforts to develop national platforms to host the 
data, analytics, and models necessary to deliver grid 
reliability impact analyses of energy generation transitions. 
The Committee notes the importance of regional stakeholders for 
providing data inputs to these efforts.
    Resilient Distribution Systems.--The Department is directed 
to continue efforts to support the integration of sensors into 
the nation's electric distribution systems, fundamental 
research and field validation of microgrid controllers and 
systems, and transactive energy concepts, including studies and 
evaluations of energy usage behavior in response to price 
signals. The Committee places a high priority on addressing the 
challenges facing the electric power grid by advancing the 
development of innovative technologies, tools, and techniques 
to modernize the distribution portion of the electricity 
delivery system. The Department is encouraged to work with 
national laboratories and industry to advance best practices 
for technology development across the country. In addition, the 
Department is directed to evaluate the ability of emerging fuel 
technologies and currently available distributed fuels, such as 
propane-fueled microgrids, to be paired with renewable 
technologies.
    The recommendation includes $3,000,000 for research and 
development activities to prototype net-zero microgrid 
solutions for deployable clean energy support of emergency 
management operations that enhance resilience, sustainability, 
and equity of communities in weather-threatened regions.
    The recommendation includes $10,000,000 to support and 
leverage the investments in COMMANDER (Coordinated Management 
of Microgrids and Networked Distributed Energy Resources) 
National Test Bed to support foundational research for managing 
electric distribution systems equipped with diverse distributed 
energy resources. These efforts shall include evaluating 
quantum technology by integrating the network of microgrids 
using quantum technology infrastructure and supporting the 
North American Energy Resilience Model.
    The Committee supports the Department in developing and 
demonstrating digitalization technologies and solutions to help 
communities increase the resiliency of their infrastructure, 
enhance safety, and improve accessibility.

                 GRID HARDWARE, COMPONENTS, AND SYSTEMS

    Energy Storage.--The recommendation includes $4,800,000 for 
operational support of the Grid Storage Launchpad.
    When appropriate, the Department is directed to prioritize 
the use of domestically sourced synthetic graphite in energy 
storage systems to lessen dependence on suppliers from foreign 
entities of concern.
    Transformer Resilience and Advanced Components.--The 
Committee supports the Grid Research Integration and 
Demonstration Center.
    The Committee directs the Department to establish plans, 
including time frames as appropriate, to guide its efforts to 
develop solutions and support for addressing transformer supply 
chain challenges and to guide its support for utilities and 
facilitate greater participation in industry sharing efforts.
     Applied Grid Transformation Solutions.--The recommendation 
includes funding for competitively awarded public-private 
partnerships, testing and validating innovative advanced grid 
technologies, and expanding technical assistance to 
transmission and distribution providers.

                            Grid Deployment


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $60,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       101,870,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        60,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       -41,870,000
 

    The Grid Deployment Office focuses on the development of 
new and upgraded high-capacity electric transmission lines 
nationwide and deploying transmission and distribution 
technologies to improve the resilience of the nation's electric 
infrastructure.
    The Committee encourages the Department to pursue 
investments into technologies that leverage energy storage to 
enable load flexibility that can shift energy from high-demand 
(peak) to lower-demand (off-peak) to smooth out the energy 
demand throughout the day.
    The Committee encourages the Department to consult with 
states, tribes, regional entities, local authorities, and 
affected landowners in developing future National Interest 
Electric Transmission Corridors. In addition, the Department is 
encouraged to coordinate with states, tribes, and federal 
permitting agencies to help facilitate the siting and 
permitting of interstate and interregional high-voltage 
transmission lines.
    The Committee notes the recent establishment of the 
Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorization and Permits 
program and its work on transmission line development. The 
Department is directed to provide to the Committee not later 
than 180 days after enactment of this Act a report about 
ongoing efforts and future funding implications related to the 
implementation of this program.
    The Committee supports efforts to provide technical 
assistance to model operating behaviors and develop rate or 
market designs to incorporate expanded integration of long 
duration energy storage resources on the electric grid.

                             Nuclear Energy


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $1,685,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     1,590,660,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     1,793,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      +108,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................      +202,340,000
 

    A productive energy sector contains a mix of energy types 
including nuclear energy. Nuclear power generates approximately 
one-fifth of the nation's electricity and continues to be an 
important emissions-free energy source. The Department's 
Nuclear Energy (NE) program invests in research, development, 
and demonstration activities that develop the next generation 
of clean and safe reactors, further improve the safety and 
economic viability of the current reactor fleet, and contribute 
to the nation's long-term leadership in the global nuclear 
power industry.
    The fiscal year 2025 budget request for Nuclear Energy is a 
total of $1,590,660,000, of which $1,290,660,000 is base 
funding and $300,000,000 is emergency-designated funding 
referred to as ``shifted base'' by the Administration.
    Demonstration Projects.--American leadership in deploying 
new nuclear technologies--clean, reliable baseload power--is 
critical for both domestic and international energy security. 
Numerous private sector entities have made significant 
investments in this area, some through partnerships with the 
federal government. Unfortunately, the nuclear industry has not 
escaped the significant inflationary pressures and supply chain 
issues afflicting construction projects across all sectors of 
the economy.
    Rather than cede leadership in nuclear energy to countries 
such as China and Russia, the Committee advances efforts to 
demonstrate new nuclear reactor technologies, including 
advanced reactors and small modular reactors. The 
recommendation repurposes sufficient funding to enable 
completion of not less than three nuclear demonstration 
projects, including not less than one small modular reactor 
deployment and the two demonstration projects under the 
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. These projects will 
achieve similar goals as the original intent of the funding--
supporting nuclear power as a reliable baseload electricity 
source, reducing emissions, advancing first-of-a-kind energy 
technologies, and, in some cases, replacing retiring energy 
sources.
    Budget Structure.--The budget request proposes moving 
funding for several activities to different or new control 
points; the Committee adopts some of these changes and rejects 
others. Specifically, funding for:
            Integrated Energy Systems is moved to a new 
        control point from Crosscutting Technology Development;
            Nuclear cybersecurity is moved to Advanced 
        Reactor Safeguards from Crosscutting Technology 
        Development;
            Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in 
        Nuclear (GAIN) is moved to Crosscutting Technology 
        Development from multiple control points;
            Advanced Materials and Manufacturing 
        Technologies and Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation 
        remains in Crosscutting Technology Development;
            EBR-II processing for HALEU is moved to 
        Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability from Material 
        Recovery and Waste Form Development;
            Long-term accident tolerant fuels, 
        including silicon carbide cladding, is moved to a new 
        Next Generation Fuels control point from Accident 
        Tolerant Fuels;
            TRISO fuels is moved to Next Generation 
        Fuels from Triso Fuel and Graphite Qualification;
            Advanced metallic fuels and molten salt 
        fuel is moved to Next Generation Fuels from Fuel Cycle 
        Laboratory R&D and
            Graphite qualification is moved to Advanced 
        Reactor Technologies from Triso Fuel and Graphite 
        Qualification.
    Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP).--Since 2009, the 
Department has allocated up to 20 percent of funds appropriated 
to Nuclear Energy research and development programs to fund 
university-led R&D and university infrastructure projects 
through an open, competitive solicitation process using 
formally certified peer reviewers. The recommendation continues 
to include a separate control point to fund NEUP and other 
crosscutting program responsibilities, including Small Business 
Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer 
(STTR), and Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF), in order 
to provide greater transparency and flexibility for this 
program. The Department is directed to provide to the Committee 
prior to the obligation of these funds a detailed spending and 
execution plan for NEUP activities. The Department is directed 
to provide to the Committee not later than 90 days after 
enactment of this Act and quarterly thereafter briefings on the 
implementation of NEUP. As in previous years, no funds are 
provided for the planning and construction of new university 
reactors.
    The Committee is aware of non-federal efforts to deploy 
advanced research reactors at certain U.S. universities. Some 
of these reactors may require advanced fuel types, including 
the potential use of HALEU and molten salt from existing 
Department of Energy inventories. When prioritizing use of 
these inventories and funding for nuclear fuel, the Department 
shall consider the benefits of advanced university research 
reactors and the financial impact of significant private 
investment.

                  NUCLEAR ENERGY ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

    Crosscutting Technology Development.--The Department is 
encouraged to work with national laboratories and the electric 
power industry to support the development and qualification of 
high-performance materials with improved high-temperature 
strength and resistance to corrosion and irradiation effects 
for use in advanced nuclear reactors.
    Nuclear Science User Facilities.--The recommendation 
includes not less than $15,000,000 for computational support.

                  FUEL CYCLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

    Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability.--The recommendation 
includes $27,400,000 for EBR-II processing for HALEU.
    GAO Review of the Acquisition Strategy for High-Assay, Low-
Enriched Uranium (HALEU).--The fiscal year 2024 Act directed 
the Comptroller General to conduct a comprehensive evaluation 
of the Department's strategy and plans for the development of 
HALEU. The Committee understands that work on this evaluation 
has begun and looks forward to reviewing preliminary and final 
findings and recommendations at the appropriate time.
    Material Recovery and Waste Form Development.--The U.S. has 
approximately 86,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from 
commercial reactors stored at 75 U.S. sites, and this amount 
continues to grow annually. Currently, countries including 
France, United Kingdom, Japan, Russia, and China reprocess 
their nuclear waste. The Committee supports the Department's 
ongoing reprocessing efforts and believes greater progress can 
be made. The Committee recommends not less than $10,000,000 to 
continue the Department's competitive, cost-shared program for 
reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. Award funding may be used for 
(1) conceptual design; (2) technical studies; and (3) site 
studies. The primary goal of this program is to focus 
government and industry resources on reprocessing capabilities 
with commercial application by 2033. This program is not 
intended to stop any ongoing activities funded in this or other 
programs.
    The Committee supports the development of capabilities to 
process Advanced Test Reactor used fuel for HALEU recovery. The 
Department is encouraged to consider a competitive, cost-shared 
program for early state, industry-led technology development 
related to technology demonstration of aqueous recycling and 
recovery of critical isotopes for use in medicine, industry, or 
defense.
    Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF).--The Committee continues to 
place a high priority on completion of the near-term Accident 
Tolerant Fuels program and urges the Department to maintain 
focus on achieving near-term results under development by the 
three industry-led vendors in these efforts. The recommendation 
supports the participation of the three industry-led teams in 
the cost-shared research and development program and for 
testing, code development, and licensing of higher-enriched and 
higher burnup accident tolerant fuels. The Department is 
reminded that it cannot reallocate or reprogram funds without 
the approval of the Committee. The Department is directed to 
align its contracts with the three industry-lead teams with the 
funding provided by the Committee. Finally, the Department is 
directed to provide the Committee with a table summarizing the 
allocation of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 funds not 
later than 60 days after enactment of this Act.
    Next Generation Fuels.--The recommendation provides not 
less than $32,000,000 for further development of silicon 
carbide ceramic matrix composite fuel cladding for light water 
reactors, not less than $15,000,000 to continue TRISO fuel 
qualification activities, and not less than $15,000,000 for 
advanced metallic fuels activities.
    The Committee is pleased with the results so far from the 
development of the silicon carbide ceramic matrix fuel rod 
performance and encourages the Department to address 
manufacturing process scale-up, licensing and qualification, 
irradiation and post-irradiation examination, and modeling tool 
development.

       REACTOR CONCEPTS RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION

    Advanced Small Modular Reactor RD&D.--The United States 
continues to trail Chinese and Russian expansion in nuclear 
deployments around the globe, which is a threat to both our 
allies and our own energy security. To help address this issue, 
the fiscal year 2024 Act provided $100,000,000 for design work 
needed to deploy Generation 3+ small modular reactors (SMR). 
Unfortunately, the Department is not implementing this funding 
as intended. By not awarding funding for design work on the 
schedule directed by Congress, the Administration puts at risk 
near-term deployment of U.S. nuclear technology domestically 
and internationally. To support near-term U.S. deployment, the 
recommendation includes $100,000,000 to be awarded 
competitively for up to two U.S. nuclear design companies for 
work, including licensing, to complete their Generation 3+ grid 
scale SMR design, with priority going to designs that have a 
pathway to deployment in the near term. The Department is 
directed to make these awards not later than 60 days after 
enactment of this Act.
    Advanced Reactor Technologies.--The recommendation provides 
not less than $25,000,000 for MARVEL, not less than $7,800,000 
for graphite qualification activities, and up to $10,000,000 
for the fast reactor program.

                ADVANCED REACTORS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

    National Reactor Innovation Center.--The Committee 
encourages the Department to continue progress on the 
Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed at 
the Idaho National Laboratory and experiments to test 
microreactor designs in DOME.
    Advanced Nuclear Licensing.--The Committee recommends 
$10,000,000 for the Advanced Nuclear Energy Licensing Cost-
Share Grant Program as authorized under 42 U.S.C. 16280 for 
technology diversity, including spent nuclear fuel 
reprocessing. The Committee notes that for reactor designs, 
this program authorization does not restrict eligibility based 
on the electrical or thermal megawatt output of a small modular 
reactor or other advanced nuclear reactor designs and 
encourages the Department not to add such a restriction.

                  Fossil Energy and Carbon Management


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $865,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       900,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       875,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +10,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       -25,000,000
 

    The Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) program 
funds research, development, and demonstration activities to 
improve existing fossil energy technologies, develop solutions 
for the capture, storage, utilization, and removal of carbon 
across numerous sectors, including the industrial sector, and 
rebuild a domestic critical minerals supply chain.
    The Committee notes that fossil energy resources generate 
approximately 60 percent of the nation's electricity and will 
continue to play an essential role in maintaining a resilient 
electric grid. The Committee rejects the budget request's 
continued shift away from fossil combustion-centric activities 
and continues to provide funding for research, development, and 
demonstration activities that include all fossil resources.
    Consistent with direction provided in previous fiscal 
years, the Committee does not support the closure of any 
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) site and provides 
no funds to plan, develop, implement, or pursue the 
consolidation or closure of any of the NETL sites.
    Carbon Materials Research Initiative.--The Committee notes 
its previous direction to establish a Carbon Materials Research 
Initiative to expand the knowledge of coal, coal-wastes, and 
carbon ore chemistry. The recommendation includes up to 
$20,000,000 to continue these efforts.
    Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems & Hydrogen.--The 
recommendation provides not less than $100,000,000 for the 
research, development, and demonstration of solid oxide fuel 
cell systems and hydrogen production, transport, storage, and 
use systems.
    University-led Research and Technology Development.--The 
Committee directs the Department to continue funding 
competitive, university-led projects that drive innovation and 
workforce development in subsurface energy production. The 
Department is encouraged to maintain a balance of funding 
between early-stage, university-driven projects and later-
stage, demonstration projects with industry. Within available 
funding, the Committee recommends that 15 percent of FECM's 
research and development funding be for competitive, 
university-led projects to conduct early-stage research and 
technology development. Priority areas should include natural 
gas research, including unconventional gas production; methane 
emissions detection and prevention; enhanced hydrocarbon 
recovery technologies; artificial lift technologies for 
unconventional wells; wellbore integrity and well stimulation; 
and produced water treatment and disposal. This effort shall 
also include applying new technologies, including artificial 
intelligence and machine learning, to gain a better 
understanding of the complex physics in unconventional 
reservoirs, and improved stimulation practices and subsurface 
characterization to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions 
from subsurface energy production and related operations as 
well as maximizing the recovery of existing hydrocarbon 
reservoirs. To improve the environmental sustainability of 
subsurface energy production, the Department is encouraged to 
advance technologies related to increased efficiency and energy 
recovery from field operations. In continuing with prior 
direction from this Committee, the Department is directed to 
ensure these activities are led by research universities.
    University Training and Research.--The recommendation does 
not include funding in support of the Administration's 
Justice40 Initiative.

                     CARBON MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES

    The Committee recommends funding for the Department's 
National Carbon Capture Center consistent with the cooperative 
agreement.
    Carbon Capture.--The recommendation provides up to 
$20,000,000 for competitively-awarded chemical looping hydrogen 
production and carbon capture pre-commercial demonstration 
projects, focusing on pre-commercial-scale demonstrations of 
chemical looping technologies.
    Carbon Dioxide Removal.--When issuing awards in support of 
the carbon dioxide removal pilot prize, the Department shall 
focus on multiple carbon removal technology pathways and 
emphasize methods that minimize removal reversibility and 
maximize storage duration.
    Carbon Utilization.--The recommendation provides 
$10,000,000 to advance processes for developing sustainable 
aviation fuel that utilizes carbon extracted from industrial 
emissions.
    The Department is encouraged to coordinate with EERE to 
support research on utilizing advanced manufacturing 
technologies to convert petroleum coke and other carbonaceous 
waste streams into high purity products, including graphite.
    Carbon Storage.--The Committee notes that resources 
provided by Public Law 117-58 for carbon storage validation and 
testing for the Department of Energy are eligible to be used to 
provide information that supports the processing of Class VI 
permits for Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide by the 
Environmental Protection Agency and by states with primary 
enforcement authority.
    Hydrogen with Carbon Management.--The agreement provides 
not less than $35,000,000 for Advanced Turbines to carry out 
research, development, and demonstration activities to develop 
near-zero-emission advanced turbines technologies. The 
Department is encouraged to focus on technologies that provide 
weight savings and durability from high temperature composites, 
including aerospace turbines and ceramic matrix composites that 
enable a significant decrease in turbine weight, resulting in 
less fuel consumption, lower lifecycle cost, and improved 
system thrust-to-weight. The Department is encouraged to work 
cooperatively with industry, universities, and other 
appropriate parties.
    The Committee provides up to $10,000,000 for research on 
rotating detonation engines and turbines with commercially 
relevant inlet conditions for hydrogen-fueled rotating 
detonation combustion.
    The Committee directs the Department to continue expanding 
its research and demonstration capabilities toward production, 
storage, transport, and utilization of hydrogen. This work 
shall focus on net-negative carbon hydrogen production from 
gasification and co-gasification of mixed wastes, biomass, 
plastics and traditional feedstocks, reversible solid oxide 
cell technology development for hydrogen and power production, 
carbon capture, advanced turbines, natural gas-based hydrogen 
production, hydrogen pipeline infrastructure, and subsurface 
hydrogen storage. The Committee is encouraged by the 
collaborative efforts with industry under the Geothermal Energy 
Oil and Gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) Program and 
encourages the Department to launch a similar industry-led 
effort in FECM regarding underground hydrogen storage.
    Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) 
Generation.--In addition to competitively awarded research and 
development activities to advance the use of supercritical 
power cycles, the Committee also supports efforts to perform 
demonstration testing of the sCO2 recompression power cycle at 
high temperature to achieve the significantly high efficiencies 
predicted for this cycle to de-risk deployment, while 
leveraging the substantial prior investment in the STEP 
facility to operate under these conditions consistent with the 
original STEP project scope of work.

                RESOURCE TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABILITY

    Advanced Remediation Technologies.--The recommendation 
provides $9,300,000 for the Risk Based Data Management System.
    The Committee notes the Department's continued investment 
in research and development on unconventional fossil energy 
technologies, including support for field laboratories. The 
Department is encouraged to explore the rapid development of a 
prototype or prototypes of new technologies identified by the 
Department that use solid propellant fuel to generate gas and 
that drive hydraulic systems to shut off unwanted flows or blow 
outs of oil or gas from onshore or offshore wells in the 
shortest possible time with the highest possible reliability 
and efficiency. The Department is encouraged to ensure that 
this new technology is created, patented, built, and deployed 
by an American company or companies and to protect the 
confidentiality of the intellectual property and patents as 
applicable.
    Methane Mitigation Technologies.--The Department is 
directed to support research and development activities to 
assess the feasibility of utilizing vapor recovery units as a 
methane reduction solution, including the use of technologies 
to isolate the source of emissions at the wellhead or 
individual facility level. The Department is encouraged to 
explore improved technologies, including in coordination with 
public-private partnerships.
    Within available funds, the Committee provides $10,000,000 
to establish a university-based methane emissions monitoring 
data analytics center. The center should be a consortium of 
academia, national labs, and industry focused on data 
integration, analytics, processing, and visualization from 
methane monitoring sensors to provide easily accessible and 
actionable information to industry and other stakeholders to 
better mitigate, predict, and prevent methane leaks from 
natural gas production.
    The Department is encouraged to support activities to 
develop and demonstrate an easily implementable, maintainable, 
and low-cost integrated methane monitoring platform.
    The Committee includes up to $6,000,000 for university-led 
research and development of biofilm based reactive barrier 
technologies that can significantly reduce atmospheric methane 
emissions from orphaned wells.
    Natural Gas Decarbonization and Hydrogen Technologies.--The 
Committee directs the Department to conduct an analysis on the 
feasibility of utilizing existing natural gas infrastructure 
such as pipelines and underground storage facilities for low-
carbon fuels.
    The Committee directs the Department to continue to conduct 
research and development on high-precision hydrogen-sensing 
technologies for leakage mitigation and includes up to 
$5,000,000 for this effort. The Department is directed to 
provide to the Committee not later than 120 days after 
enactment of this Act a report summarizing its efforts to date 
in these areas and its plans regarding the creation of hydrogen 
emissions monitoring and verification systems and leakage 
mitigation protocols in different contexts.
    Minerals Sustainability.--The Department is directed to 
focus its research and development efforts to develop and 
assess advanced separation technologies for the extraction and 
recovery of rare earth elements and other critical materials 
from coal and coal byproducts. Further, the Department is 
directed to determine and mitigate any potential environmental 
or public health impacts that could arise from the recovery of 
rare earth elements from coal-based resources.
    The Committee supports the Department's activities to 
advance critical mineral and materials recovery from all viable 
primary and secondary resources through research and 
development and utilization of artificial intelligence.
    Within available funds, the Committee provides up to 
$10,000,000 for the Department to support research and 
development activities to develop and test advanced separation 
technologies and accelerate the advancement of technologies for 
the recovery of rare earth elements and minerals from byproduct 
sources, including bauxite residue.
    The Committee recognizes the Department's high demand for 
critical minerals and its continued reliance on foreign sources 
for supply. The Committee also recognizes that the Department's 
demand for critical minerals, including synthetic graphite, is 
likely to increase in the coming decade, concurrent with a rise 
in global demand. The Committee directs the Department to 
continue its research and development activities in support of 
technologies to domestically produce synthetic graphite.
    The Committee directs the Department, within available 
funds, to incentivize the deployment of new technologies for 
the extraction of critical minerals from produced water from 
oil and gas operations. The Committee recognizes the potential 
for produced water to be turned into a valuable resource and 
encourages the Department to continue to fund and deploy 
innovative technologies in this space. Further, the Committee 
encourages the Department to fund demonstration activities 
focused on extracting high-value minerals, including lithium, 
from produced water.
    Within available funds, the Committee provides up to 
$10,000,000 for the Department to conduct research and 
development activities to support the development of an 
academia-industry partnership with a national lab to create a 
new domestic rare earth supply chain derived from the 
byproducts of phosphate mining. This project will also focus on 
the use of advanced separations of rare earth minerals and 
separation techniques for radium and other radioactive 
materials.
    The Committee supports the budget request's Advanced 
Critical Material Recovery Technologies activity and other 
efforts to ensure and expand domestic production of critical 
minerals. The Committee notes FECM's previous work to 
characterize subsurface resources and directs the Department to 
initiate research, development, and demonstration programs to 
develop next-generation mining, novel processing, and 
extraction technologies. As part of and in addition to these 
efforts, the Committee provides $50,000,000 to establish a 
competitive research and grant program to accelerate and 
advance mineral exploration, targeted drilling and 
characterization, digital subsurface technology applications, 
rock comminution, enhanced tailings management, in-situ mineral 
extraction, and mineral extraction from less conventional 
sources, including produced waters and lower grade ores. The 
Committee expects the Department to develop a technology 
roadmap to ensure these technologies continue to support a 
domestic production capability in the United States. Further, 
the Committee expects the Department to coordinate its mineral 
activities from downstream to upstream technologies to reduce 
duplication and streamline activities.

                 Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $13,010,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        13,010,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        13,010,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves continues work 
toward closing out remaining environmental restoration and 
remediation activities.

                      Strategic Petroleum Reserve


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $213,390,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       241,169,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       295,148,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +81,758,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       +53,979,000
 

    The mission of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is to store 
petroleum to reduce the adverse economic impact of a major 
petroleum supply interruption to the United States and to carry 
out obligations under the international energy program.
    The Department continues to discuss the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve as a tool to affect gasoline prices, rather than 
protection against severe supply disruptions as originally and 
statutorily intended. Further, the Department has been slow to 
refill crude oil reserves, primarily pointing to an arbitrary 
maximum price as the reason. The Committee certainly supports 
purchases at good value for the federal government. The 
Department, however, has not provided any substantive 
justification for DOE's specific target price. The Department 
is directed to continue efforts to refill the Strategic 
Petroleum Reserve expeditiously and to provide to the Committee 
not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act, and 
quarterly thereafter, a briefing on its plans to refill the 
Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
    Regional Reserves.--The Committee is aware of continued 
interest by some stakeholders in regional reserves of refined 
petroleum products. If the Department determines further 
consideration of regional reserves is worthwhile, the 
Department is encouraged to consider the feasibility of 
different regional reserve sizes, locations, fuel composition, 
and geological storage capacity, such as salt cavern storage, 
and to consider approaches for coordination with states, 
federal agencies, commercial suppliers, and others.

                   Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $7,150,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         7,150,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         7,150,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The acquisition and storage of heating oil for the 
Northeast began in August 2000 when the Department of Energy, 
through the Strategic Petroleum Reserve account, awarded 
contracts for the lease of commercial storage facilities and 
acquisition of heating oil. The purpose of the reserve is to 
assure home heating oil supplies for the Northeastern States 
during times of very low inventories and significant threats to 
the immediate supply of heating oil. The Northeast Home Heating 
Oil Reserve was established as a separate entity from the 
Strategic Petroleum Reserve on March 6, 2001.

                   Energy Information Administration


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $135,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       141,653,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       141,653,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +6,653,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Energy Information Administration is a quasi-
independent agency within the Department of Energy established 
to provide timely, objective, and accurate energy-related 
information to the Congress, the executive branch, state 
governments, industry, and the public.
    The Department is directed to conduct a monthly survey of 
large cryptocurrency mining operators and validators. Data 
collected shall include but not be limited to electricity 
consumption and the potential impacts on electricity costs, 
grid reliability, and emissions, as determined by the Energy 
Information Administration.
    The Committee directs the Department to work with industry 
to survey electric transmission and distribution system 
operators for data on new generator interconnection 
applications and to provide to the Committee not later than 180 
days after enactment of this Act a report that summarizes its 
efforts.
    The Committee encourages the Department to resume data 
collection, analysis, and reporting activities for ground 
source heat pump shipments and installations, based on previous 
iterations of the Annual Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacturers 
Survey. The Department is directed to provide to the Committee 
not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act a report on 
its ongoing efforts and remaining challenges to resume tracking 
these activities.
    The Committee directs the Energy Information Administration 
to continue important data collection, analysis, and reporting 
activities on energy use and consumption through the Commercial 
Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), the Residential 
Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), and the Manufacturing Energy 
Consumption Survey (MECS).

                   Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $342,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       314,636,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       324,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       -18,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        +9,364,000
 

    Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup includes funds to manage 
and remediate sites used for civilian, energy research, and 
non-defense related activities. These past activities resulted 
in radioactive, hazardous, and mixed waste contamination that 
requires remediation, stabilization, or some other action.
    Small Sites.--The Committee provides $89,500,000 for small 
sites, of which $10,000,000 is for the Energy Technology 
Engineering Center (ETEC), $12,500,000 is for Idaho National 
Laboratory, and $67,000,000 is for Moab.
    The Committee is aware that Environmental Management, the 
Office of Science, and Brookhaven National Laboratory are in 
discussions on how to address groundwater remediation issues at 
the site. The Committee looks forward to reviewing any 
recommendations that are developed.

                   Uranium Enrichment Decontamination
                        and Decommissioning Fund


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $855,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       854,182,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       864,182,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +9,182,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       +10,000,000
 

    The Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning 
Fund was established by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to fund 
the cleanup of gaseous diffusion plants at Portsmouth, Ohio; 
Paducah, Kentucky; and the East Tennessee Technology Park in 
Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
    Paducah Site.--The Committee recognizes annual maintenance 
costs regularly exceed $1,000,000 annually for the 70-year-old 
C-100 program support facility at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion 
Plant (PGDP). A support facility is required to support current 
and future cleanup efforts at the site, which are expected to 
last until 2065. The Department is currently reviewing 
replacement options, and the Committee looks forward to 
reviewing the report as soon as it is final. The Committee is 
also aware of DOE's consideration of land transfer to the 
community to support future reindustrialization and DOE's 
efforts to revamp the regulatory strategy for the site and 
expedite regulatory decision points. These efforts support a 
holistic site-wide approach intended to accelerate cleanup and 
enable future economic redevelopment.

                                Science


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $8,240,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     8,583,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     8,390,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      +150,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................      -193,000,000
 

    The Office of Science funds science research across 
national laboratories, universities, and other research 
institutions in support of American innovation and the 
Department's energy-focused missions. Through research in 
physics, biology, chemistry, and other science disciplines, 
these activities expand scientific understanding and secure the 
nation's leadership in energy innovation. This science research 
is crucial to enabling the nation to continue developing 
transformational energy technologies and to position itself to 
seize economic opportunities in the global energy markets of 
the future. The Office of Science is the nation's largest 
supporter of research in the physical sciences. The Committee 
has placed a high priority on funding these activities, given 
the private sector is not likely to fund research whose 
findings either have high non-commercial value or are not 
likely to be commercialized in the near or medium term. This 
work is vital to sustaining the scientific leadership of the 
United States and can provide the underpinnings for valuable 
intellectual property in the coming decades.
    The Office of Science includes the following programs: 
Advanced Scientific Computing Research; Basic Energy Sciences; 
Biological and Environmental Research: Fusion Energy Sciences; 
High Energy Physics; Nuclear Physics; Isotope R&D and 
Production; Accelerator R&D and Production; Workforce 
Development for Teachers and Scientists; Science Laboratories 
Infrastructure; Safeguards and Security; and Program Direction.
    Biomedical Sciences.--Collaborative research efforts 
between the Department and the National Institutes of Health 
(NIH), including the National Institute of Mental Health 
(NIMH), are developing breakthroughs in health research, 
including drug discovery; brain research, imaging, and 
analysis; innovative neurotechnologies; and diagnostic 
technologies, including advanced imaging of brain morphology. 
The Department is encouraged to expand its relationships with 
NIH, including NIMH, including through strategic partnership 
projects, to work together more strategically to leverage the 
Department's research capabilities, including instrumentation, 
materials, modeling and simulation, and data science. The 
Committee notes these expanded relationships can help study, 
map, and better understand the functions and structure of the 
human brain. The facilities and equipment funded in this Act 
can also support applications in many other areas of biomedical 
research, including neuropsychiatric disorders. Better 
coordination between the Department and NIH could be 
instrumental in the development of the nation's health, 
security, and technologies with novel biomedical application. 
The Committee directs the Department to coordinate with NIH and 
to provide to the Committee not later than 180 days after 
enactment of this Act a report that identifies the various 
national laboratory assets within the Department's portfolio 
that are currently being utilized by the neuroscience research 
community to address research on neuropsychiatric disorders.
     Carbon Sequestration and Geologic Computational Science.--
The Committee directs the Department to establish within the 
Office of Science a research initiative focused on carbon 
sequestration and geologic computational science. The 
Department shall coordinate and leverage existing activities 
from across FECM and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
    Energy Earthshots.--The recommendation provides $20,000,000 
for Energy Earthshots, including $5,000,000 from Advanced 
Scientific Computing Research, $10,000,000 from Basic Energy 
Sciences, and $5,000,000 from Biological and Environmental 
Research.
    Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research 
(EPSCoR).--The recommendation provides not less than 
$35,000,000 across the Office of Science programs for the 
EPSCoR.
    Justice40 Initiatives.--The recommendation includes no 
funding for the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce 
(RENEW) or Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research (FAIR) 
initiatives.
    Microelectronics.--The Committee supports the Department's 
efforts to expand microelectronics research. However, the 
Committee notes that the current funding approach to establish 
four Microelectronics Centers assumes that $120,000,000 will be 
provided in support of these efforts over the next three years. 
This strategy creates immense tension between supporting 
ongoing research efforts and funding new initiatives in a tight 
fiscal environment. The Committee expects the Office of Science 
to ensure that any funding awards in support of the 
Microelectronics Centers remain flexible to ensure smaller 
scale research is not lost if funding for the Centers is not 
available in future years. In addition, as the Office of 
Science balances its approach between supporting large-scale 
research centers and smaller research awards, the Committee 
encourages the Department to ensure that research goals 
underpinning material, surface, and processing science 
complement later-stage research and development efforts led by 
the National Semiconductor Technology Center.
    Quantum Information Sciences.--The Committee supports the 
coordinated and focused research program in quantum information 
science and technology. This emerging field of science promises 
to yield revolutionary new approaches to computing, sensing, 
and communication. The recommendation provides not less than 
$245,000,000 for quantum information science, including not 
less than $120,000,000 for research and $125,000,000 for the 
five National Quantum Information Science Research Centers 
(Quantum Centers). The Department is directed to establish a 
roadmap that integrates the scientific goals of each of the 
Quantum Centers and includes a discussion of remaining goals 
that are to be met by future renewals of the Quantum Centers. 
The Committee expects that any potential renewals or re-
competitions of the Quantum Centers will come only after the 
creation of an executable roadmap with clear outyear funding 
estimates. The Department shall continue its coordination 
efforts with the National Science Foundation, other federal 
agencies, private sector stakeholders, and the user community 
to promote researcher access to quantum systems, enhance the 
U.S. quantum research enterprise, develop the U.S. quantum 
computing, networking, sensing, and communications industry, 
and educate the future quantum computing workforce. The 
Committee supports efforts to expand quantum internet, 
networking, and communications testbeds. In addition, the 
Committee provides up to $15,000,000 for the Department to 
conduct research activities in support of the Quantum User 
Expansion for Science and Technology program (QUEST), as 
authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act (Public Law 117-167), 
to facilitate researcher access to the nation's quantum 
computing hardware and cloud resources and to promote a strong 
user base for quantum systems development. Further, the 
Committee includes $20,000,000 to strengthen efforts to develop 
testbeds on high performance computing facilities to study how 
to effectively interface and integrate quantum processing units 
with traditional high performance computing resources. The 
Committee expects this work to be conducted in partnership with 
the Quantum Centers but notes that this is a new effort and 
this funding direction cannot be satisfied by ongoing 
activities.

                 ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING RESEARCH

    The Advanced Scientific Computing Research program develops 
and hosts some of the world's fastest computing and network 
capabilities to enable science and energy modeling, simulation, 
and research.
    High Performance Computing and Network Facilities.--The 
recommendation provides not less than $219,000,000 for the 
Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, not less than 
$260,000,000 for the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, 
and not less than $146,500,000 for the National Energy Research 
Scientific Computing Center. The recommendation includes 
$93,540,000 to support necessary infrastructure upgrades and 
operations for ESnet.
    The Department is directed to provide to the Committee not 
later than 180 days after enactment of this Act a report that 
includes an analysis and discussion of the Department's ongoing 
efforts to acquire high performance and quantum computing 
systems, advance research in quantum error correction, and 
develop a strategy for expanding and integrating quantum error 
correction research activities within the Advanced Scientific 
Computing Research program.
    Mathematical, Computational, and Computer Sciences 
Research.--The recommendation provides $330,000,000 for 
Mathematical, Computational, and Computer Sciences Research.
    The Committee includes up to $35,000,000 to support 
research to develop a new path to energy efficient computing 
with large, shared memory pools.

                         BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES

    The Basic Energy Sciences program funds research in 
materials science, chemistry, geoscience, and bioscience. The 
science breakthroughs in this program enable a broad array of 
innovation in energy technologies and other industries critical 
to American economic competitiveness.
    The recommendation provides $130,000,000 for Energy 
Frontier Research Centers, $25,000,000 for the Batteries and 
Energy Storage Innovation Hub, and $20,000,000 for the Fuels 
from Sunlight Innovation Hub.
    The recommendation provides $790,347,000 for facilities 
operations of the nation's light sources, $404,000,000 for 
facilities operations of the high-flux neutron sources, and 
$164,422,000 for facilities operations of the Nanoscale Science 
Research Centers.
    The recommendation provides not less than $9,500,000 for 
other project costs, including $4,500,000 for NSLS-II 
Experimental Tools-III and $5,000,000 for HFIR Pressure Vessel 
Replacement.

                 BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

    The Biological and Environmental Research program supports 
advances in energy technologies and related science through 
research into complex biological and environmental systems.
    The recommendation includes $422,465,000 for Biological 
Systems Science and $408,535,000 for Earth and Environmental 
Systems Sciences.
    The recommendation provides $20,000,000 to support low-dose 
radiation research. The Committee directs the Department to 
coordinate its implementation of the low-dose radiation program 
with the Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security. 
Within available funds for the low-dose radiation program, the 
Department shall support data improvements, maintenance, and 
harmonization of existing epidemiologic data resources and 
radiation exposure databases that are critical to informing 
ongoing and future low-dose radiation effects and research.
    The recommendation provides $118,000,000 for the Bioenergy 
Research Centers to accelerate research and development needed 
for advanced fuels and products.
    The recommendation provides $92,000,000 for the Joint 
Genome Institute.
    The Department is encouraged to increase its support of 
activities for academia to perform independent evaluations of 
climate models using existing data sets and peer-reviewed 
publications of climate-scale processes in order to determine 
various models' abilities to reproduce the actual climate.
    The recommendation provides not less than $30,000,000 to 
continue the development of observational assets and support 
associated research on the nation's major land-water 
interfaces, including the Great Lakes and the Puget Sound, that 
leverages national laboratories' assets as well as local 
infrastructure and expertise at universities and other research 
institutions.
    The recommendation provides not less than $39,000,000 to 
improve the understanding of key cloud, aerosol, precipitation, 
and radiation processes, including through outdoor process 
studies for marine atmosphere cloud aerosol research. The 
Department is encouraged to coordinate with the Department of 
Homeland Security and other agencies, as relevant, to support 
analysis of near-term climate risks and impacts on 
infrastructure and communities. Within available funds, 
$3,000,000 is to continue a pilot program to provide 
instrumentation for observing marine aerosols, greenhouse 
gases, and other environmental factors, as relevant, deployed 
on ocean vessels and to evaluate a sustained observing network 
using such platforms. The Committee supports the Department's 
efforts to develop a five-year plan for research to support a 
scientific assessment of near-term climate risk and solar and 
other climate interventions.
    The recommendation provides $65,000,000 for operation of 
the Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory and 
supports continued investment in the microbial molecular 
phenotyping capability.

                         FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES

    The Fusion Energy Sciences program supports research and 
experimentation aiming to harness nuclear fusion for energy 
production.
    The Committee appreciates the fusion community working 
through a consensus process to develop a comprehensive long-
range strategic plan for delivering fusion energy and advancing 
plasma science and looks forward to the forthcoming 
recommendations for Fusion Energy Sciences. The Department is 
directed to consider how to utilize public-private 
partnerships, international collaborations, existing and new 
user facilities, academic institutions, and test stands in 
order to make efficient use of federal funding, avoid 
duplication, and make progress toward achieving the goal of 
deploying commercial fusion.
    The recommendation provides $98,100,000 for NSTX-U, 
including NSTX-U Operations and NSTX-U Research.
    The recommendation provides not less than $131,500,000 for 
DIII-D, including DIII-D Operations and DIII-D Research. Upon 
completion of an upgrade plan, the Department may use from 
available funds for DIII-D up to $20,000,000 to support 
activities to enable completion of planned facility 
enhancements such as additional gyrotrons, new wall and heat 
management structures, and increased neutral beam power; 
revitalize critical equipment; and develop new tools to address 
critical research needs and to secure U.S. leadership in 
support of ITER and a potential future fusion pilot plant.
    The recommendation includes $42,500,000 for the Milestone-
Based Development Program.
    The recommendation provides $27,000,000 for the high energy 
density physics program to support the existing joint high-
energy-density laboratory plasma program, advance cutting-edge 
research at universities in extreme states of matter, expand 
the capabilities of the LaserNetUS facilities, and continue 
investments in new laser and inertial fusion energy 
technologies needed to maintain U.S. leadership.
    The recommendation provides up to $40,000,000 to support 
Inertial Fusion Energy research and development.
    The recommendation provides $25,000,000 for the Materials 
Plasma Exposure eXperiment.
    The recommendation includes $40,000,000 to support the 
Fusion Innovation Research Engine collaborations.
    Within fusion energy research, the Department is directed 
to consider advanced manufacturing capabilities in the 
development of programs related materials, manufacturing, 
components, and optimization.
    The recommendation includes funding for the Alternative and 
Enabling Concepts program.
    The Committee recognizes that a full-scale Fusion 
Prototypical Neutron Source is a high priority for the fusion 
community but that the establishment of such a facility remains 
challenging. As part of the Department's efforts to conduct 
future facilities studies, the Department shall explore the 
establishment of a smaller-scale Fusion Prototypical Neutron 
Source to determine whether it may enable key intermediate 
steps to accelerate fusion materials research while a full-
scale system plan is developed.

                          HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS

    The High Energy Physics program supports fundamental 
research into the elementary constituents of matter and energy 
and ultimately into the nature of space and time. The program 
focuses on particle physics theory and experimentation in three 
areas: the energy frontier, which investigates new particles 
and fundamental forces through high-energy experimentation; the 
intensity frontier, which focuses on rare events to better 
understand the fundamental model of the universe's elementary 
constituents; and the cosmic frontier, which investigates the 
nature of the universe and its form of matter and energy on 
cosmic scales.
    The Committee supports research in extreme ultraviolet 
lithography technology and its ability to advance semiconductor 
manufacturing. The Department is directed to continue to 
support advanced accelerator technologies and support 
translational research to move technology out of the national 
laboratories.
    The Committee supports the Department's role in the Alpha 
Magnetic Spectrometer experiment and encourages the Department 
to conduct research projects that focus on studying the 
temporal and spatial evolution of cosmic ray and magnetospheric 
particle data within the giga electron volt energy range.
    The recommendation provides not less than $37,500,000 for 
the Sanford Underground Research Facility and $10,000,000 for 
the Accelerator Controls Operations Research Network.
    The Committee supports the Cosmic Microwave Background 
Stage 4 (CMB-S4) experiment and the recommendations of the 
Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel. However, the 
Committee notes the plan for CMB-S4 has recently undergone 
major changes. Therefore, the Committee provides no further 
increase in funding while planning efforts are underway to 
determine a final path forward for CMB-S4. The Committee will 
continuously reevaluate this position as new planning and cost 
estimates become clear.

                            NUCLEAR PHYSICS

    The Nuclear Physics program supports research into the 
fundamental particles that compose nuclear matter, how they 
interact, and how they combine to form the different types of 
matter observed in the universe today.
    The recommendation includes not less than $105,000,000 for 
operations at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) and 
not less than $150,000,000 for operations at the Continuous 
Electron Beam Accelerator Facility.
    The recommendation provides $15,000,000 for the High 
Rigidity Spectrometer. The Committee supports the FRIB Isotope 
Harvesting projects.

                       ISOTOPE R&D AND PRODUCTION

    Isotope R&D and Production ensures robust supply chains of 
critical radioactive and stable isotopes for the nation that no 
domestic entity has the infrastructure or core competency to 
produce.
    The Committee recommends up to $10,000,000 to manufacture 
critical components to maintain existing isotope production 
facilities.
    The Committee directs the Isotope R&D and Production 
program to coordinate with the Fusion Energy Sciences program 
to study the production capabilities of fusion reactions to 
produce helium-3.
    The Committee encourages the Department to assess the 
supply chain of stable domestic sources of non-carrier added 
lutetium-177.

           WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS AND SCIENTISTS

    The Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists 
program ensures that the nation has the sustained pipeline of 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 
workers to meet national goals and objectives.
    The Committee recognizes and supports the Department's 
critical role in building a STEM workforce pipeline through 
science-based research participant and education programs, 
including supporting the nation's federal scientific enterprise 
by helping facilitate participant programs through strategic 
partnerships with other departments and agencies.

                         Nuclear Waste Disposal


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $12,040,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        12,040,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        12,040,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The recommendation includes $12,040,000 for Nuclear Waste 
Disposal for Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) oversight activities.
    The Department is directed to provide to the Committee not 
later than 90 days after enactment of this Act a briefing on 
anticipated future-year requirements for NWF oversight 
activities.

                         Technology Transitions


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $20,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        27,098,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        20,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        -7,098,000
 

    The mission of the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) 
is to expand the commercial and public impact of the research 
investments of the Department. OTT enhances the public return 
on investment in the Department's technology portfolio, 
including the national laboratories, through a suite of 
outcome-oriented activities that enable job creation and 
commercialization of technologies developed by the Department.
    The recommendation provides $4,000,000 to support the 
Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) program.
    The recommendation includes $1,500,000 for operations and 
administrative expenses of the Foundation for Energy Security 
and Innovation.
    The Committee directs the Department to continue to utilize 
incubators when appropriate to assist the agency in its 
efforts.

                      Clean Energy Demonstrations


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $50,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       180,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        27,500,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       -22,500,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................      -152,500,000
 

    The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) was 
established to accelerate the maturation of near- and mid-term 
clean energy technologies and systems with the goal of quicker 
commercial adoption and increased availability. This will be 
accomplished through a systematic approach that is informed by, 
and integrated with, existing clean energy innovation 
initiatives across the Department's program and functional 
offices, sites, and national laboratories.
    The recommendation only includes funding for Program 
Direction and provides no funding for new demonstrations, 
including the budget request proposal on extreme heat. The 
Committee notes that more than $21 billion has been provided to 
the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations in previous fiscal 
years for demonstration activities. When awarding these funds, 
the Committee encourages the Department to consider technology 
demonstrations in high-emitting and historically difficult-to-
abate sectors.
    The Committee directs OCED to coordinate with the applied 
energy offices to develop historical analyses of early-, mid-, 
and later-stage research and development projects supported by 
the Department that are directly related to current large-scale 
demonstrations being managed by OCED. In conducting these 
analyses, the Department is directed to identify existing gaps 
between the different research, development, and demonstration 
stages.

               Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $460,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       450,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       450,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       -10,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy (ARPA-E) 
supports research aimed at rapidly developing energy 
technologies whose development and commercialization are too 
risky to attract sufficient private sector investment but are 
capable of significantly changing the energy sector to address 
critical economic, environmental, and energy security 
challenges.

         Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program


                        Administrative Expenses


                          GROSS APPROPRIATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $70,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        55,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        55,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       -15,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                         OFFSETTING COLLECTIONS

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      -$70,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................      -170,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................      -170,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      -100,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                           NET APPROPRIATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................             - - -
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     -$115,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................      -115,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      -115,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The recommendation includes a net appropriation of 
-$115,000,000 in administrative expenses for the Loan Guarantee 
Program.
    The Department is directed to ensure that a project's 
eligibility is not restricted based on the maximum electrical 
or thermal output of different generations of nuclear reactors.

               Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing
                              Loan Program


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $13,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        27,508,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        18,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +5,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        -9,508,000
 

    The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 
established a direct loan program to support the development of 
advanced technology vehicles and associated components in the 
United States. The program provides loans to automobile and 
automobile part manufacturers for the cost of re-equipping, 
expanding, or establishing manufacturing facilities in the 
United States to produce advanced technology vehicles or 
qualified components, and for associated engineering 
integration costs.
    The Committee notes that manufacturers of medium- and 
heavy-duty vehicles powered by propane gas and other 
alternative fuels can meet the low emissions requirements and 
other eligibility criteria under the ATVM program. The 
Committee directs ATVM to provide due consideration to all 
applications utilizing technologies that meet the criteria of 
the program.

                  Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $6,300,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         6,300,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         6,300,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established a loan guarantee 
program for energy development to provide or expand electricity 
on Indian land.

                   Indian Energy Policy And Programs


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $70,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        95,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        95,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +25,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established the Office of 
Indian Energy and Policy Programs. The Office of Indian Energy 
provides technical assistance, direct and remote education, 
policy research and analysis, and financial assistance to 
Indian tribes, Alaska Native Village and Regional corporations, 
and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations.
    Within available funds, the Department is encouraged to 
work with universities and the national laboratories to provide 
technical assistance to Indian Tribes for modeling and 
simulation activities utilizing high performance computers to 
assist with energy infrastructure development planning efforts.

                      Departmental Administration


                          GROSS APPROPRIATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $387,078,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       435,249,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       387,078,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       -48,171,000
 

                                REVENUES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      -100,578,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................      -100,578,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................      -100,578,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                           NET APPROPRIATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $286,500,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       334,671,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       286,500,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       -48,171,000
 

    Funding recommended for Departmental Administration 
provides for general management and program support functions 
benefiting all elements of the Department, including the 
National Nuclear Security Administration. The account funds a 
wide array of Headquarters activities not directly associated 
with the execution of specific programs. The recommendation 
includes six reprogramming control points in this account to 
provide flexibility in the management of support functions. 
Other Departmental Administration includes the same offices as 
in the fiscal year 2024 Act. The Department is directed to 
continue to submit a budget request that proposes a separate 
funding level for each of these activities.
    Office of the Secretary.--The Committee has become aware 
that the Office of the Secretary, particularly the Office of 
the Under Secretary for Infrastructure and the Office of the 
Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, has increased 
staffing well beyond the level supported by the Office of the 
Secretary annual funding line. Unfortunately, the Department 
has been exceedingly slow to provide specific information 
requested by the Committee, and the information that has been 
provided has not been sufficient or clear. While some use of 
detail assignments or other staffing mechanisms may be 
appropriate to address shorter-term needs, the information 
provided to date seems to suggest a concerted effort to 
obfuscate true staffing levels or to circumvent funding limits 
set by the Committee. Either scenario is unacceptable. 
Therefore, not later than 45 days after enactment of this Act, 
the Department shall provide to the Committee a briefing on 
staffing within the Office of the Secretary. The briefing shall 
include comprehensive data on current and planned staffing 
levels; a specific breakdown of funding sources; descriptions 
of work scope for each staffer, including whether the 
Department intends the work scope to be temporary or enduring 
within the Office of the Secretary; and a plan to move toward 
having no more than 25 percent of staff within each office 
within the Office of the Secretary be paid through sources 
other than the Office of the Secretary funding line.
    Chief Information Officer.--The Department is encouraged to 
develop a 6G research and development roadmap and spectrum 
methodology for energy sector security and resiliency, 
leveraging existing and ongoing 5G security research and 
testing facilities.
    The Committee recognizes the Department's ongoing efforts 
to protect federal government networks by modernizing and 
implementing stronger cybersecurity standards. These efforts 
include moving the enterprise to secure cloud services and a 
zero-trust architecture, as well as deploying multi-factor 
authentication and encryption. The Committee directs the 
Department to submit to the Committee not later than one year 
after enactment of this Act a detailed cybersecurity readiness 
level assessment and implementation plan for protecting the 
Department's headquarters, field, sites, and laboratory 
computers, networks, and data from unauthorized access.
    Other Departmental Administration.--The recommendation 
includes no funding for the Office of Energy Justice and Equity 
(formerly Economic Impact and Diversity) nor for electric 
vehicles or charging infrastructure. The Committee provides 
$39,000,000 for the Office of Human Capital, not less than 
$41,000,000 for the General Counsel, not more than $6,000,000 
for Public Affairs, not more than $27,000,000 for the Office of 
Policy, and $32,000,000 for International Affairs.
    Within International Affairs, the recommendation includes 
$2,000,000 for the Israel Binational Industrial Research and 
Development (BIRD) Foundation and $4,000,000 to continue the 
U.S. Israel Center of Excellence in Energy Engineering and 
Water Technology.
    The Department is directed to brief the Committee not later 
than 90 days after enactment of this Act on opportunities to 
further partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 
including opportunities to leverage the experience, knowledge, 
and expertise of institutions of higher education and entities 
in the private sector, among others, to develop more robust 
academic cooperation in energy innovation technology and 
engineering, water science, technology transfer, and analysis 
of emerging geopolitical implications, which include 
opportunities as well as crises and threats from foreign 
natural resource and energy acquisitions. The Department shall 
not establish a new program unless such program is proposed in 
a future budget request and approved by Congress.
    The Committee supports the goals of the Office of Research, 
Technology, and Economic Security within International Affairs. 
Currently, the Office is funded via a fee-for-service model. 
The Department is directed to brief the Committee not later 
than 90 days after enactment of this Act on the benefits and 
drawbacks of various funding models, including the impact on 
the Office's ability to address security concerns in a 
comprehensive and proactive manner.
    Artificial Intelligence.--The Committee commends the 
Department for its announced strategy to adopt and implement 
artificial intelligence (AI) in a scalable, secure, and 
interoperable manner. To achieve its AI goals, the Department 
is encouraged to consider utilizing a non-proprietary private 
AI architecture that allows the Department to develop and 
deploy Large Language Models (LLMs) and other AI models while 
securely maintaining control and privacy of the Department's 
data, models, and algorithms, with integrated security and 
management, on existing private and hybrid cloud technology 
platforms.
    Puerto Rico Power Generation Assets.--The Committee 
acknowledges that Puerto Rico has faced various natural 
disasters and economic challenges that have resulted in 
disruptions in services, such as a reliable and continuous 
power supply. It is imperative to provide Puerto Rico with 
power solutions that can be installed and maintained quickly 
while the necessary repairs and maintenance are carried out on 
publicly owned power plants and, in parallel, new clean power 
resources are procured. The Department shall provide to the 
Committee not later than 60 days after enactment of this Act a 
report detailing dispatchable generation assets that can be 
installed on the island and commissioned to inject power into 
the grid within 60 days or less and be sustained for a minimum 
of two years. The report shall also include potential funding 
strategies to secure the energy grid, as well as how the assets 
can be permitted to operate on an expedited basis without any 
permitting or dispatch capacity restrictions if required.

                    Office of the Inspector General


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $86,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       149,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       100,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +14,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       -49,000,000
 

    The Office of the Inspector General performs agency-wide 
audit, inspection, and investigative functions to identify and 
correct management and administrative deficiencies that create 
conditions for existing or potential instances of fraud, waste, 
and mismanagement. The audit function provides financial and 
performance audits of programs and operations. The inspections 
function provides independent inspections and analyses of the 
effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of programs and 
operations. The investigative function provides for the 
detection and investigation of improper and illegal activities 
involving programs, personnel, and operations.
    The Committee recognizes that funding for the Department of 
Energy has increased significantly over the past few years 
without commensurate increases to funding for the Office of the 
Inspector General. Additionally, much of the increased funding 
has been provided for new programs that could be particularly 
susceptible to problems in implementation. Therefore, the 
Committee provides additional funds for Inspector General 
oversight of Department programs. The recommendation also 
includes legislative language making a portion of the funding 
for electric grid resiliency activities under Public Law 117-
328 available to the Office of the Inspector General.
    The Committee expects the Office of the Inspector General 
to focus oversight on those activities deemed at highest risk 
for waste, fraud, and abuse of federal taxpayer dollars.

                    ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

    The Atomic Energy Defense Activities programs of the 
Department in the National Nuclear Security Administration 
(NNSA) consist of Weapons Activities, Defense Nuclear 
Nonproliferation, Naval Reactors, and Federal Salaries and 
Expenses. Outside of the NNSA, Atomic Energy Defense Activities 
programs include Defense Environmental Cleanup and Other 
Defense Activities. Descriptions of each of these accounts are 
provided below.

                NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

    The Department of Energy is responsible for enhancing U.S. 
national security through the military application of nuclear 
technology and reducing the global danger from the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The NNSA, a semi-
autonomous agency within the Department, carries out these 
responsibilities. Established in March 2000, pursuant to title 
32 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 
2000, the NNSA is responsible for the management and operation 
of the nation's nuclear weapons complex, nuclear 
nonproliferation activities, and naval reactors.

                           Weapons Activities


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................   $19,108,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................    19,848,644,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................    20,338,752,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................    +1,230,752,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................      +490,108,000
 

    Weapons Activities ensures the safety, security, 
reliability, and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear weapons 
stockpile without nuclear explosive testing. These activities 
are funded by five main elements: Stockpile Management; 
Production Modernization; Stockpile Research, Technology, and 
Engineering; Infrastructure and Operations; and Security 
functions.
    The NNSA Office of Defense Programs leads technology 
transfer and commercialization activities at NNSA national 
laboratories. Enhancing NNSA's technology transfer and 
commercialization activities would support the research, 
development, and deployment of groundbreaking technologies. 
NNSA is encouraged to invest additional resources and efforts 
into technology transfer programs.

                          STOCKPILE MANAGEMENT

    Stockpile Management includes all activities that directly 
sustain and modernize the nuclear stockpile. These activities 
include maintenance, operations, surveillance, dismantlement, 
and weapon acquisition programs including life extensions, 
modifications, and alterations.
    Stockpile Major Modernization.--The Stockpile Major 
Modernization program extends the lifetime of the nation's 
nuclear stockpile while addressing required updates, replacing 
aging or obsolete components to ensure continued service life, 
as well as enhancing security and safety features. This program 
funds warhead acquisition programs necessary to extend the 
expected life of stockpile systems for an additional 20 to 30 
years. The Committee recommends full funding for all ongoing 
life extension programs and major alterations.
    Stockpile Sustainment.--The Stockpile Sustainment program 
directly executes maintenance, surveillance, assessment, 
surety, and management activities for all enduring weapons 
systems in the stockpile. The Committee recommends full funding 
for stockpile sustainment activities.

                        PRODUCTION MODERNIZATION

    Production Modernization includes all activities needed to 
restore and modernize production capabilities. These activities 
include restoring and modernizing the capability to produce 
primaries, secondaries, and non-nuclear components.
    Plutonium Pit Production.--The Committee continues to 
support the two-site program of record to reestablish the 
nation's capability to produce 80 plutonium pits per year as 
close to 2030 as possible. The infrastructure and critical 
skills required for pit production and other plutonium 
capabilities are essential for a secure and reliable nuclear 
deterrent. The need is even more acute given the current 
geopolitical environment. The Committee recommends full funding 
for the Savannah River Site plutonium activities and funding 
above the budget request for plutonium modernization at Los 
Alamos National Laboratory. Within available funds the 
Committee recommends $10,000,000 for next-generation machining 
and assembly technology development for high volume pit 
production.
    Plutonium Modernization.--Within funds provided, not less 
than $10,000,000 shall be for workforce development and 
training partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribal 
Colleges and Universities in South Carolina and New Mexico to 
support plutonium pit production.
    Tritium Processing.--The nuclear deterrent relies on an 
efficient and reliable system to process tritium in quantities 
that meet current and future stockpile stewardship 
requirements. These requirements are currently met using a 
process, technologies, and facilities that are multiple decades 
old, aging rapidly, and have technical shortcomings. The NNSA 
is directed to provide to the Committee not later than 180 days 
after enactment of this Act a report on its plan to develop, 
test, and validate in a relevant environment new surveillance 
and processing technologies associated with tritium operations 
that are cost effective and provide greater efficiency, 
reliability, and increased capacity through continuous 
operations. The plan shall also include the specifics regarding 
the necessary research, development, and demonstration 
facilities and infrastructure needed to execute the plan.

            STOCKPILE RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENGINEERING

    Stockpile Research, Technology, and Engineering (SRT&E) 
includes all activities to strengthen science-based stockpile 
stewardship capabilities to annually certify and assess the 
stockpile. These activities include assessments, advanced 
computing and manufacturing, experimental capabilities, and 
academic partnerships.
    Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High Yield.--The 
Committee recommends $690,000,000 for the Inertial Confinement 
Fusion and High-Yield Campaign, including target research, 
development, and fabrication.
    Advanced Simulation and Computing.--The NNSA is encouraged 
to move expeditiously to execute funding provided in previous 
fiscal years for research related to memory technologies and to 
continue research in advanced memory technology and near-memory 
computing and 3D integration of DRAM with acceleratory silicon.
    Stockpile Responsiveness Program (SRP).--The recommendation 
includes funding at the budget request for continued 
development of a low-cost modular family of sub-orbital 
vehicles to enhance nuclear modernization testing efforts. The 
NNSA is encouraged to adopt a qualification testing program 
using the modular boost system approach to also reduce risk and 
cost on the U.S. Air Force Sentinel program.

                           ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

    Academic Programs.--The Committee recognizes the importance 
of Academic Programs in supporting the nuclear security 
enterprise in both research and development and the development 
of a highly skilled workforce. Within Academic Programs, 
$45,000,000 is for the Minority Serving Institution Partnership 
Program, and $10,000,000 is for Tribal Colleges and 
Universities.

                     INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

    Infrastructure and Operations provides funding for the base 
operations, maintenance, and recapitalization of the NNSA's 
facilities and infrastructure.
    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300.--The 
recommendation includes the budget request for long-term 
stewardship of Site 300. These activities ensure that the 
communities of Tracy and Mountain House, which surround the 
site, benefit from cleanup efforts. The NNSA is encouraged to 
continue coordination with the national laboratory on a project 
at Site 300 to provide additional SCIF space.
    Munitions and Unexploded Ordnances.--The Committee notes 
the continued discovery of munitions debris in and around 
native lands from weapons-related testing performed for the 
Department of Defense (DoD) missions. Removal of this 
potentially harmful weapons-related material before it is 
inadvertently found by the civilian population is important. 
Consistent with existing authorities and responsibilities, the 
NNSA and the Department are encouraged to work with DoD to 
proactively consult with affected Tribal Nations and native 
communities; locate unknown munitions through surveying 
affected native lands and remove debris, munitions, or 
unexploded ordnances; and to use modern technologies where 
possible in surveys of affected native lands. The Committee 
encourages the NNSA and the Department to support DoD's efforts 
through review and sharing records of weapons testing related 
activities with DoD and affected Tribal Nations and native 
communities, including the Pueblo of Isleta. Where weapons-
related activity between the NNSA and the Department may 
overlap with DoD or have overlapped previously, such as with 
impact to the Pueblo of Isleta lands, the Committee encourages 
the NNSA and DoD to survey and remove these materials 
expeditiously and to report annually to the Committee on the 
amount, types, and locations of munitions located that are 
under the jurisdiction of DoD or the NNSA and the Department.

                      SECURE TRANSPORTATION ASSET

    The Secure Transportation Asset (STA) program provides safe 
and secure transportation of nuclear weapons, weapon 
components, and special nuclear material throughout the nuclear 
security enterprise. The STA workforce includes federal agents 
and program management staff.

                        DEFENSE NUCLEAR SECURITY

    The Office of Defense Nuclear Security (DNS) leads, 
develops, and implements the NNSA's security program, enabling 
its Nuclear Security Enterprise missions. The DNS protects NNSA 
personnel, facilities, nuclear weapons, and special nuclear 
materials from a full spectrum of threats.
    The Committee is aware that advances in commercially 
available technologies, including artificial intelligence, 
computer vision, and sensor fusion capabilities, have made it 
possible to deploy innovative technologies to detect, track and 
identify threats at scale to meet physical security 
requirements. In the fiscal year 2022 Act, the Department was 
directed to conduct a review of its security requirements to 
assess how the use of artificial intelligence and commercially 
available technologies could improve security while reducing 
overall costs. Following this review, the NNSA implemented a 
pilot program leveraging commercially available software and 
hardware technology to detect ground and aerial intrusions and 
advanced defeat capabilities to combat the unmanned aircraft 
systems (UAS) threat. The NNSA shall provide to the Committee 
not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act a briefing 
providing the findings of the pilot program and any 
recommendations, including cost estimates and associated 
timelines, to scale these commercially available capabilities 
across the complex.

                       LEGACY CONTRACTOR PENSIONS

    The Committee provides $30,634,000 for payments, required 
by legal obligations, into the legacy University of California 
contractor employee defined benefit pension plans, the Requa 
settlement reached in 2019, and the pension plan at the 
Savannah River Site.

                    Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $2,581,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     2,465,108,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     2,445,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      -136,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       -20,108,000
 

                    DEFENSE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

    Funding for the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation 
is provided across five programs: Global Material Security, 
Material Management and Minimization, Nonproliferation and Arms 
Control, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation R&D, and 
Nonproliferation Construction.
    Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD).--The 
NSDD program plays a critical role in assisting partner 
countries to detect, disrupt, and investigate the smuggling of 
radioactive and nuclear materials. This program is of 
particular importance considering the current volatility and 
instability in Eastern Europe. The Committee supports the NSDD 
program's efforts to deploy modern and appropriate equipment to 
detect nuclear threats and encourages the utilization of 
ruggedized equipment that is most suitable and sustainable for 
the environment in which our partner countries operate. This 
will further enhance our partner countries' radiological and 
nuclear material detection capabilities in these uncertain 
times.
    Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and 
Development.--The recommendation includes $25,000,000 above the 
budget request for the Nonproliferation Stewardship Program to 
support additional research, workforce development, and 
buildout of infrastructure to address national security 
challenges to related to uranium processing, enrichment, and 
weaponization.
    The Department is encouraged to advance field testing and 
aqueous processing capabilities at existing pilot scale 
testbeds for ongoing applied nonproliferation research.

             NUCLEAR COUNTERTERRORISM AND INCIDENT RESPONSE

    The NNSA's Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response 
programs respond to and mitigate nuclear and radiological 
incidents worldwide to reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism.

                       LEGACY CONTRACTOR PENSIONS

    The Committee provides $7,128,000 for payments, required by 
legal obligations, into the legacy University of California 
contractor employee defined benefit pension plans, the Requa 
settlement reached in 2019, and the pension plan at the 
Savannah River Site.

                             Naval Reactors


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $1,946,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     2,118,773,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     2,118,773,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      +172,773,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Naval Reactors program is responsible for all aspects 
of naval nuclear propulsion from technology development through 
reactor operations to ultimate reactor plant disposal. The 
program provides for the design, development, testing, and 
evaluation of improved naval nuclear propulsion plants and 
reactor cores.

                     Federal Salaries and Expenses


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $500,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       564,475,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       564,475,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +64,475,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Federal Salaries and Expenses account provides 
salaries, corporate planning, oversight, and management for 
Defense Programs, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and the 
NNSA field offices in New Mexico, Nevada, Missouri, Tennessee, 
Texas, South Carolina, and California.

               ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES


                     Defense Environmental Cleanup


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $7,285,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     7,059,695,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     7,132,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................      -153,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       +72,305,000
 

    The Defense Environmental Cleanup account provides funding 
for identifying and reducing risks and managing waste at sites 
where the nation carried out defense-related nuclear research 
and production activities that resulted in radioactive, 
hazardous, and mixed waste contamination requiring remediation, 
stabilization, or other cleanup action.
    Idaho National Laboratory.--The Committee emphasizes the 
importance of completing the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility not 
later than August 2026 to support ongoing decommissioning 
activities in support of Naval Reactors and the Idaho Cleanup 
Project.
    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.--The Committee is 
aware of the progress made to date in the remediation of 
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300. The Department 
is encouraged to continue cooperation between the Office of 
Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security 
Administration and work with state regulators to continue 
progress on the remaining work.
    Oak Ridge Reservation.--The Committee directs the 
Department to continue expeditious disposition of material 
stored in Building 3019 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in 
accordance with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 
Recommendation 97-1, issued in 1997. The disposition of this 
Cold War legacy waste material will improve the overall 
security posture at the laboratory by reducing costs, 
eliminating nuclear safety issues, and making the campus more 
conducive to collaborative science. The Committee also 
appreciates the use of a public-private partnership to reduce 
overall cleanup costs and repurpose the material to produce 
valuable medical isotopes for the treatment of rare and 
aggressive cancers. The Department is encouraged to continue to 
expedite the disposition of this otherwise dangerous nuclear 
waste material.
    Savannah River Site.--The fiscal year 2025 budget request 
advances the plan to transition of oversight of the Savannah 
River Site from Environmental Management to the National 
Nuclear Security Administration by transferring certain work 
scope and funding. The recommendation provides funding 
reflecting these transfers.
    Program Direction.--The recommendation includes the 
transfer of work scope and funding related to Savannah River 
Site to the National Nuclear Security Administration.
    Recruitment and training of scientists, engineers, and 
other professionals is important to address retirement and 
other attrition trends. As part of its workforce strategies, 
the Committee recommends up to $5,000,000 to leverage the DOE 
Scholars Program to enable the training of technicians, 
engineers, and scientists to support cleanup and remediation 
activities across the program.
    The Department is directed to provide to the Committee not 
later than 90 days after enactment of this Act and annually 
thereafter a briefing on the status of the Office of 
Environmental Management's workforce management and efforts to 
address recurring workforce issues.
    Program Support.--The recommendation includes the budget 
request for the Minority Serving Institution Partnership 
Program (MSIPP). The Department is directed to use a 
competitive, merit-based process in awarding funds for this 
program. Further, the Department is directed to provide to the 
Committee not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act 
and prior to the issuance of a funding opportunity announcement 
or the allocation or obligation of any funds a detailed spend 
plan for fiscal year 2025 funds.
    Technology Development.--The Committee recommends not less 
than $5,000,000 for continued independent review, analysis, 
applied research, and education activities to support cost-
effective, risk-informed cleanup decision making and up to 
$7,000,000 for work on qualification, testing, and research to 
advance the state-of-the-art containment ventilation systems.
    Use of prior year balances.--The recommendation includes 
the use of $34,500,000 in prior year balances. Specifically, 
funding previously provided for Savannah River Site Saltstone 
Disposal unit #8/9 that is excess to the project is made 
available for SR Radioactive Liquid Tank Waste Stabilization 
and Disposition.

                        Other Defense Activities


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................    $1,080,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................     1,140,023,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................     1,179,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +99,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................       +38,977,000
 

    The Other Defense Activities account provides funding for 
the Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security; the 
Office of Independent Enterprise Assessments; the Office of 
Legacy Management; Specialized Security Activities; Defense 
Related Administrative Support; and the Office of Hearings and 
Appeals.
    The Committee has learned that the Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA) may be using the DOE Covered Facilities Register 
as a resource in determining eligibility for VA benefits. The 
DOE Covered Facilities Register has been developed under 
specific statutory requirements that may not align completely 
with VA purposes and eligibilities. For example, due to being a 
Department of Defense facility, the Air Force installation at 
the Tonopah Test Range is not eligible to be included in the 
DOE Covered Facilities Register even though the rest of the 
Tonopah Test Range is included. Therefore, the Department is 
directed to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
determine whether the Department has information beyond the 
Covered Facilities Register that is relevant to veterans' 
exposure to radiation for radiation compensation claims in 
conjunction with Department of Defense verification. The 
Department shall brief the Committee on the status of these 
efforts not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act.

                    POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS

    Management of the federal power marketing functions was 
transferred from the Department of the Interior to the 
Department of Energy in the Department of Energy Organization 
Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-91). These functions include the 
power marketing activities authorized under section 5 of the 
Flood Control Act of 1944 and all other functions of the 
Bonneville Power Administration, the Southeastern Power 
Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, and the 
power marketing functions of the Bureau of Reclamation that 
have been transferred to the Western Area Power Administration.
    All four power marketing administrations (PMAs) give 
preference in the sale of their power to publicly-owned and 
cooperatively-owned utilities. Operations of the Bonneville 
Power Administration are financed principally under the 
authority of the Federal Columbia River Transmission System Act 
(Public Law 93-454). Under this Act, the Bonneville Power 
Administration is authorized to use its revenues to finance the 
costs of its operations, maintenance, and capital construction 
and to sell bonds to the Treasury if necessary to finance any 
additional capital program requirements.
    Safety Standards.--Conflicting requirements for full body 
harnesses across various jurisdictions create safety risks, 
inefficiencies, and administrative burdens. The Committee urges 
the Power Marketing Administrations to harmonize standards for 
utility workers performing aerial tasks to enhance worker 
safety and regulatory consistency.

                  Bonneville Power Administration Fund

    The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is the 
Department's marketing agency for electric power in the Pacific 
Northwest. BPA provides electricity to a 300,000 square mile 
service area in the Columbia River drainage basin and it 
markets the power from federal hydropower projects in the 
Northwest, as well as power from non-federal generating 
facilities in the region, and exchanges and markets surplus 
power with Canada and California.

      Operation and Maintenance, Southeastern Power Administration


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................            $- - -
Budget estimate, 2025.................................             - - -
Recommended, 2025.....................................             - - -
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA) markets 
hydroelectric power from 22 Corps Projects to 473 customers 
across 11 states in the southeast. SEPA does not own or operate 
any transmission facilities, so it contracts to ``wheel'' its 
power using the existing transmission facilities of area 
utilities.

      Operation and Maintenance, Southwestern Power Administration


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $11,440,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        11,440,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        11,440,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA) markets 
hydroelectric power produced at 24 Corps projects in the six-
state area of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, 
and Texas. SWPA operates and maintains 1,381 miles of 
transmission lines, along with supporting substations and 
communications sites.

 Construction, Rehabilitation, Operation And Maintenance, Western Area 
                          Power Administration


                    (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $99,872,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       100,855,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        99,855,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................           -17,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        -1,000,000
 

    The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is responsible 
for marketing the electric power generated by the Bureau of 
Reclamation, the Corps, and the International Boundary and 
Water Commission. WAPA also operates and maintains a system of 
transmission lines nearly 17,000 miles long. WAPA provides 
electricity to 15 western states over a service area of 1.3 
million square miles.

           Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................          $228,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................           228,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................           228,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    Falcon Dam and Amistad Dam are two international water 
projects located on the Rio Grande River between Texas and 
Mexico. Power generated by hydroelectric facilities at these 
two dams is sold to public utilities through WAPA. The Foreign 
Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 
created the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund 
to defray the costs of operation, maintenance, and emergency 
activities. The Fund is administered by WAPA for use by the 
Commissioner of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary 
and Water Commission.

                  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $520,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       532,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       520,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +11,600,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                                REVENUES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................     -$520,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................      -532,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................      -520,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       -11,600,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Committee recommendation for the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (FERC) is $532,000,000. Revenues for FERC 
are established at a rate equal to the budget authority, 
resulting in a net appropriation of $0.
    The Committee directs FERC to identify, validate, and 
implement a national real-time grid monitoring service to 
monitor grid malfunctions resulting in poor power quality, 
safety and reliability.
    The Committee encourages FERC to include within future 
electric reliability assessments a discussion of the impacts of 
the retirement of facilities that generate electricity and the 
impacts of environmental, social, and governance policies on 
grid reliability.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Committee's detailed funding recommendations for 
programs in Title III are contained in the following table.


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

    Section 301 continues a provision that prohibits the use of 
funds provided in this title to initiate requests for 
proposals, other solicitations, or arrangements for new 
programs or activities that have not yet been approved and 
funded by the Congress; requires notification or a report for 
certain funding actions; prohibits funds to be used for certain 
multi-year ``Energy Programs'' activities without notification; 
prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds provided in 
this title through a reprogramming of funds except in certain 
circumstances; and permits the transfer and merger of 
unexpended balances of prior appropriations with appropriation 
accounts established in this bill.
    Section 302 authorizes intelligence activities of the 
Department of Energy for purposes of section 504 of the 
National Security Act of 1947.
    Section 303 continues a provision that prohibits the use of 
funds in this title for capital construction of high hazard 
nuclear facilities unless certain independent oversight is 
conducted.
    Section 304 continues a provision that prohibits the use of 
funds provided in this title to approve critical decision-2 or 
critical decision-3 for certain construction projects, unless a 
separate independent cost estimate has been developed for that 
critical decision.
    Section 305 continues a provision that prohibits the use of 
certain funds in this title unless project management is 
conducted.
    Section 306 continues a provision to prohibit certain 
payments.
    Section 307 continues a provision addressing regional 
petroleum product reserves.
    Section 308 continues a provision establishing criteria for 
the sale of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve.
    Section 309 continues a provision addressing research 
security.
    Section 310 continues a provision regarding access to 
nuclear weapons production facilities.
    Section 311 addresses the procurement of office equipment.
    Section 312 prohibits implementation of certain 
requirements for federal buildings.
    Section 313 addresses energy storage systems.
    Section 314 prohibits funds to implement the Department of 
Energy Justice40 Initiative.
    Section 315 addresses the import and export of natural gas.
    Section 316 makes additional funds available to the Office 
of the Inspector General for oversight of Public Law 117-328.
    Section 317 makes certain funds available for nuclear 
demonstration projects.

                     TITLE IV--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES


                    Appalachian Regional Commission


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $200,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       200,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       200,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional 
economic development agency established in 1965 by the 
Appalachian Regional Development Act (Public Law 89-4). It is 
composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a 
federal co-chair appointed by the President. Each year, the ARC 
provides funding for several hundred projects in the 
Appalachian Region in areas such as business development, 
education and job training, telecommunications, infrastructure, 
community development, housing, and transportation.
    Within available funds, the Committee provides not less 
than $65,000,000 for activities in support of the POWER Plan 
for activities that target resources to help communities and 
regions that have been affected by job losses in coal mining, 
coal power plant operations, and coal related supply chain 
industries due to the economic downturn of the coal industry. 
These projects will create and retain jobs, assist businesses, 
and prepare thousands of workers and students with globally 
competitive skills and opportunities in the region's 
manufacturing, technology, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and 
other emerging sectors.
    The recommendation includes not less than $10,000,000 to 
continue the program of high-speed broadband deployment in 
distressed counties within the Central Appalachian region that 
have been most negatively impacted by the downturn in the coal 
industry.
    The recommendation includes not less than $16,000,000 for a 
program of basic infrastructure improvements in distressed 
counties in Central Appalachia.
    The recommendation includes not less than $15,000,000 for 
counties within the Northern Appalachian region to support 
economic development, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.
    The Committee appreciates the Commission providing the 
analysis related to persistent poverty or distressed 
communities pursuant to previous Congressional direction and 
encourages the Commission to continue targeting funding to 
those communities consistent with its statutory authorization.

                Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $42,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        47,210,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        45,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +3,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        -2,210,000
 

    The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) was 
created by the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 
year 1989. The Board, composed of five members appointed by the 
President, provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary 
of Energy regarding public health and safety issues at the 
Department's defense nuclear facilities. The Board is 
responsible for reviewing and evaluating the content and 
implementation of the standards relating to the design, 
construction, operation, and decommissioning of the Department 
of Energy's defense nuclear facilities.

                        Delta Regional Authority


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $31,100,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        30,100,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        32,100,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +1,000,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        +2,000,000
 

    The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state 
partnership established by the Delta Regional Authority Act of 
2000 (Public Law 106-554) that serves a 252-county/parish area 
in an eight-state region near the mouth of the Mississippi 
River. Led by a federal co-chair and the governors of each 
participating state, the DRA is designed to remedy severe and 
chronic economic distress by stimulating economic development 
and fostering partnerships that will have a positive impact on 
the region's economy. The DRA seeks to help local communities 
leverage other federal and state programs that are focused on 
basic infrastructure development, transportation improvements, 
business development, and job training services. Under federal 
law, at least 75 percent of appropriated funds must be invested 
in distressed counties and parishes, with 50 percent of the 
funds for transportation and basic infrastructure improvements.
    Local Development District Community Support Pilot 
Program.--The Committee applauds DRA's pilot program, which 
targets capacity-building for the 45 local development 
districts in DRA's service area and enhances the region's 
resiliency and ability to compete for and leverage resources. 
This pilot program provides critical resources to economically 
distressed areas that do not have the financial means for 
professional grant-writing assistance. The Committee believes 
this is a worthy effort that will ensure rural, impoverished 
areas are not left behind. Therefore, the Committee provides 
not less than $2,000,000 to further support this initiative.
    The Committee appreciates the Commission providing the 
analysis related to persistent poverty or distressed 
communities pursuant to previous Congressional direction and 
encourages the Commission to continue targeting funding to 
those communities consistent with its statutory authorization.

                           Denali Commission


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $17,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        17,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        17,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Denali Commission is a regional development agency 
established by the Denali Commission Act of 1998 (Public Law 
105-277) to provide critical utilities, infrastructure, health 
services, and economic support throughout Alaska. To ensure 
that local communities have a stake in Commission-funded 
projects, local cost-share requirements for construction and 
equipment have been established for both distressed and non-
distressed communities.
    The Committee appreciates the Commission providing the 
analysis related to persistent poverty or distressed 
communities pursuant to previous Congressional direction and 
encourages the Commission to continue targeting funding to 
those communities consistent with its statutory authorization.

                  Northern Border Regional Commission


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $41,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        40,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        41,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................        +1,000,000
 

    The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 
110-234) authorized the establishment of the Northern Border 
Regional Commission (NBRC) as a federal-state partnership 
intended to address the economic development needs of 
distressed portions of the four-state region of Maine, New 
Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.
    The Committee appreciates the Commission providing the 
analysis related to persistent poverty or distressed 
communities pursuant to previous congressional direction and 
encourages the Commission to continue targeting funding to 
those communities consistent with its statutory authorization.

                 Southeast Crescent Regional Commission


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $20,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        20,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        20,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 
110-234) authorized the establishment of the Southeast Crescent 
Regional Commission as a federal-state partnership intended to 
address the economic development needs of distressed portions 
of the seven state region in the southeastern United States not 
already served by a regional development agency. The Committee 
was pleased with the recent appointment and confirmation of a 
Federal Co-Chair and supports expeditiously moving forward to 
establish the Commission.
    The fiscal year 2023 Act directed the Commission to provide 
an analysis related to persistent poverty or distressed 
communities. The Committee is still awaiting this analysis and 
directs the Commission to provide the analysis expeditiously.

                  Southwest Border Regional Commission


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $5,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         5,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         5,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 
110-234) authorized the establishment of the Southwest Border 
Regional Commission (SWBRC) as a federal-state partnership 
intended to address the economic development needs of 
distressed portions of the four-state region of Arizona, 
California, New Mexico and Texas.
    The Committee reminds the Commission of its requirement to 
allocate at least 50 percent of federal funds to counties 
designated as economically distressed, and supports continuing 
targeted investment in impoverished areas to promote economic 
development in communities where it has been scarce, both in 
persistent poverty counties and in other high-poverty areas.

                         Great Lakes Authority


 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $5,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         5,000,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         5,000,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................             - - -
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Great Lakes Authority (GLA), authorized in Public Law 
117-328, was established as a federal-state partnership 
intended to provide assistance in the areas of the watershed of 
the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes System. The GLA region 
includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, 
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

                     Nuclear Regulatory Commission


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $928,317,580
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       955,368,200
Recommended, 2025.....................................       955,368,200
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +27,050,620
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                                REVENUES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................     -$794,341,580
Budget estimate, 2025.................................      -807,672,200
Recommended, 2025.....................................      -807,672,200
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       -13,330,620
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                           NET APPROPRIATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      $133,976,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       147,696,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       147,696,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................       +13,720,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Committee recommendation for the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC) provides the following amounts:

                                             (Dollars in thousands)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Account                          FY 2024 enacted     FY 2025 request       Cmte. rec.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nuclear Reactor Safety..............................            $522,011            $503,460            $503,460
Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety..................             124,215             144,903             117,976
Decommissioning and Low-Level Waste.................              26,538               - - -              26,927
Integrated University Program.......................              16,000              10,000              10,000
Corporate Support...................................             301,554             317,005             317,005
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
    Total, Program Level............................             990,318             975,368             975,368
    Savings and Carryover...........................             -62,000             -20,000             -20,000
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
        Total.......................................             928,318             955,368             955,368
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Commission is responsible for ensuring the safety and 
security of the nation's commercial nuclear reactors and 
overseeing certain nuclear materials and radioactive waste 
activities. The Committee expects the Commission to hold the 
nuclear industry to the highest safety standards in law and in 
regulation.
    The Commission is directed to provide budget request 
amounts rounded to the thousands in all tables in future budget 
request submissions.
    Office of the Commission.--Within available funds, not more 
than $11,435,000 is included for salaries, travel, and other 
support costs for the Office of the Commission. These salaries 
and expenses shall include only salaries, benefits, and travel 
costs and shall not include general and administrative and 
infrastructure costs. The Commission shall continue to include 
a breakout and explanation of the Commission salaries and 
expenses in its annual budget requests. If the Commission 
wishes to change the composition of the funds requested for its 
salaries and expenses in future years, it must do so in an 
annual budget request or through a reprogramming.
    Reactor Oversight and Safety.--The Commission is directed 
to continue to provide to the Committee regular briefings on 
the Commission's current reactor oversight and safety program 
and on any proposed changes before they are implemented.
    Budget Execution Plan.--The Commission is directed to 
provide to the Committee not later than 30 days after enactment 
of this Act a specific budget execution plan. The plan shall 
include details at the product line level within each of the 
control points.
    Rulemaking.--The Commission shall list all planned 
rulemaking activities, including their priority, schedule, and 
actions taken to adhere to the backfit rule, in the annual 
budget request and the semi-annual report to Congress on 
licensing and regulatory activities.

                      OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

                          GROSS APPROPRIATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................       $15,769,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................        19,578,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................        19,578,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        +3,809,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                                REVENUES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................      -$12,655,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................       -16,274,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................       -16,274,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................        -3,619,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

                           NET APPROPRIATION

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $3,114,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         3,304,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         3,304,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................          +190,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Committee includes $1,505,000 within this appropriation 
to provide inspector general services for the Defense Nuclear 
Facilities Safety Board.

                  Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
Appropriation, 2024...................................        $4,064,000
Budget estimate, 2025.................................         4,100,000
Recommended, 2025.....................................         4,100,000
Comparison:
  Appropriation, 2024.................................           +36,000
  Budget estimate, 2025...............................             - - -
 

    The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) was 
established by the 1987 amendments to the Nuclear Waste Policy 
Act of 1982 to provide independent technical oversight of the 
Department of Energy's nuclear waste disposal program. The 
Committee expects the NWTRB to continue its active engagement 
with the Department and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on 
issues involving nuclear waste disposal.

                GENERAL PROVISIONS--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

    Section 401 continues a provision requiring the NRC to 
comply with certain procedures when responding to congressional 
requests for information.
    Section 402 continues a provision regarding the 
circumstances in which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may 
reprogram funds.

                      TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

    Section 501 continues a provision that prohibits the use of 
funds provided in this Act to, in any way, directly or 
indirectly influence congressional action on any legislation or 
appropriation matters pending before the Congress, other than 
to communicate to Members of Congress as described in section 
1913 of title 18, United States Code.
    Section 502 continues a provision consolidating the 
transfer authorities into and out of accounts funded by this 
Act. No additional transfer authority is implied or conveyed by 
this provision. For the purposes of this provision, the term 
``transfer'' shall mean the shifting of all or part of the 
budget authority in one account to another.
    Section 503 continues a provision prohibiting funds in this 
Act from being used to maintain or establish computer networks 
unless such networks block the viewing, downloading, or 
exchange of pornography.
    Section 504 prohibits funds for private consolidated 
interim storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel.
    Section 505 prohibits funds to promote or advance Critical 
Race Theory.
    Section 506 prohibits funds to implement certain Executive 
Orders.
    Section 507 prohibits funds to discriminate against a 
person who speaks, or acts, in accordance with a sincerely held 
religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is, or 
should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.
    Section 508 prohibits funds to enforce any COVID-19 mask or 
vaccine mandate.
    Section 509 prohibits funds for the Wuhan Institute of 
Virology or affiliated researchers.
    Section 510 prohibits funds to display a flag over or 
within a federal government facility, other than a flag of the 
United States, a flag bearing an official U.S. Government seal 
or insignia, or the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag.
    Section 511 prohibits funds for any rule or regulation that 
has an annual effect on the economy exceeding $100,000,000.
    Section 512 prohibits funds for guidance related to the 
valuation of ecosystem and environmental services and natural 
assets in the federal regulatory process.
    Section 513 codifies certain obligations of the Bonneville 
Power Administration.
    Section 514 prohibits funds for activities related to 
certain energy conservation standards.
    Section 515 establishes a spending reduction account.

              HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT REQUIREMENTS

    The following items are included in accordance with various 
requirements of the Rules of the House of Representatives.

         Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following is a statement of 
general performance goals and objectives for which this measure 
authorizes funding:
    The Committee on Appropriations considers program 
performance, including a program's success in developing and 
attaining outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing 
funding recommendations.

                           Transfer of Funds

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following is submitted describing 
the transfer of funds provided in the accompanying bill.

                   TITLE I--CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL

    Under section 104, ``General Provisions, Corps of 
Engineers--Civil'', $8,733,000 under the heading ``Operation 
and Maintenance'' may be transferred to the Fish and Wildlife 
Service to mitigate for fisheries lost due to Corps projects.

                    TITLE II--BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

    Under ``Water and Related Resources'', $23,620,000 is 
available for transfer to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund 
and $7,584,000 is available for transfer to the Lower Colorado 
River Basin Development Fund. Such funds as may be necessary 
may be advanced to the Colorado River Dam Fund. Additionally, 
$7,000,000 is available for transfer into the San Gabriel Basin 
Restoration Fund established by section 110 of title I of 
division B of appendix D of Public Law 106-554. The amounts of 
transfers may be increased or decreased within the overall 
appropriation under the heading.
    Under ``Water and Related Resources'', $100,000 is 
available for transfer into the Aging Infrastructure Account 
established by section 9603(d)(1) of the Omnibus Public Land 
Management Act of 2009, as amended.
    Under ``California Bay-Delta Restoration'', such sums as 
may be necessary to carry out authorized purposes may be 
transferred to appropriate accounts of other participating 
federal agencies.

                    TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

    Under ``Atomic Energy Defense Activities--National Nuclear 
Security Administration--Naval Reactors'', $94,750,000 shall be 
transferred to ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Nuclear 
Energy'' for the Advanced Test Reactor.
    Under section 301, ``General Provisions--Department of 
Energy,'' unexpended balances of prior appropriations provided 
for activities in this Act may be available for appropriation 
accounts for such activities established pursuant to this 
title. Available balances may be merged with funds in the 
applicable established accounts and thereafter may be accounted 
for as one fund for the same time period as originally enacted.
    Under section 316, ``General Provisions--Department of 
Energy,'' portions of certain unobligated balances provided in 
Public Law 117-328 shall be transferred to the Office of the 
Inspector General of the Department of Energy.
    Under section 317, ``General Provisions--Department of 
Energy,'' portions of certain unobligated balances provided in 
Public Law 117-58 and Public Law 117-169 shall be transferred 
to ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Nuclear Energy''.

   Disclosure of Earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending Items

    The following table is submitted in compliance with clause 
9 of rule XXI, and lists the congressional earmarks (as defined 
in paragraph (e) of clause 9) contained in the bill or in this 
report. Neither the bill nor the report contains any limited 
tax benefits or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
paragraphs (f) or (g) of clause 9 of rule XXI.


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

               Changes in the Application of Existing Law

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the following statements are 
submitted describing the effect of provisions in the 
accompanying bill which directly or indirectly change the 
application of existing law.

                      TITLE I--CORPS OF ENGINEERS

    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Investigations, providing for detailed studies and plans and 
specifications of projects prior to construction.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Construction, stating that funds can be used for the 
construction of river and harbor, flood and storm damage 
reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and 
related projects authorized by law, and for detailed studies 
and plans and specifications of such projects.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Construction, providing funds from the Inland Waterways Trust 
Fund and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Mississippi River and Tributaries, providing funds from the 
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
    Language has been included under the Corps of Engineers, 
Operation and Maintenance, stating that funds can be used for: 
the operation, maintenance, and care of existing river and 
harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, aquatic ecosystem 
restoration, and related projects authorized by law; providing 
security for infrastructure owned or operated by the Corps, 
including administrative buildings and laboratories; 
maintaining authorized harbor channels provided by a state, 
municipality, or other public agency that serve essential 
navigation needs of general commerce; surveying and charting 
northern and northwestern lakes and connecting waters; clearing 
and straightening channels; and removing obstructions to 
navigation.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Operation and Maintenance, providing funds from the Harbor 
Maintenance Trust Fund; providing for the use of funds from a 
special account for resource protection, research, 
interpretation, and maintenance activities at outdoor 
recreation areas; and allowing use of funds to cover the cost 
of operation and maintenance of dredged material disposal 
facilities for which fees have been collected.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Operation and Maintenance, providing that one percent of the 
total amount of funds provided for each of the programs, 
projects, or activities funded under the Operation and 
Maintenance heading shall not be allocated to a field operating 
activity until the fourth quarter of the fiscal year and 
permitting the use of these funds for emergency activities as 
determined by the Chief of Engineers to be necessary and 
appropriate.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Expenses, regarding support of the Humphreys Engineer Support 
Center Activity, the Institute for Water Resources, the United 
States Army Engineer Research and Development Center, and the 
United States Army Corps of Engineers Finance Center.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Expenses, providing that funds are available for official 
reception and representation expenses.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Expenses, prohibiting the use of other funds in Title I of this 
Act for the activities funded in Expenses.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
Expenses, permitting any Flood Control and Coastal Emergency 
appropriation to be used to fund the supervision and general 
administration of emergency operations, repairs, and other 
activities in response to any flood, hurricane or other natural 
disaster.
    Language has been included to provide for funding for the 
Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, Water 
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program, permitting the 
Corps to collect and expend certain fees.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 101, providing that none of the 
funds may be available for obligation or expenditure through a 
reprogramming of funds except in certain circumstances.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 102, providing that the allocation 
of funds be made in accordance with the provisions of this 
title and report accompanying this Act.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 103, prohibiting the execution of 
any contract for a program, project, or activity which commits 
funds in excess of the amount appropriated (to include funds 
reprogrammed under section 101) that remain unobligated.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 104, providing for transfer 
authority to the Fish and Wildlife Service for mitigation for 
lost fisheries.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 105, prohibiting certain dredged 
material disposal activities.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 106, regarding reallocations at a 
Corps of Engineers project.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 107, regarding the allocation of 
additional funding.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 108, addressing transmission of 
certain Clean Water Act implementation documents.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 109, prohibiting implementation of 
any changes to eligibility requirements for assistance under 
Public Law 84-99 after a date certain.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 110, allowing the possession of 
firearms at water resources development projects under certain 
circumstances.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 111, prohibiting the modification 
of final rules pertaining to nationwide permits.
    Language has been included under Corps of Engineers, 
General Provisions, section 112, prohibiting funds to implement 
or enforce section 370 of Public Law 116-283 with respect to 
civil works projects.

                  TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, providing that funds are available 
for fulfilling federal responsibilities to Native Americans and 
for grants to and cooperative agreements with state and local 
governments and Indian tribes.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, allowing fund transfers within the 
overall appropriation to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund 
and the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund; providing 
that such sums as necessary may be advanced to the Colorado 
River Dam Fund; and transfers may be increased or decreased 
within the overall appropriation.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, allowing fund transfers within the 
overall appropriation to the Aging Infrastructure Account 
established by section 9603(d)(1) of the Omnibus Public Land 
Management Act of 2009, as amended.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, providing for funds to be derived 
from the Reclamation Fund, the Water Storage Enhancements 
Receipts account established by section 4011(e) of Public Law 
114-322, or the special fee account established by 16 U.S.C. 
6806; that funds contributed under 43 U.S.C. 395 by non-federal 
entities shall be available for expenditure; and that funds 
advanced under 43 U.S.C. 397a are to be credited to the Water 
and Related Resources account and available for expenditure.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, providing that funds certain funds 
appropriated under this heading shall be deposited in the San 
Gabriel Restoration Fund established by section 110 of title I 
of appendix D of Public Law 106-554.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, providing that funds may be used 
for high priority projects carried out by the Youth 
Conservation Corps, as authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1706.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, providing for funding of a project 
pursuant to 4007 of Public Law 114-322.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Water and Related Resources, providing for funding of projects 
pursuant to 4009(c) of Public Law 114-322.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund, allowing the Bureau of 
Reclamation to expend such sums as may be collected in fiscal 
year 2024.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund, directing the Bureau 
of Reclamation to assess and collect the full amount of 
additional mitigation and restoration payments authorized by 
section 3407(d) of Public Law 102-575.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund, providing that none of 
the funds under the heading may be used for the acquisition or 
lease of water for in-stream purposes if the water is already 
committed to in-stream purposes by a court order adopted by 
consent or decree.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
California Bay-Delta Restoration (CALFED), permitting the 
transfer of funds to appropriate accounts of other 
participating federal agencies to carry out authorized 
programs; allowing funds made available under this heading to 
be used for the federal share of the costs of the CALFED 
Program management; and requiring that CALFED implementation be 
carried out with clear performance measures demonstrating 
concurrent progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the program.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Policy and Administration, providing that funds are to be 
derived from the Reclamation Fund and prohibiting the use of 
any other appropriation in the Act for activities budgeted as 
policy and administration expenses.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Policy and Administration, providing that funds are available 
for official reception and representation expenses.
    Language has been included under Bureau of Reclamation, 
Administrative Provision, providing for the purchase of motor 
vehicles for replacement.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 201, providing that none of 
the funds may be available for obligation or expenditure 
through a reprogramming of funds except in certain 
circumstances.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 202, regarding the San Luis 
Unit and the Kesterson Reservoir in California.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 203, extending the 
authorization for the Calfed Bay-Delta Authorization Act.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 204, extending the 
authorization for the Reclamation States Emergency Drought 
Relief Act of 1991.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 205, addressing certain 
ongoing revisions to water project operations in California.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 206, directing water 
project operations in California.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 207, removing eligibility 
restrictions under an existing infrastructure program.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 208, modifying public water 
agency involvement in revising project operations.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
Department of the Interior, section 209, extending the 
authorization for certain WIIN Act infrastructure programs.

                    TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

    Language has been included under Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy for the purchase, construction, and 
acquisition of plant and capital equipment.
    Language has been included under Cybersecurity, Energy 
Security, and Emergency Response for the purchase, 
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment.
    Language has been included under Electricity for the 
purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital 
equipment, and allowing for the reprogramming of funds without 
restriction on certain activities.
    Language has been included under Grid Deployment for the 
purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital 
equipment.
    Language has been included under Nuclear Energy for the 
purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital 
equipment.
    Language has been included under Fossil Energy Research and 
Development for the acquisition of interest, including 
defeasible and equitable interest in any real property or any 
facility or for plant or facility acquisition or expansion, and 
for conducting inquires, technological investigations, and 
research concerning the extraction, processing, use and 
disposal of mineral substances without objectionable social and 
environmental costs under 30 U.S.C. 3, 1602, and 1603.
    Language has been included under the Naval Petroleum and 
Oil Shale Reserves permitting the use of unobligated balances.
    Language has been included under Non-Defense Environmental 
Cleanup for the purchase, construction, and acquisition of 
plant and capital equipment, and to allow collections to be 
expended for mercury storage costs.
    Language has been included under Uranium Enrichment 
Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund for uranium enrichment 
facility decontamination and decommissioning, remedial actions, 
and other activities.
    Language has been included under Science providing for the 
purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital 
equipment; and for the purchase of motor vehicles.
    Language has been included under Title 17 Innovative 
Technology Loan Guarantee Program crediting fees collected 
pursuant to section 1702(h) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 as 
offsetting collections to this account and making fees 
collected under section 1702(h) in excess of the appropriated 
amount unavailable for expenditure until appropriated.
    Language has been included under Title 17 Innovative 
Technology Loan Guarantee Program prohibiting the subordination 
of certain interests.
    Language has been included under Departmental 
Administration providing for the hire of passenger vehicles and 
for official reception and representation expenses.
    Language has been included under Departmental 
Administration providing, notwithstanding the provisions of the 
Anti-Deficiency Act, such additional amounts as necessary to 
cover increases in the estimated amount of cost of work for 
others, as long as such increases are offset by revenue 
increases of the same or greater amounts.
    Language has been included under Departmental 
Administration, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, and consistent 
with the authorization in Public Law 95-238, permitting the 
Department of Energy to use revenues to offset appropriations. 
The appropriations language for this account reflects the total 
estimated program funding to be reduced as revenues are 
received.
    Language has been included under Weapons Activities for the 
purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital 
equipment.
    Language has been included under Defense Nuclear 
Nonproliferation for the purchase, construction, and 
acquisition of plant and capital equipment.
    Language has been included under Naval Reactors for the 
acquisition of real property, plant, and capital equipment, 
facilities, and facility expansion.
    Language has been included under Naval Reactors 
transferring certain funds to Nuclear Energy.
    Language has been included under Federal Salaries and 
Expenses providing funds for official reception and 
representation expenses.
    Language has been included under Defense Environmental 
Cleanup for the purchase, construction, and acquisition of 
plant and capital equipment.
    Language has been included under Other Defense Activities 
for the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and 
capital equipment.
    Language has been included under Bonneville Power 
Administration Fund providing funds for official reception and 
representation expenses and precluding any new direct loan 
obligations.
    Language has been included under Southeastern Power 
Administration providing funds for official reception and 
representation expenses.
    Language has been included under Southeastern Power 
Administration providing that, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 
and 16 U.S.C. 825s, amounts collected from the sale of power 
and related services shall be credited to the account as 
discretionary offsetting collections and remain available until 
expended for the sole purpose of funding the annual expenses of 
the Southeastern Power Administration; and providing that 
amounts collected to recover purchase power and wheeling 
expenses shall be credited to the account as offsetting 
collections and remain available until expended for the sole 
purpose of making purchase power and wheeling expenditures.
    Language has been included under Southwestern Power 
Administration providing funds for official reception and 
representation expenses.
    Language has been included under Southwestern Power 
Administration providing that, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 
and 16 U.S.C. 825s, amounts collected from the sale of power 
and related services shall be credited to the account as 
discretionary offsetting collections and remain available until 
expended for the sole purpose of funding the annual expenses of 
the Southwestern Power Administration; and providing that 
amounts collected to recover purchase power and wheeling 
expenses shall be credited to the account as offsetting 
collections and remain available until expended for the sole 
purpose of making purchase power and wheeling expenditures.
    Language has been included under Construction, 
Rehabilitation, Operation and Maintenance, Western Area Power 
Administration, providing funds for official reception and 
representation expenses.
    Language has been included under Construction, 
Rehabilitation, Operation and Maintenance, Western Area Power 
Administration providing that, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, 
16 U.S.C. 825s, and 43 U.S.C. 392a, amounts collected from the 
sale of power and related services shall be credited to the 
account as discretionary offsetting collections and remain 
available until expended for the sole purpose of funding the 
annual expenses of the Western Area Power Administration; 
providing that amounts collected to recover purchase power and 
wheeling expenses shall be credited to the account as 
offsetting collections and remain available until expended for 
the sole purpose of making purchase power and wheeling 
expenditures; and rescinding unobligated balances.
    Language has been included under Falcon and Amistad 
Operating and Maintenance Fund providing that, notwithstanding 
68 Stat. 255 and 31 U.S.C. 3302, amounts collected from the 
sale of power and related services shall be credited to the 
account as discretionary offsetting collections and remain 
available until expended for the sole purpose of funding the 
annual expenses of the hydroelectric facilities of those dams 
and associated Western Area Power Administration activities.
    Language has been included under Falcon and Amistad 
Operating and Maintenance Fund providing that the Western Area 
Power Administration may accept a limited amount of 
contributions from the United States power customers of the 
Falcon and Amistad Dams for use by the Commissioner of the 
United States Section of the International Boundary and Water 
Commission for operating and maintenance of hydroelectric 
facilities.
    Language has been included under Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission to permit the hire of passenger motor vehicles, to 
provide official reception and representation expenses, and to 
permit the use of revenues collected to reduce the 
appropriation as revenues are received.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 301, prohibiting the use of funds 
to prepare or initiate requests for proposals or other 
solicitations or arrangements for programs that have not yet 
been fully funded by the Congress; requiring notification and 
reporting requirements for certain funding awards; limiting the 
use of multi-year funding mechanisms; providing that none of 
the funds may be available for obligation or expenditure 
through a reprogramming of funds except in certain 
circumstances; and providing that unexpended balances of prior 
appropriations may be transferred and merged with new 
appropriation accounts established in this Act.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 302, providing that funds for 
intelligence activities are deemed to be specifically 
authorized for purposes of section 504 of the National Security 
Act of 1947 during fiscal year 2024 until enactment of the 
Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 303, prohibiting the use of funds 
for capital construction of high hazard nuclear facilities 
unless certain independent oversight is conducted.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 304, prohibiting the use of funds 
to approve critical decision-2 or critical decision-3 for 
certain construction projects, unless a separate independent 
cost estimate has been developed for that critical decision.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 305, regarding project management.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 306, to prohibit certain payments.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 307, regarding regional petroleum 
product reserves.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 308, regarding criteria for the 
sale of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 309, regarding research security.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 310, regarding access to nuclear 
weapons production facilities.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 311, regarding the procurement of 
office equipment.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 312, regarding the implementation 
of certain requirements for federal buildings.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 313, addressing energy storage 
systems.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 314, to prohibit funds to implement 
the Department of Energy Justice40 Initiative.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 315, addressing the import and 
export of natural gas.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 316, making additional funds 
available to the Office of the Inspector General for oversight 
of Public Law 117-328.
    Language has been included under Department of Energy, 
General Provisions, section 317, making certain funds available 
for nuclear demonstration projects.

                     TITLE IV--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

    Language has been included under Appalachian Regional 
Commission providing for the hire of passenger vehicles and 
services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States 
Code.
    Language has been included under Delta Regional Authority 
allowing the expenditure of funds as authorized by the Delta 
Regional Authority Act of 2000, notwithstanding sections 
382F(d), 382M, and 382N of said Act.
    Language has been included under Denali Commission allowing 
the expenditure of funds notwithstanding section 306(g) of the 
Denali Commission Act of 1998, and providing for cost-share 
requirements for Commission-funded construction projects in 
distressed and non-distressed communities, as defined by 
section 307 of the Denali Commission Act of 1998, as amended.
    Language has been included under Denali Commission allowing 
funding to be available for payment of a non-federal share for 
certain programs.
    Language has been included under Northern Border Regional 
Commission allowing the expenditure of funds, notwithstanding 
section 15751(b) of title 40, United States Code.
    Language has been included under Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC), Salaries and Expenses, that provides for 
salaries and other support costs for the Office of the 
Commission.
    Language has been included under Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Salaries and Expenses that provides for official 
representation expenses and permits the use of revenues from 
licensing fees, inspections services, and other services for 
salaries and expenses to reduce the appropriation as revenues 
are received.
    Language has been included under Office of Inspector 
General that provides for the use of revenues from licensing 
fees, inspections services, and other services for salaries and 
expenses, notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United 
States Code, to reduce the appropriation as revenues are 
received.
    Language has been included under Independent Agencies, 
General Provisions, section 401, requiring the NRC to comply 
with certain procedures when responding to congressional 
requests for information.
    Language has been included under Independent Agencies, 
General Provisions, section 402, providing that none of the 
funds for the NRC may be available for obligation or 
expenditure through a reprogramming of funds except in certain 
circumstances.

                      TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS

    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 501, prohibiting the use of funds in this Act to 
influence congressional action on any legislation or 
appropriation matters pending before the Congress.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 502, prohibiting the transfer of funds except pursuant 
to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in this 
or any other appropriations Act, or certain other authorities, 
and requiring a report.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 503, prohibiting funds from being used to maintain or 
establish computer networks unless such networks block the 
viewing, downloading, or exchange of pornography.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 504, prohibiting funds for private consolidated interim 
storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 505, prohibiting funds to promote or advance Critical 
Race Theory.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 506, prohibiting funds to implement certain Executive 
Orders.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 507, prohibiting funds to discriminate against a person 
who speaks, or acts, in accordance with a sincerely held 
religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is, or 
should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 508, prohibiting funds to enforce any COVID-19 mask or 
vaccine mandate.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 509, prohibiting funds for the Wuhan Institute of 
Virology or affiliated researchers.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 510, prohibiting funds to display a flag over or within 
a federal government facility, other than a flag of the United 
States, a flag bearing an official U.S. Government seal or 
insignia, or the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 511, prohibiting funds for any rule or regulation that 
has an annual effect on the economy exceeding $100,000,000.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 512, prohibiting funds for guidance related to the 
valuation of ecosystem and environmental services and natural 
assets in the federal regulatory process.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 513, codifying certain obligations of the Bonneville 
Power Administration.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 514, prohibiting funds for activities related to 
certain energy conservation standards.
    Language has been included under General Provisions, 
section 515, establishing a spending reduction account.

                          Program Duplication

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, no provision of this bill establishes 
or reauthorizes a program of the Federal Government known to be 
duplicative of another federal program, a program that was 
included in any report from the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-
139, or a program related to a program identified in the most 
recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

          Compliance With Rule XIII, Cl. 3(e) (Ramseyer Rule)

    In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change 
is proposed is shown in roman):

                           PUBLIC LAW 108-361




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE I--CALIFORNIA WATER SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 103. BAY DELTA PROGRAM.

  (a) In General.--
          (1) Record of decision as general framework.--The 
        Record of Decision is approved as a general framework 
        for addressing the Calfed Bay-Delta Program, including 
        its components relating to water storage, ecosystem 
        restoration, water supply reliability (including new 
        firm yield), conveyance, water use efficiency, water 
        quality, water transfers, watersheds, the Environmental 
        Water Account, levee stability, governance, and 
        science.
          (2) Requirements.--
                  (A) In general.--The Secretary and the heads 
                of the Federal agencies are authorized to carry 
                out the activities described in subsections (c) 
                through (f) consistent with--
                          (i) the Record of Decision;
                          (ii) the requirement that Program 
                        activities consisting of protecting 
                        drinking water quality, restoring 
                        ecological health, improving water 
                        supply reliability (including 
                        additional storage, conveyance, and new 
                        firm yield), and protecting Delta 
                        levees will progress in a balanced 
                        manner; and
                          (iii) this title.
                  (B) Multiple benefits.--In selecting 
                activities and projects, the Secretary and the 
                heads of the Federal agencies shall consider 
                whether the activities and projects have 
                multiple benefits.
  (b) Authorized Activities.--The Secretary and the heads of 
the Federal agencies are authorized to carry out the activities 
described in subsections (c) through (f) in furtherance of the 
Calfed Bay-Delta Program as set forth in the Record of 
Decision, subject to the cost-share and other provisions of 
this title, if the activity has been--
          (1) subject to environmental review and approval, as 
        required under applicable Federal and State law; and
          (2) approved and certified by the relevant Federal 
        agency, following consultation and coordination with 
        the Governor, to be consistent with the Record of 
        Decision.
  (c) Authorizations for Federal Agencies Under Applicable 
Law.--
          (1) Secretary of the interior.--The Secretary of the 
        Interior is authorized to carry out the activities 
        described in paragraphs (1) through (10) of subsection 
        (d), to the extent authorized under the reclamation 
        laws, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (title 
        XXXIV of Public Law 102-575; 106 Stat. 4706), the Fish 
        and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.), 
        the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
        seq.), and other applicable law.
          (2) Administrator of the environmental protection 
        agency.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency is authorized to carry out the 
        activities described in paragraphs (3), (5), (6), (7), 
        (8), and (9) of subsection (d), to the extent 
        authorized under the Federal Water Pollution Control 
        Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), the Safe Drinking Water 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.), and other applicable law.
          (3) Secretary of the army.--The Secretary of the Army 
        is authorized to carry out the activities described in 
        paragraphs (1), (2), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of 
        subsection (d), to the extent authorized under flood 
        control, water resource development, and other 
        applicable law.
          (4) Secretary of commerce.--The Secretary of Commerce 
        is authorized to carry out the activities described in 
        paragraphs (2), (6), (7), and (9) of subsection (d), to 
        the extent authorized under the Fish and Wildlife 
        Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.), the 
        Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
        seq.), and other applicable law.
          (5) Secretary of agriculture.--The Secretary of 
        Agriculture is authorized to carry out the activities 
        described in paragraphs (3), (5), (6), (7), (8), and 
        (9) of subsection (d), to the extent authorized under 
        title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
        3801 et seq.), the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
        Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171; 116 Stat. 134) 
        (including amendments made by that Act), and other 
        applicable law.
  (d) Description of Activities Under Applicable Law.--
          (1) Water storage.--
                  (A) In general.--Activities under this 
                paragraph consist of--
                          (i) planning and feasibility studies 
                        for projects to be pursued with 
                        project-specific study for enlargement 
                        of--
                                  (I) the Shasta Dam in Shasta 
                                County; and
                                  (II) the Los Vaqueros 
                                Reservoir in Contra Costa 
                                County;
                          (ii) planning and feasibility studies 
                        for the following projects requiring 
                        further consideration--
                                  (I) the Sites Reservoir in 
                                Colusa County; and
                                  (II) the Upper San Joaquin 
                                River storage in Fresno and 
                                Madera Counties;
                          (iii) developing and implementing 
                        groundwater management and groundwater 
                        storage projects; and
                          (iv) comprehensive water management 
                        planning.
                  (B) Storage project authorization and 
                balanced calfed implementation.--
                          (i) In general.--If on completion of 
                        the feasibility study for a project 
                        described in clause (i) or (ii) of 
                        subparagraph (A), the Secretary, in 
                        consultation with the Governor, 
                        determines that the project should be 
                        constructed in whole or in part with 
                        Federal funds, the Secretary shall 
                        submit the feasibility study to 
                        Congress.
                          (ii) Finding of imbalance.--If 
                        Congress fails to authorize 
                        construction of the project by the end 
                        of the next full session following the 
                        submission of the feasibility study, 
                        the Secretary, in consultation with the 
                        Governor, shall prepare a written 
                        determination making a finding of 
                        imbalance for the Calfed Bay-Delta 
                        Program.
                          (iii) Report on rebalancing.--
                                  (I) In general.--If the 
                                Secretary makes a finding of 
                                imbalance for the Program under 
                                clause (ii), the Secretary, in 
                                consultation with the Governor, 
                                shall, not later than 180 days 
                                after the end of the full 
                                session described in clause 
                                (ii), prepare and submit to 
                                Congress a report on the 
                                measures necessary to rebalance 
                                the Program.
                                  (II) Schedules and 
                                alternatives.--The report shall 
                                include preparation of revised 
                                schedules and identification of 
                                alternatives to rebalance the 
                                Program, including resubmission 
                                of the project to Congress with 
                                or without modification, 
                                construction of other projects, 
                                and construction of other 
                                projects that provide 
                                equivalent water supply and 
                                other benefits at equal or 
                                lesser cost.
                  (C) Water supply and yield study.--
                          (i) In general.--The Secretary, 
                        acting through the Bureau of 
                        Reclamation and in coordination with 
                        the State, shall conduct a study of 
                        available water supplies and existing 
                        and future needs for water--
                                  (I) within the units of the 
                                Central Valley Project;
                                  (II) within the area served 
                                by Central Valley Project 
                                agricultural, municipal, and 
                                industrial water service 
                                contractors; and
                                  (III) within the Calfed Delta 
                                solution area.
                          (ii) Relationship to prior study.--In 
                        conducting the study, the Secretary 
                        shall incorporate and revise, as 
                        necessary, the results of the study 
                        required by section 3408(j) of the 
                        Central Valley Project Improvement Act 
                        of 1992 (Public Law 102-575; 106 Stat. 
                        4730).
                          (iii) Report.--Not later than 1 year 
                        after the date of enactment of this 
                        Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
                        appropriate authorizing and 
                        appropriating committees of the Senate 
                        and the House of Representatives a 
                        report describing the results of the 
                        study, including--
                                  (I) new firm yield and water 
                                supply improvements, if any, 
                                for Central Valley Project 
                                agricultural water service 
                                contractors and municipal and 
                                industrial water service 
                                contractors, including those 
                                identified in Bulletin 160;
                                  (II) all water management 
                                actions or projects, including 
                                those identified in Bulletin 
                                160, that would--
                                          (aa) improve firm 
                                        yield or water supply; 
                                        and
                                          (bb) if taken or 
                                        constructed, balance 
                                        available water 
                                        supplies and existing 
                                        demand with due 
                                        recognition of water 
                                        right priorities and 
                                        environmental needs;
                                  (III) the financial costs of 
                                the actions and projects 
                                described under subclause (II); 
                                and
                                  (IV) the beneficiaries of 
                                those actions and projects and 
                                an assessment of the 
                                willingness of the 
                                beneficiaries to pay the 
                                capital costs and operation and 
                                maintenance costs of the 
                                actions and projects.
                  (D) Management.--The Secretary shall conduct 
                activities related to developing groundwater 
                storage projects to the extent authorized under 
                law.
                  (E) Comprehensive water planning.--The 
                Secretary shall conduct activities related to 
                comprehensive water management planning to the 
                extent authorized under law.
          (2) Conveyance.--
                  (A) South delta actions.--
                          (i) In general.--In the case of the 
                        South Delta, activities under this 
                        subparagraph consist of--
                                  (I) the South Delta 
                                Improvements Program through 
                                actions to--
                                          (aa) increase the 
                                        State Water Project 
                                        export limit to 8,500 
                                        cfs;
                                          (bb) install 
                                        permanent, operable 
                                        barriers in the South 
                                        Delta, under which 
                                        Federal agencies shall 
                                        cooperate with the 
                                        State to accelerate 
                                        installation of the 
                                        permanent, operable 
                                        barriers in the South 
                                        Delta, with an intent 
                                        to complete that 
                                        installation not later 
                                        than September 30, 
                                        2007;
                                          (cc) evaluate, 
                                        consistent with the 
                                        Record of Decision, 
                                        fish screens and intake 
                                        facilities at the Tracy 
                                        Pumping Plant 
                                        facilities; and
                                          (dd) increase the 
                                        State Water Project 
                                        export to the maximum 
                                        capability of 10,300 
                                        cfs;
                                  (II) reduction of 
                                agricultural drainage in South 
                                Delta channels, and other 
                                actions necessary to minimize 
                                the impact of drainage on 
                                drinking water quality;
                                  (III) evaluation of lower San 
                                Joaquin River floodway 
                                improvements;
                                  (IV) installation and 
                                operation of temporary barriers 
                                in the South Delta until fully 
                                operable barriers are 
                                constructed; and
                                  (V) actions to protect 
                                navigation and local diversions 
                                not adequately protected by 
                                temporary barriers.
                          (ii) Actions to increase pumping.--
                        Actions to increase pumping shall be 
                        accomplished in a manner consistent 
                        with the Record of Decision requirement 
                        to avoid redirected impacts and adverse 
                        impacts to fishery protection and with 
                        any applicable Federal or State law 
                        that protects--
                                  (I) water diversions and use 
                                (including avoidance of 
                                increased costs of diversion) 
                                by in-Delta water users 
                                (including in-Delta 
                                agricultural users that have 
                                historically relied on water 
                                diverted for use in the Delta);
                                  (II) water quality for 
                                municipal, industrial, 
                                agricultural, and other uses; 
                                and
                                  (III) water supplies for 
                                areas of origin.
                  (B) North delta actions.--In the case of the 
                North Delta, activities under this subparagraph 
                consist of--
                          (i) evaluation and implementation of 
                        improved operational procedures for the 
                        Delta Cross Channel to address fishery 
                        and water quality concerns;
                          (ii) evaluation of a screened 
                        through-Delta facility on the 
                        Sacramento River; and
                          (iii) evaluation of lower Mokelumne 
                        River floodway improvements.
                  (C) Interties.--Activities under this 
                subparagraph consist of--
                          (i) evaluation and construction of an 
                        intertie between the State Water 
                        Project California Aqueduct and the 
                        Central Valley Project Delta Mendota 
                        Canal, near the City of Tracy, as an 
                        operation and maintenance activity, 
                        except that the Secretary shall design 
                        and construct the intertie in a manner 
                        consistent with a possible future 
                        expansion of the intertie capacity (as 
                        described in subsection (f)(1)(B)); and
                          (ii) assessment of a connection of 
                        the Central Valley Project to the 
                        Clifton Court Forebay of the State 
                        Water Project, with a corresponding 
                        increase in the screened intake of the 
                        Forebay.
                  (D) Program to meet standards.--
                          (i) In general.--Prior to increasing 
                        export limits from the Delta for the 
                        purposes of conveying water to south-
                        of-Delta Central Valley Project 
                        contractors or increasing deliveries 
                        through an intertie, the Secretary 
                        shall, not later than 1 year after the 
                        date of enactment of this Act, in 
                        consultation with the Governor, develop 
                        and initiate implementation of a 
                        program to meet all existing water 
                        quality standards and objectives for 
                        which the Central Valley Project has 
                        responsibility.
                          (ii) Measures.--In developing and 
                        implementing the program, the Secretary 
                        shall include, to the maximum extent 
                        feasible, the measures described in 
                        clauses (iii) through (vii).
                          (iii) Recirculation program.--The 
                        Secretary shall incorporate into the 
                        program a recirculation program to 
                        provide flow, reduce salinity 
                        concentrations in the San Joaquin 
                        River, and reduce the reliance on the 
                        New Melones Reservoir for meeting water 
                        quality and fishery flow objectives 
                        through the use of excess capacity in 
                        export pumping and conveyance 
                        facilities.
                          (iv) Best management practices 
                        plan.--
                                  (I) In general.--The 
                                Secretary shall develop and 
                                implement, in coordination with 
                                the State's programs to improve 
                                water quality in the San 
                                Joaquin River, a best 
                                management practices plan to 
                                reduce the water quality 
                                impacts of the discharges from 
                                wildlife refuges that receive 
                                water from the Federal 
                                Government and discharge salt 
                                or other constituents into the 
                                San Joaquin River.
                                  (II) Coordination with 
                                interested parties.--The plan 
                                shall be developed in 
                                coordination with interested 
                                parties in the San Joaquin 
                                Valley and the Delta.
                                  (III) Coordination with 
                                entities that discharge 
                                water.--The Secretary shall 
                                also coordinate activities 
                                under this clause with other 
                                entities that discharge water 
                                into the San Joaquin River to 
                                reduce salinity concentrations 
                                discharged into the River, 
                                including the timing of 
                                discharges to optimize their 
                                assimilation.
                          (v) Acquisition of water.--The 
                        Secretary shall incorporate into the 
                        program the acquisition from willing 
                        sellers of water from streams tributary 
                        to the San Joaquin River or other 
                        sources to provide flow, dilute 
                        discharges of salt or other 
                        constituents, and to improve water 
                        quality in the San Joaquin River below 
                        the confluence of the Merced and San 
                        Joaquin Rivers, and to reduce the 
                        reliance on New Melones Reservoir for 
                        meeting water quality and fishery flow 
                        objectives.
                          (vi) Purpose.--The purpose of the 
                        authority and direction provided to the 
                        Secretary under this subparagraph is to 
                        provide greater flexibility in meeting 
                        the existing water quality standards 
                        and objectives for which the Central 
                        Valley Project has responsibility so as 
                        to reduce the demand on water from New 
                        Melones Reservoir used for that purpose 
                        and to assist the Secretary in meeting 
                        any obligations to Central Valley 
                        Project contractors from the New 
                        Melones Project.
                          (vii) Updating of new melones 
                        operating plan.--The Secretary shall 
                        update the New Melones operating plan 
                        to take into account, among other 
                        things, the actions described in this 
                        title that are designed to reduce the 
                        reliance on New Melones Reservoir for 
                        meeting water quality and fishery flow 
                        objectives, and to ensure that actions 
                        to enhance fisheries in the Stanislaus 
                        River are based on the best available 
                        science.
          (3) Water use efficiency.--
                  (A) Water conservation projects.--Activities 
                under this paragraph include water conservation 
                projects that provide water supply reliability, 
                water quality, and ecosystem benefits to the 
                California Bay-Delta system.
                  (B) Technical assistance.--Activities under 
                this paragraph include technical assistance for 
                urban and agricultural water conservation 
                projects.
                  (C) Water recycling and desalination 
                projects.--Activities under this paragraph 
                include water recycling and desalination 
                projects, including groundwater remediation 
                projects and projects identified in the Bay 
                Area Water Plan and the Southern California 
                Comprehensive Water Reclamation and Reuse Study 
                and other projects, giving priority to projects 
                that include regional solutions to benefit 
                regional water supply and reliability needs.
                  (D) Water measurement and transfer actions.--
                Activities under this paragraph include water 
                measurement and transfer actions.
                  (E) Urban water conservation.--Activities 
                under this paragraph include implementation of 
                best management practices for urban water 
                conservation.
                  (F) Reclamation and recycling projects.--
                          (i) Projects.--This subparagraph 
                        applies to--
                                  (I) projects identified in 
                                the Southern California 
                                Comprehensive Water Reclamation 
                                and Reuse Study, dated April 
                                2001 and authorized by section 
                                1606 of the Reclamation 
                                Wastewater and Groundwater 
                                Study and Facilities Act (43 
                                U.S.C. 390h-4); and
                                  (II) projects identified in 
                                the San Francisco Bay Area 
                                Regional Water Recycling 
                                Program described in the San 
                                Francisco Bay Area Regional 
                                Water Recycling Program 
                                Recycled Water Master Plan, 
                                dated December 1999 and 
                                authorized by section 1611 of 
                                the Reclamation Wastewater and 
                                Groundwater Study and 
                                Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h-
                                9).
                          (ii) Deadline.--Not later than 180 
                        days after the date of enactment of 
                        this Act, the Secretary shall--
                                  (I) complete the review of 
                                the existing studies of the 
                                projects described in clause 
                                (i); and
                                  (II) make the feasibility 
                                determinations described in 
                                clause (iii).
                          (iii) Feasibility determinations.--A 
                        project described in clause (i) is 
                        presumed to be feasible if the 
                        Secretary determines for the project--
                                  (I) in consultation with the 
                                affected local sponsoring 
                                agency and the State, that the 
                                existing planning and 
                                environmental studies for the 
                                project (together with 
                                supporting materials and 
                                documentation) have been 
                                prepared consistent with Bureau 
                                of Reclamation procedures for 
                                projects under consideration 
                                for financial assistance under 
                                the Reclamation Wastewater and 
                                Groundwater Study and 
                                Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h 
                                et seq.); and
                                  (II) that the planning and 
                                environmental studies for the 
                                project (together with 
                                supporting materials and 
                                documentation) demonstrate that 
                                the project will contribute to 
                                the goals of improving water 
                                supply reliability in the 
                                Calfed solution area or the 
                                Colorado River Basin within the 
                                State and otherwise meets the 
                                requirements of section 1604 of 
                                the Reclamation Wastewater and 
                                Groundwater Study and 
                                Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h-
                                2).
                          (iv) Report.--Not later than 90 days 
                        after the date of completion of a 
                        feasibility study or the review of a 
                        feasibility study under this 
                        subparagraph, the Secretary shall 
                        submit to the appropriate authorizing 
                        and appropriating committees of the 
                        Senate and the House of Representatives 
                        a report describing the results of the 
                        study or review.
          (4) Water transfers.--Activities under this paragraph 
        consist of--
                  (A) increasing the availability of existing 
                facilities for water transfers;
                  (B) lowering transaction costs through permit 
                streamlining; and
                  (C) maintaining a water transfer information 
                clearinghouse.
          (5) Integrated regional water management plans.--
        Activities under this paragraph consist of assisting 
        local and regional communities in the State in 
        developing and implementing integrated regional water 
        management plans to carry out projects and programs 
        that improve water supply reliability, water quality, 
        ecosystem restoration, and flood protection, or meet 
        other local and regional needs, in a manner that is 
        consistent with, and makes a significant contribution 
        to, the Calfed Bay-Delta Program.
          (6) Ecosystem restoration.--
                  (A) In general.--Activities under this 
                paragraph consist of--
                          (i) implementation of large-scale 
                        restoration projects in San Francisco 
                        Bay and the Delta and its tributaries;
                          (ii) restoration of habitat in the 
                        Delta, San Pablo Bay, and Suisun Bay 
                        and Marsh, including tidal wetland and 
                        riparian habitat;
                          (iii) fish screen and fish passage 
                        improvement projects, including the 
                        Sacramento River Small Diversion Fish 
                        Screen Program;
                          (iv) implementation of an invasive 
                        species program, including prevention, 
                        control, and eradication;
                          (v) development and integration of 
                        Federal and State agricultural programs 
                        that benefit wildlife into the 
                        Ecosystem Restoration Program;
                          (vi) financial and technical support 
                        for locally-based collaborative 
                        programs to restore habitat while 
                        addressing the concerns of local 
                        communities;
                          (vii) water quality improvement 
                        projects to manage or reduce 
                        concentrations of salinity, selenium, 
                        mercury, pesticides, trace metals, 
                        dissolved oxygen, turbidity, sediment, 
                        and other pollutants;
                          (viii) land and water acquisitions to 
                        improve habitat and fish spawning and 
                        survival in the Delta and its 
                        tributaries;
                          (ix) integrated flood management, 
                        ecosystem restoration, and levee 
                        protection projects;
                          (x) scientific evaluations and 
                        targeted research on Program 
                        activities; and
                          (xi) strategic planning and tracking 
                        of Program performance.
                  (B) Reporting requirements.--The Secretary or 
                the head of the relevant Federal agency (as 
                appropriate under clause (ii)) shall provide to 
                the appropriate authorizing committees of the 
                Senate and the House of Representatives and 
                other appropriate parties in accordance with 
                this subparagraph--
                          (i) an annual ecosystem program plan 
                        report in accordance with subparagraph 
                        (C); and
                          (ii) detailed project reports in 
                        accordance with subparagraph (D).
                  (C) Annual ecosystem program plan.--
                          (i) In general.--Not later than 
                        October 1 of each year, with respect to 
                        each ecosystem restoration action 
                        carried out using Federal funds under 
                        this title, the Secretary, in 
                        consultation with the Governor, shall 
                        submit to the appropriate authorizing 
                        committees of the Senate and the House 
                        of Representatives an annual ecosystem 
                        program plan report.
                          (ii) Purposes.--The purposes of the 
                        report are--
                                  (I) to describe the projects 
                                and programs to implement this 
                                subsection in the following 
                                fiscal year; and
                                  (II) to establish priorities 
                                for funding the projects and 
                                programs for subsequent fiscal 
                                years.
                          (iii) Contents.--The report shall 
                        describe--
                                  (I) the goals and objectives 
                                of the programs and projects;
                                  (II) program accomplishments;
                                  (III) major activities of the 
                                programs;
                                  (IV) the Federal agencies 
                                involved in each project or 
                                program identified in the plan 
                                and the cost-share arrangements 
                                with cooperating agencies;
                                  (V) the resource data and 
                                ecological monitoring data to 
                                be collected for the 
                                restoration projects and how 
                                the data are to be integrated, 
                                streamlined, and designed to 
                                measure the effectiveness and 
                                overall trend of ecosystem 
                                health in the Bay-Delta 
                                watershed;
                                  (VI) implementation schedules 
                                and budgets;
                                  (VII) existing monitoring 
                                programs and performance 
                                measures;
                                  (VIII) the status and 
                                effectiveness of measures to 
                                minimize the impacts of the 
                                program on agricultural land; 
                                and
                                  (IX) a description of 
                                expected benefits of the 
                                restoration program relative to 
                                the cost.
                          (iv) Special rule for land 
                        acquisition using federal funds.--For 
                        each ecosystem restoration project 
                        involving land acquisition using 
                        Federal funds under this title, the 
                        Secretary shall--
                                  (I) identify the specific 
                                parcels to be acquired in the 
                                annual ecosystem program plan 
                                report under this subparagraph; 
                                or
                                  (II) not later than 150 days 
                                before the project is approved, 
                                provide to the appropriate 
                                authorizing committees of the 
                                Senate and the House of 
                                Representatives, the United 
                                States Senators from the State, 
                                and the United States 
                                Representative whose district 
                                would be affected, notice of 
                                any such proposed land 
                                acquisition using Federal funds 
                                under this title submitted to 
                                the Federal or State agency.
                  (D) Detailed project reports.--
                          (i) In general.--In the case of each 
                        ecosystem restoration program or 
                        project funded under this title that is 
                        not specifically identified in an 
                        annual ecosystem program plan under 
                        subparagraph (C), not later than 45 
                        days prior to approval, the Secretary, 
                        in coordination with the State, shall 
                        submit to the appropriate authorizing 
                        committees of the Senate and the House 
                        of Representatives recommendations on 
                        the proposed program or project.
                          (ii) Contents.--The recommendations 
                        shall--
                                  (I) describe the selection of 
                                the program or project, 
                                including the level of public 
                                involvement and independent 
                                science review;
                                  (II) describe the goals, 
                                objectives, and implementation 
                                schedule of the program or 
                                project, and the extent to 
                                which the program or project 
                                addresses regional and 
                                programmatic goals and 
                                priorities;
                                  (III) describe the monitoring 
                                plans and performance measures 
                                that will be used for 
                                evaluating the performance of 
                                the proposed program or 
                                project;
                                  (IV) identify any cost-
                                sharing arrangements with 
                                cooperating entities;
                                  (V) identify how the proposed 
                                program or project will comply 
                                with all applicable Federal and 
                                State laws, including the 
                                National Environmental Policy 
                                Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
                                seq.); and
                                  (VI) in the case of any 
                                program or project involving 
                                the acquisition of private land 
                                using Federal funds under this 
                                title--
                                          (aa) describe the 
                                        process and timing of 
                                        notification of 
                                        interested members of 
                                        the public and local 
                                        governments;
                                          (bb) describe the 
                                        measures taken to 
                                        minimize impacts on 
                                        agricultural land 
                                        pursuant to the Record 
                                        of Decision; and
                                          (cc) include 
                                        preliminary management 
                                        plans for all 
                                        properties to be 
                                        acquired with Federal 
                                        funds, including an 
                                        overview of existing 
                                        conditions (including 
                                        habitat types in the 
                                        affected project area), 
                                        the expected ecological 
                                        benefits, preliminary 
                                        cost estimates, and 
                                        implementation 
                                        schedules.
          (7) Watersheds.--Activities under this paragraph 
        consist of--
                  (A) building local capacity to assess and 
                manage watersheds affecting the Delta system;
                  (B) technical assistance for watershed 
                assessments and management plans; and
                  (C) developing and implementing locally-based 
                watershed conservation, maintenance, and 
                restoration actions.
          (8) Water quality.--Activities under this paragraph 
        consist of--
                  (A) addressing drainage problems in the San 
                Joaquin Valley to improve downstream water 
                quality (including habitat restoration projects 
                that improve water quality) if--
                          (i) a plan is in place for monitoring 
                        downstream water quality improvements; 
                        and
                          (ii) State and local agencies are 
                        consulted on the activities to be 
                        funded;
                except that no right, benefit, or privilege is 
                created as a result of this subparagraph;
                  (B) implementation of source control programs 
                in the Delta and its tributaries;
                  (C) developing recommendations through 
                scientific panels and advisory council 
                processes to meet the Calfed Bay-Delta Program 
                goal of continuous improvement in Delta water 
                quality for all uses;
                  (D) investing in treatment technology 
                demonstration projects;
                  (E) controlling runoff into the California 
                aqueduct, the Delta-Mendota Canal, and other 
                similar conveyances;
                  (F) addressing water quality problems at the 
                North Bay Aqueduct;
                  (G) supporting and participating in the 
                development of projects to enable San Francisco 
                Bay Area water districts, and water entities in 
                San Joaquin and Sacramento Counties, to work 
                cooperatively to address their water quality 
                and supply reliability issues, including--
                          (i) connections between aqueducts, 
                        water transfers, water conservation 
                        measures, institutional arrangements, 
                        and infrastructure improvements that 
                        encourage regional approaches; and
                          (ii) investigations and studies of 
                        available capacity in a project to 
                        deliver water to the East Bay Municipal 
                        Utility District under its contract 
                        with the Bureau of Reclamation, dated 
                        July 20, 2001, in order to determine if 
                        such capacity can be utilized to meet 
                        the objectives of this subparagraph;
                  (H) development of water quality exchanges 
                and other programs to make high quality water 
                available for urban and other users;
                  (I) development and implementation of a plan 
                to meet all Delta water quality standards for 
                which the Federal and State water projects have 
                responsibility;
                  (J) development of recommendations through 
                science panels and advisory council processes 
                to meet the Calfed Bay-Delta Program goal of 
                continuous improvement in water quality for all 
                uses; and
                  (K) projects that are consistent with the 
                framework of the water quality component of the 
                Calfed Bay-Delta Program.
          (9) Science.--Activities under this paragraph consist 
        of--
                  (A) supporting establishment and maintenance 
                of an independent science board, technical 
                panels, and standing boards to provide 
                oversight and peer review of the Program;
                  (B) conducting expert evaluations and 
                scientific assessments of all Program elements;
                  (C) coordinating existing monitoring and 
                scientific research programs;
                  (D) developing and implementing adaptive 
                management experiments to test, refine, and 
                improve scientific understandings;
                  (E) establishing performance measures, and 
                monitoring and evaluating the performance of 
                all Program elements; and
                  (F) preparing an annual science report.
          (10) Diversification of water supplies.--Activities 
        under this paragraph consist of actions to diversify 
        sources of level 2 refuge supplies and modes of 
        delivery to refuges while maintaining the diversity of 
        level 4 supplies pursuant to section 3406(d)(2) of the 
        Central Valley Project Improvement Act (Public Law 102-
        575; 106 Stat. 4723).
  (e) New and Expanded Authorizations for Federal Agencies.--
          (1) In general.--The heads of the Federal agencies 
        described in this subsection are authorized to carry 
        out the activities described in subsection (f) during 
        each of fiscal years 2005 through 2022, in coordination 
        with the Governor.
          (2) Secretary of the interior.--The Secretary of the 
        Interior is authorized to carry out the activities 
        described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) of subsection 
        (f).
          (3) Administrator of the environmental protection 
        agency and the secretaries of agriculture and 
        commerce.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency, the Secretary of Agriculture, and 
        the Secretary of Commerce are authorized to carry out 
        the activities described in subsection (f)(4).
          (4) Secretary of the army.--The Secretary of the Army 
        is authorized to carry out the activities described in 
        paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (f).
  (f) Description of Activities Under New and Expanded 
Authorizations.--
          (1) Conveyance.--Of the amounts authorized to be 
        appropriated under section 109, not more than 
        $184,000,000 may be expended for the following:
                  (A) San luis reservoir.--Funds may be 
                expended for feasibility studies, evaluation, 
                and implementation of the San Luis Reservoir 
                lowpoint improvement project, except that 
                Federal participation in any construction of an 
                expanded Pacheco Reservoir shall be subject to 
                future congressional authorization.
                  (B) Intertie.--Funds may be expended for 
                feasibility studies and evaluation of increased 
                capacity of the intertie between the State 
                Water Project California Aqueduct and the 
                Central Valley Project Delta Mendota Canal.
                  (C) Franks tract.--Funds may be expended for 
                feasibility studies and actions at Franks Tract 
                to improve water quality in the Delta.
                  (D) Clifton court forebay and the tracy 
                pumping plant.--Funds may be expended for 
                feasibility studies and design of fish screen 
                and intake facilities at Clifton Court Forebay 
                and the Tracy Pumping Plant facilities.
                  (E) Drinking water intake facilities.--
                          (i) In general.--Funds may be 
                        expended for design and construction of 
                        the relocation of drinking water intake 
                        facilities to in-Delta water users.
                          (ii) Drinking water quality.--The 
                        Secretary shall coordinate actions for 
                        relocating intake facilities on a time 
                        schedule consistent with subsection 
                        (d)(2)(A)(i)(I)(bb) or take other 
                        actions necessary to offset the 
                        degradation of drinking water quality 
                        in the Delta due to the South Delta 
                        Improvement Program.
                  (F) New melones reservoir.--
                          (i) In general.--In addition to the 
                        other authorizations granted to the 
                        Secretary by this title, the Secretary 
                        shall acquire water from willing 
                        sellers and undertake other actions 
                        designed to decrease releases from the 
                        New Melones Reservoir for meeting water 
                        quality standards and flow objectives 
                        for which the Central Valley Project 
                        has responsibility to assist in meeting 
                        allocations to Central Valley Project 
                        contractors from the New Melones 
                        Project.
                          (ii) Purpose.--The authorization 
                        under this subparagraph is solely meant 
                        to add flexibility for the Secretary to 
                        meet any obligations of the Secretary 
                        to the Central Valley Project 
                        contractors from the New Melones 
                        Project by reducing demand for water 
                        dedicated to meeting water quality 
                        standards in the San Joaquin River.
                          (iii) Funding.--Of the amounts 
                        authorized to be appropriated under 
                        section 109, not more than $30,000,000 
                        may be expended to carry out clause 
                        (i).
                  (G) Recirculation of export water.--Funds may 
                be used to conduct feasibility studies, 
                evaluate, and, if feasible, implement the 
                recirculation of export water to reduce 
                salinity and improve dissolved oxygen in the 
                San Joaquin River.
          (2) Environmental water account.--
                  (A) In general.--Of the amounts authorized to 
                be appropriated under section 109, not more 
                than $90,000,000 may be expended for 
                implementation of the Environmental Water 
                Account.
                  (B) Nonreimbursable federal expenditure.--
                Expenditures under subparagraph (A) shall be 
                considered a nonreimbursable Federal 
                expenditure in recognition of the payments of 
                the contractors of the Central Valley Project 
                to the Restoration Fund created by the Central 
                Valley Project Improvement Act (Title XXXIV of 
                Public Law 102-575; 106 Stat. 4706).
                  (C) Use of restoration fund.--
                          (i) In general.--Of the amounts 
                        appropriated for the Restoration Fund 
                        for each fiscal year, an amount not to 
                        exceed $10,000,000 for any fiscal year 
                        may be used to implement the 
                        Environmental Water Account to the 
                        extent those actions are consistent 
                        with the fish and wildlife habitat 
                        restoration and improvement purposes of 
                        the Central Valley Project Improvement 
                        Act.
                          (ii) Accounting.--Any such use of the 
                        Restoration Fund shall count toward the 
                        33 percent of funds made available to 
                        the Restoration Fund that, pursuant to 
                        section 3407(a) of the Central Valley 
                        Project Improvement Act, are otherwise 
                        authorized to be appropriated to the 
                        Secretary to carry out paragraphs (4) 
                        through (6), (10) through (18), and 
                        (20) through (22) of section 3406(b) of 
                        that Act.
                          (iii) Federal funding.--The 
                        $10,000,000 limitation on the use of 
                        the Restoration Fund for the 
                        Environmental Water Account under 
                        clause (i) does not limit the 
                        appropriate amount of Federal funding 
                        for the Environmental Water Account.
          (3) Levee stability.--
                  (A) In general.--For purposes of implementing 
                the Calfed Bay-Delta Program), the Secretary of 
                the Army is authorized to undertake the 
                construction and implementation of levee 
                stability programs or projects for such 
                purposes as flood control, ecosystem 
                restoration, water supply, water conveyance, 
                and water quality objectives.
                  (B) Report.--Not later than 180 days after 
                the date of enactment of this Act, the 
                Secretary of the Army shall submit to the 
                appropriate authorizing and appropriating 
                committees of the Senate and the House of 
                Representatives a report that describes the 
                levee stability reconstruction projects and 
                priorities that will be carried out under this 
                title during each of fiscal years 2005 through 
                2022.
                  (C) Justification.--
                          (i) In general.--Notwithstanding 
                        section 209 of the Flood Control Act of 
                        1970 (42 U.S.C. 1962-2), in carrying 
                        out levee stability programs and 
                        projects pursuant to this paragraph, 
                        the Secretary of the Army may determine 
                        that the programs and projects are 
                        justified by the benefits of the 
                        project purposes described in 
                        subparagraph (A), and the programs and 
                        projects shall require no additional 
                        economic justification if the Secretary 
                        of the Army further determines that the 
                        programs and projects are cost 
                        effective.
                          (ii) Applicability.--Clause (i) shall 
                        not apply to any separable element 
                        intended to produce benefits that are 
                        predominantly unrelated to the project 
                        purposes described in subparagraph (A).
                  (D) Projects.--Of the amounts authorized to 
                be appropriated under section 109, not more 
                than $90,000,000 may be expended to--
                          (i) reconstruct Delta levees to a 
                        base level of protection (also known as 
                        the ``Public Law 84-99 standard'') as 
                        described in the Record of Decision;
                          (ii) enhance the stability of levees 
                        that have particular importance in the 
                        system through the Delta Levee Special 
                        Improvement Projects Program;
                          (iii) develop best management 
                        practices to control and reverse land 
                        subsidence on Delta islands;
                          (iv) develop a Delta Levee Emergency 
                        Management and Response Plan that will 
                        enhance the ability of Federal, State, 
                        and local agencies to rapidly respond 
                        to levee emergencies;
                          (v) develop a Delta Risk Management 
                        Strategy after assessing the 
                        consequences of Delta levee failure 
                        from floods, seepage, subsidence, and 
                        earthquakes;
                          (vi) reconstruct Delta levees using, 
                        to the maximum extent practicable, 
                        dredged materials from the Sacramento 
                        River, the San Joaquin River, and the 
                        San Francisco Bay in reconstructing 
                        Delta levees;
                          (vii) coordinate Delta levee projects 
                        with flood management, ecosystem 
                        restoration, and levee protection 
                        projects of the lower San Joaquin River 
                        and lower Mokelumne River floodway 
                        improvements and other projects under 
                        the Sacramento-San Joaquin 
                        Comprehensive Study; and
                          (viii) evaluate and, if appropriate, 
                        rehabilitate the Suisun Marsh levees.
          (4) Program management, oversight, and 
        coordination.--
                  (A) In general.--Of the amounts authorized to 
                be appropriated under section 109, not more 
                than [$30,000,000] $40,000,000 may be expended 
                by the Secretary or the other heads of Federal 
                agencies, either directly or through grants, 
                contracts, or cooperative agreements with 
                agencies of the State, for--
                          (i) Program support;
                          (ii) Program-wide tracking of 
                        schedules, finances, and performance;
                          (iii) multiagency oversight and 
                        coordination of Program activities to 
                        ensure Program balance and integration;
                          (iv) development of interagency 
                        cross-cut budgets and a comprehensive 
                        finance plan to allocate costs in 
                        accordance with the beneficiary pays 
                        provisions of the Record of Decision;
                          (v) coordination of public outreach 
                        and involvement, including tribal, 
                        environmental justice, and public 
                        advisory activities in accordance with 
                        the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
                        U.S.C. App.); and
                          (vi) development of Annual Reports.
                  (B) Program-wide activities.--Of the amount 
                referred to in subparagraph (A), not less than 
                50 percent of the appropriated amount shall be 
                provided to the California Bay-Delta Authority 
                to carry out Program-wide management, 
                oversight, and coordination activities.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


        RECLAMATION STATES EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF ACT OF 1991




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE III--GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  Except as otherwise provided in section 303 of this Act 
(relating to temperature control devices at Shasta Dam, 
California), there is authorized to be appropriated not more 
than [$120,000,000] $130,000,000 in total for the period of 
fiscal years 2006 through 2022.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


                 INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
DIVISION D--ENERGY

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


TITLE IX--WESTERN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 40902. WATER STORAGE, GROUNDWATER STORAGE, AND CONVEYANCE 
                    PROJECTS.

  (a) Eligibility for Funding.--
          (1) Feasibility studies.--
                  (A) In general.--A feasibility study shall 
                only be eligible for funding under section 
                40901(1) if--
                          (i) the feasibility study has been 
                        authorized by an Act of Congress before 
                        the date of enactment of this Act;
                          (ii) Congress has approved funding 
                        for the feasibility study in accordance 
                        with section 4007 of the Water 
                        Infrastructure Improvements for the 
                        Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b note; Public 
                        Law 114-322) before the date of 
                        enactment of this Act; or
                          (iii) the feasibility study is 
                        authorized under subparagraph (B).
                  (B) Feasibility study authorizations.--The 
                Secretary may carry out feasibility studies for 
                the following projects:
                          (i) The Verde Reservoirs Sediment 
                        Mitigation Project in the State of 
                        Arizona.
                          (ii) The Tualatin River Basin Project 
                        in the State of Oregon.
          (2) Construction.--A project shall only be eligible 
        for construction funding under section 40901(1) if--
                  (A) an Act of Congress enacted before the 
                date of enactment of this Act authorizes 
                construction of the project;
                  (B) Congress has approved funding for 
                construction of the project in accordance with 
                section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure 
                Improvements for the Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b 
                note; Public Law 114-322) before the date of 
                enactment of [this Act, except for any project 
                for which--] this Act; or
                          [(i) Congress did not approve the 
                        recommendation of the Secretary for 
                        funding under subsection (h)(2) of that 
                        section for at least 1 fiscal year 
                        before the date of enactment of this 
                        Act; or
                          [(ii) State funding for the project 
                        was rescinded by the State before the 
                        date of enactment of this Act; or]
                  (C)(i) Congress has authorized or approved 
                funding for a feasibility study for the project 
                in accordance with clause (i) or (ii) of 
                paragraph (1)(A) [(except that projects 
                described in clauses (i) and (ii) of 
                subparagraph (B) shall not be eligible)]; and
                          (ii) on completion of the feasibility 
                        study for the project, the Secretary--
                                  (I) finds the project to be 
                                technically and financially 
                                feasible in accordance with the 
                                reclamation laws;
                                  (II) determines that 
                                sufficient non-Federal funding 
                                is available for the non-
                                Federal cost share of the 
                                project; and
                                  (III)(aa) finds the project 
                                to be in the public interest; 
                                and
                                          (bb) recommends the 
                                        project for 
                                        construction.
  (b) Cost-sharing Requirement.--
          (1) In general.--The Federal share--
                  (A) for a project authorized by an Act of 
                Congress shall be determined in accordance with 
                that Act;
                  (B) for a project approved by Congress in 
                accordance with section 4007 of the Water 
                Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act 
                (43 U.S.C. 390b note; Public Law 114-322) 
                (including construction resulting from a 
                feasibility study authorized under that Act) 
                shall be as provided in that Act; and
                  (C) for a project not described in 
                subparagraph (A) or (B)--
                          (i) in the case of a federally owned 
                        project, shall not exceed 50 percent of 
                        the total cost of the project; and
                          (ii) in the case of a non-Federal 
                        project, shall not exceed 25 percent of 
                        the total cost of the project.
          (2) Federal benefits.--Before funding a project under 
        this section, the Secretary shall determine that, in 
        return for the Federal investment in the project, at 
        least a proportionate share of the benefits are Federal 
        benefits.
          (3) Reimbursability.--The reimbursability of Federal 
        funding of projects under this section shall be in 
        accordance with the reclamation laws.
  (c) Environmental Laws.--In providing funding for a project 
under this section, the Secretary shall comply with all 
applicable environmental laws, including the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


          WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE NATION ACT




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE III--NATURAL RESOURCES

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


Subtitle J--California Water

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 4004. CONSULTATION ON COORDINATED OPERATIONS.

  (a) Resolution of Water Resource Issues.--In furtherance of 
the policy established by section 2(c)(2) of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, that Federal agencies shall cooperate with 
State and local agencies to resolve water resource issues in 
concert with conservation of endangered species, in any 
consultation or reconsultation on the coordinated operations of 
the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, the 
Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce shall ensure that any 
[public water agency that contracts] contractor for the 
delivery of water from the Central Valley Project or the State 
Water Project that so requests shall--
          (1) have routine and continuing opportunities to 
        discuss and submit information to the action agency for 
        consideration during the development of any biological 
        assessment or proposed action;
          (2) be informed by the action agency of the schedule 
        for preparation of a biological assessment or proposed 
        action;
          (3) receive a copy of the draft proposed action and 
        have the opportunity to review that document and 
        provide comment to the action agency, which comments 
        shall be afforded due consideration during development;
          [(3)] (4) be informed by the consulting agency, the 
        U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine 
        Fisheries Service, of the schedule for preparation of 
        the biological opinion at such time as the biological 
        assessment is submitted to the consulting agency by the 
        action agency;
          [(4)] (5) receive a copy of any draft biological 
        opinion and have the opportunity to review that 
        document and provide comment to the consulting agency 
        through the action agency, which comments will be 
        afforded due consideration during the consultation;
          [(5)] (6) have the opportunity to confer with the 
        action agency and applicant, if any, about reasonable 
        and prudent alternatives prior to the action agency or 
        applicant identifying one or more reasonable and 
        prudent alternatives for consideration by the 
        consulting agency; and
          [(6)] (7) where action agency proposes a proposed 
        action or the consulting agency suggests a reasonable 
        and prudent alternative be informed--
                  (A) how each component of the proposed action 
                or alternative will contribute to avoiding 
                jeopardy or adverse modification of critical 
                habitat and the scientific data or information 
                that supports each component of the 
                alternative; and
                  (B) why other proposed [alternative actions] 
                actions or alternatives that would have fewer 
                adverse water supply and economic impacts are 
                inadequate to avoid jeopardy or adverse 
                modification of critical habitat.
  (b) Input.--When consultation is ongoing, the Secretaries of 
the Interior and Commerce shall regularly solicit input from 
and report their progress to the Collaborative Adaptive 
Management Team and the Collaborative Science and Adaptive 
Management Program policy group. The Collaborative Adaptive 
Management Team and the Collaborative Science and Adaptive 
Management Program policy group may provide the Secretaries 
with recommendations to improve the effects analysis and 
Federal agency determinations. The Secretaries shall give due 
consideration to the recommendations when developing the 
Biological Assessment and Biological Opinion.
  (c) Meetings.--The Secretaries shall establish a quarterly 
stakeholder meeting during any consultation or reconsultation 
for the purpose of providing updates on the development of the 
Biological Assessment and Biological Opinion. The quarterly 
stakeholder meeting shall be open to stakeholders identified by 
the Secretaries representing a broad range of interests 
including environmental, recreational and commercial fishing, 
agricultural, municipal, Delta, and other regional interests, 
and including stakeholders that are not state or local 
agencies.
  (d) Clarification.--Neither subsection (b) or (c) of this 
section may be used to meet the requirements of subsection (a).
  (e) Non-applicability of FACA.--For the purposes of 
subsection (b), the Collaborative Adaptive Management Team, the 
Collaborative Science and Adaptive Management Program policy 
group, and any recommendations made to the Secretaries, are 
exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 4007. STORAGE.

  (a) Definitions.--In this subtitle:
          (1) Federally owned storage project.--The term 
        ``federally owned storage project'' means any project 
        involving a surface water storage facility in a 
        Reclamation State--
                  (A) to which the United States holds title; 
                and
                  (B) that was authorized to be constructed, 
                operated, and maintained pursuant to the 
                reclamation laws.
          (2) State-led storage project.--The term ``State-led 
        storage project'' means any project in a Reclamation 
        State that--
                  (A) involves a groundwater or surface water 
                storage facility constructed, operated, and 
                maintained by any State, department of a State, 
                subdivision of a State, or public agency 
                organized pursuant to State law; and
                  (B) provides a benefit in meeting any 
                obligation under Federal law (including 
                regulations).
  (b) Federally Owned Storage Projects.--
          (1) Agreements.--On the request of any State, any 
        department, agency, or subdivision of a State, or any 
        public agency organized pursuant to State law, the 
        Secretary of the Interior may negotiate and enter into 
        an agreement on behalf of the United States for the 
        design, study, and construction or expansion of any 
        federally owned storage project in accordance with this 
        section.
          (2) Federal cost share.--Subject to the requirements 
        of this subsection, the Secretary of the Interior may 
        participate in a federally owned storage project in an 
        amount equal to not more than 50 percent of the total 
        cost of the federally owned storage project.
          (3) Commencement.--The construction of a federally 
        owned storage project that is the subject of an 
        agreement under this subsection shall not commence 
        until the Secretary of the Interior--
                  (A) determines that the proposed federally 
                owned storage project is feasible in accordance 
                with the reclamation laws;
                  (B) secures an agreement providing upfront 
                funding as is necessary to pay the non-Federal 
                share of the capital costs; and
                  (C) determines that, in return for the 
                Federal cost-share investment in the federally 
                owned storage project, at least a proportionate 
                share of the project benefits are Federal 
                benefits, including water supplies dedicated to 
                specific purposes such as environmental 
                enhancement and wildlife refuges.
          (4) Environmental laws.--In participating in a 
        federally owned storage project under this subsection, 
        the Secretary of the Interior shall comply with all 
        applicable environmental laws, including the National 
        Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
        seq.).
  (c) State-Led Storage Projects.--
          (1) In general.--Subject to the requirements of this 
        subsection, the Secretary of the Interior may 
        participate in a State-led storage project in an amount 
        equal to not more than 25 percent of the total cost of 
        the State-led storage project.
          (2) Request by governor.--Participation by the 
        Secretary of the Interior in a State-led storage 
        project under this subsection shall not occur unless--
                  (A) the participation has been requested by 
                the Governor of the State in which the State-
                led storage project is located;
                  (B) the State or local sponsor determines, 
                and the Secretary of the Interior concurs, 
                that--
                          (i) the State-led storage project is 
                        technically and financially feasible 
                        and provides a Federal benefit in 
                        accordance with the reclamation laws;
                          (ii) sufficient non-Federal funding 
                        is available to complete the State-led 
                        storage project; and
                          (iii) the State-led storage project 
                        sponsors are financially solvent;
                  (C) the Secretary of the Interior determines 
                that, in return for the Federal cost-share 
                investment in the State-led storage project, at 
                least a proportional share of the project 
                benefits are the Federal benefits, including 
                water supplies dedicated to specific purposes 
                such as environmental enhancement and wildlife 
                refuges; and
                  (D) the Secretary of the Interior submits to 
                Congress a written notification of these 
                determinations within 30 days of making such 
                determinations.
          (3) Environmental laws.--When participating in a 
        State-led storage project under this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall comply with all applicable 
        environmental laws, including the National 
        Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
        seq.).
          (4) Information.--When participating in a State-led 
        storage project under this subsection, the Secretary of 
        the Interior--
                  (A) may rely on reports prepared by the 
                sponsor of the State-led storage project, 
                including feasibility (or equivalent) studies, 
                environmental analyses, and other pertinent 
                reports and analyses; but
                  (B) shall retain responsibility for making 
                the independent determinations described in 
                paragraph (2).
  (d) Authority To Provide Assistance.--The Secretary of the 
Interior may provide financial assistance under this subtitle 
to carry out projects within any Reclamation State.
  (e) Rights To Use Capacity.--Subject to compliance with State 
water rights laws, the right to use the capacity of a federally 
owned storage project or State-led storage project for which 
the Secretary of the Interior has entered into an agreement 
under this subsection shall be allocated in such manner as may 
be mutually agreed to by the Secretary of the Interior and each 
other party to the agreement.
  (f) Compliance With California Water Bond.--
          (1) In general.--The provision of Federal funding for 
        construction of a State-led storage project in the 
        State of California shall be subject to the condition 
        that the California Water Commission shall determine 
        that the State-led storage project is consistent with 
        the California Water Quality, Supply, and 
        Infrastructure Improvement Act, approved by California 
        voters on November 4, 2014.
          (2) Applicability.--This subsection expires on the 
        date on which State bond funds available under the Act 
        referred to in paragraph (1) are expended.
  (g) Partnership and Agreements.--The Secretary of the 
Interior, acting through the Commissioner, may partner or enter 
into an agreement regarding the water storage projects 
identified in section 103(d)(1) of the Water Supply, 
Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act (Public Law 108-
361; 118 Stat. 1688) with local joint powers authorities formed 
pursuant to State law by irrigation districts and other local 
water districts and local governments within the applicable 
hydrologic region, to advance those projects.
  (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
          (1) $335,000,000 of funding in section 4011(e) is 
        authorized to remain available until expended.
          (2) Projects can only receive funding if enacted 
        appropriations legislation designates funding to them 
        by name, after the Secretary recommends specific 
        projects for funding pursuant to this section and 
        transmits such recommendations to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress.
  (i) Sunset.--This section shall apply only to federally owned 
storage projects and State-led storage projects that the 
Secretary of the Interior determines to be feasible before 
January 1, [2021] 2026.
  (j) Consistency With State Law.--Nothing in this section 
preempts or modifies any obligation of the United States to act 
in conformance with applicable State law.
  (k) Calfed Authorization.--Title I of Public Law 108-361 (the 
Calfed Bay-Delta Authorization Act) (118 Stat. 1681; 123 Stat. 
2860; 128 Stat. 164; 128 Stat. 2312) (as amended by section 207 
of Public Law 114-113) is amended by striking ``2017'' each 
place it appears and inserting ``2019''.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 4013. DURATION.

  This subtitle shall expire on the date that is 5 years after 
the date of its enactment, with the exception of--
          (1) section 4004, which shall expire [10 years after 
        the date of its enactment] on December 16, 2034; and
          (2) projects under construction in sections 4007, 
        4009(a), and 4009(c) on or before December 16, 2026.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


                            NATURAL GAS ACT



           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
        exportation or importation of natural gas; lng terminals

  Sec. 3. [(a) After six months from the date on which this act 
takes effect no person shall export any natural gas from the 
United States to a foreign country or import any natural gas 
from a foreign country without first having secured an order of 
the Commission authorizing it to do so. The Commission shall 
issue such order upon application, unless, after opportunity 
for hearing, it finds that the proposed exportation or 
importation will not be consistent with the public interest. 
The Commission may by its order grant such application, in 
whole or in part, with such modification and upon such terms 
and conditions as the Commission may find necessary or 
appropriate, and may from time to time, after opportunity for 
hearing, and for good cause shown, make such supplemental order 
in the premises as it may find necessary or appropriate.
  [(b) With respect to natural gas which is imported into the 
United States from a nation with which there is in effect a 
free trade agreement requiring national treatment for trade in 
natural gas, and with respect to liquefied natural gas--
          [(1) the importation of such natural gas shall be 
        treated as a ``first sale'' within the meaning of 
        section 2(21) of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978; 
        and
          [(2) the Commission shall not, on the basis of 
        national origin, treat any such imported natural gas on 
        an unjust, unreasonable, unduly discriminatory, or 
        preferential basis.
  [(c) For purposes of subsection (a), the importation of the 
natural gas referred to in subsection (b), or the exportation 
of natural gas to a nation with which there is in effect a free 
trade agreement requiring national treatment for trade in 
natural gas, shall be deemed to be consistent with the public 
interest, and applications for such importation or exportation 
shall be granted without modification or delay.]
  [(e)] (a)[(1) The Commission shall have the exclusive 
authority to approve or deny an application for the siting, 
construction, expansion, or operation of an LNG terminal. 
Except as specifically provided in this Act, nothing in this 
Act is intended to affect otherwise applicable law related to 
any Federal agency's authorities or responsibilities related to 
LNG terminals.](1) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (in 
this subsection referred to as the ``Commission'' ) shall have 
the exclusive authority to approve or deny an application for 
authorization for the siting, construction, expansion, or 
operation of a facility to export natural gas from the United 
States to a foreign country or import natural gas from a 
foreign country, including an LNG terminal. In determining 
whether to approve or deny an application under this paragraph, 
the Commission shall deem the exportation or importation of 
natural gas to be consistent with the public interest. Except 
as specifically provided in this Act, nothing in this Act is 
intended to affect otherwise applicable law related to any 
Federal agency's authorities or responsibilities related to 
facilities to import or export natural gas, including LNG 
terminals.
  (2) Upon the filing of any application to site, construct, 
expand, or operate an LNG terminal, the Commission shall--
          (A) set the matter for hearing;
          (B) give reasonable notice of the hearing to all 
        interested persons, including the State commission of 
        the State in which the LNG terminal is located and, if 
        not the same, the Governor-appointed State agency 
        described in section 3A;
          (C) decide the matter in accordance with this 
        subsection; and
          (D) issue or deny the appropriate order accordingly.
  (3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Commission 
may approve an application described in paragraph (2), in whole 
or part, with such modifications and upon such terms and 
conditions as the Commission find necessary or appropriate.
  (B) Before January 1, 2015, the Commission shall not--
          (i) deny an application solely on the basis that the 
        applicant proposes to use the LNG terminal exclusively 
        or partially for gas that the applicant or an affiliate 
        of the applicant will supply to the facility; or
          (ii) condition an order on--
                  (I) a requirement that the LNG terminal offer 
                service to customers other than the applicant, 
                or any affiliate of the applicant, securing the 
                order;
                  (II) any regulation of the rates, charges, 
                terms, or conditions of service of the LNG 
                terminal; or
                  (III) a requirement to file with the 
                Commission schedules or contracts related to 
                the rates, charges, terms, or conditions of 
                service of the LNG terminal.
  (C) Subparagraph (B) shall cease to have effect on January 1, 
2030.
  (4) An order issued for an LNG terminal that also offers 
service to customers on an open access basis shall not result 
in subsidization of expansion capacity by existing customers, 
degradation of service to existing customers, or undue 
discrimination against existing customers as to their terms or 
conditions of service at the facility, as all of those terms 
are defined by the Commission.
  [(f)] (b)(1) In this subsection, the term ``military 
installation''--
          (A) means a base, camp, post, range, station, yard, 
        center, or homeport facility for any ship or other 
        activity under the jurisdiction of the Department of 
        Defense, including any leased facility, that is located 
        within a State, the District of Columbia, or any 
        territory of the United States; and
          (B) does not include any facility used primarily for 
        civil works, rivers and harbors projects, or flood 
        control projects, as determined by the Secretary of 
        Defense.
  (2) The Commission shall enter into a memorandum of 
understanding with the Secretary of Defense for the purpose of 
ensuring that the Commission coordinate and consult with the 
Secretary of Defense on the siting, construction, expansion, or 
operation of liquefied natural gas facilities that may affect 
an active military installation.
  (3) The Commission shall obtain the concurrence of the 
Secretary of Defense before authorizing the siting, 
construction, expansion, or operation of liquefied natural gas 
facilities affecting the training or activities of an active 
military installation.
  [(d)] (c) Except as specifically provided in this Act, 
nothing in this Act affects the rights of States under--
          (1) the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 
        U.S.C. 1451 et seq.);
          (2) the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); or
          (3) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
        U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).
          (d)(1) Nothing in this Act limits the authority of 
        the President under the Constitution, the International 
        Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 
        the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), 
        part B of title II of the Energy Policy and 
        Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.), the Trading 
        With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.), or any 
        other provision of law that imposes sanctions on a 
        foreign person or foreign government (including any 
        provision of law that prohibits or restricts United 
        States persons from engaging in a transaction with a 
        sanctioned person or government), including a country 
        that is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, to 
        prohibit imports or exports.
                  (2) In this subsection, the term `state 
                sponsor of terrorism' means a country the 
                government of which the Secretary of State 
                determines has repeatedly provided support for 
                international terrorism pursuant to--
          (A) section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export Control 
        Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4318(c)(1)(A));
          (B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
        1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371);
          (C) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 
        U.S.C. 2780); or
          (D) any other provision of law.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


                           PUBLIC LAW 117-169



           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
           TITLE V--COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Subtitle A--Energy

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                  PART 4--DOE LOAN AND GRANT PROGRAMS

SEC. 50141. FUNDING FOR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LOAN PROGRAMS OFFICE.

  (a) Commitment Authority.--In addition to commitment 
authority otherwise available and previously provided, the 
Secretary may make commitments to guarantee loans for eligible 
projects under section 1703 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(42 U.S.C. 16513), up to a total principal amount of 
[$40,000,000,000] $25,000,000,000, to remain available through 
September 30, 2026.
  (b) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise 
available and previously provided, there is appropriated to the 
Secretary for fiscal year 2022, out of any money in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $3,600,000,000, to remain 
available through September 30, 2026, for the costs of 
guarantees made under section 1703 of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16513), using the loan guarantee authority 
provided under subsection (a) of this section.
  (c) Administrative Expenses.--Of the amount made available 
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall reserve not more than 
3 percent for administrative expenses to carry out title XVII 
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and for carrying out section 
1702(h)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 16512(h)(3)).
  (d) Limitations.--
          (1) Certification.--None of the amounts made 
        available under this section for loan guarantees shall 
        be available for any project unless the President has 
        certified in advance in writing that the loan guarantee 
        and the project comply with the provisions under this 
        section.
          (2) Denial of double benefit.--Except as provided in 
        paragraph (3), none of the amounts made available under 
        this section for loan guarantees shall be available for 
        commitments to guarantee loans for any projects under 
        which funds, personnel, or property (tangible or 
        intangible) of any Federal agency, instrumentality, 
        personnel, or affiliated entity are expected to be used 
        (directly or indirectly) through acquisitions, 
        contracts, demonstrations, exchanges, grants, 
        incentives, leases, procurements, sales, other 
        transaction authority, or other arrangements to support 
        the project or to obtain goods or services from the 
        project.
          (3) Exception.--Paragraph (2) shall not preclude the 
        use of the loan guarantee authority provided under this 
        section for commitments to guarantee loans for--
                  (A) projects benefitting from otherwise 
                allowable Federal tax benefits;
                  (B) projects benefitting from being located 
                on Federal land pursuant to a lease or right-
                of-way agreement for which all consideration 
                for all uses is--
                          (i) paid exclusively in cash;
                          (ii) deposited in the Treasury as 
                        offsetting receipts; and
                          (iii) equal to the fair market value;
                  (C) projects benefitting from the Federal 
                insurance program under section 170 of the 
                Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210); or
                  (D) electric generation projects using 
                transmission facilities owned or operated by a 
                Federal Power Marketing Administration or the 
                Tennessee Valley Authority that have been 
                authorized, approved, and financed independent 
                of the project receiving the guarantee.
  (e) Guarantee.--Section 1701(4)(A) of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16511(4)(A)) is amended by inserting ``, 
except that a loan guarantee may guarantee any debt obligation 
of a non-Federal borrower to any Eligible Lender (as defined in 
section 136 STAT. 2044 609.2 of title 10, Code of Federal 
Regulations)'' before the period at the end.
  (f) Source of Payments.--Section 1702(b) of the Energy Policy 
Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16512(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
          ``(3) Source of payments.--The source of a payment 
        received from a borrower under subparagraph (A) or (B) 
        of paragraph (2) may not be a loan or other debt 
        obligation that is made or guaranteed by the Federal 
        Government.''.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 50144. ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE REINVESTMENT FINANCING.

  (a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise 
available, there is appropriated to the Secretary for fiscal 
year 2022, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated, $5,000,000,000, to remain available through 
September 30, 2026, to carry out activities under section 1706 
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
  (b) Commitment Authority.--The Secretary may make, through 
September 30, 2026, commitments to guarantee loans for projects 
under section 1706 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 the total 
principal amount of which is not greater than 
[$250,000,000,000] $5,000,000,000, subject to the limitations 
that apply to loan guarantees under section 50141(d).
  (c) Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Financing.--(Omitted--
Amends other Act)
  (d) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1702(o)(3) of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16512(o)(3)) is amended by 
inserting ``and projects described in section 1706(a)'' before 
the period at the end.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


 SECTION 1602 OF THE RECLAMATION WASTEWATER AND GROUNDWATER STUDY AND 
                             FACILITIES ACT

SEC. 1602. GENERAL AUTHORITY.

  (a) The Secretary of the Interior (hereafter ``Secretary''), 
acting pursuant to the Reclamation Act of 1902 (Act of June 17, 
1902, 32 Stat. 388) and Acts amendatory thereof and 
supplementary thereto (hereafter ``Federal reclamation laws''), 
is directed to undertake a program to investigate and identify 
opportunities for reclamation and reuse of municipal, 
industrial, domestic, and agricultural wastewater, and 
naturally impaired ground and surface waters, for the design 
and construction of demonstration and permanent facilities to 
reclaim and reuse wastewater, and to conduct research, 
including desalting, for the reclamation of wastewater and 
naturally impaired ground and surface waters.
  (b) Such program shall be limited to the States and areas 
referred to in section 1 of the Reclamation Act of 1902 (Act of 
June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388) as amended, and the State of 
Hawaii.
  (c) The Secretary is authorized to enter into such agreements 
and promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry 
out the purposes and provisions of this title.
  (d) The secretary shall not investigate, promote or 
implement, pursuant to this title, any project intended to 
reclaim and reuse agricultural wastewater generated in the 
service area of the San Luis Unit of the Central Valley 
Project, California, except those measures recommended for 
action by the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program in the report 
entitled A Management Plan for Agricultural Subsurface Drainage 
and Related Problems on the Westside San Joaquin Valley 
(September 1990).
  (e) Authorization of New Water Recycling and Reuse 
Projects.--
          (1) Submission to the secretary.--
                  (A) In general.--Non-Federal interests may 
                submit proposals for projects eligible to be 
                authorized pursuant to this section in the form 
                of completed feasibility studies to the 
                Secretary.
                  (B) Eligible projects.--A project shall be 
                considered eligible for consideration under 
                this section if the project reclaims and 
                reuses--
                          (i) municipal, industrial, domestic, 
                        or agricultural wastewater; or
                          (ii) impaired ground or surface 
                        waters.
                  (C) Guidelines.--Within 60 days of the 
                enactment of this Act the Secretary shall issue 
                guidelines for feasibility studies for water 
                recycling and reuse projects to provide 
                sufficient information for the formulation of 
                the studies.
          (2) Review by the secretary.--The Secretary shall 
        review each feasibility study received under paragraph 
        (1)(A) for the purpose of--
                  (A) determining whether the study, and the 
                process under which the study was developed, 
                each comply with Federal laws and regulations 
                applicable to feasibility studies of water 
                recycling and reuse projects; and
                  (B) the project is technically and 
                financially feasible and provides a Federal 
                benefit in accordance with the reclamation 
                laws.
          (3) Submission to congress.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the date of receipt of a feasibility study 
        received under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall 
        submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of 
        the House of Representatives a report that describes--
                  (A) the results of the Secretary's review of 
                the study under paragraph (2), including a 
                determination of whether the project is 
                feasible;
                  (B) any recommendations the Secretary may 
                have concerning the plan or design of the 
                project; and
                  (C) any conditions the Secretary may require 
                for construction of the project.
          (4) Eligibility for funding.--The non-Federal project 
        sponsor of any project determined by the Secretary to 
        be feasible under paragraph (3)(A) shall be eligible to 
        apply to the Secretary for funding for the Federal 
        share of the costs of planning, designing and 
        constructing the project pursuant to subsection (f).
  (f) Competitive Grant Program for the Funding of Water 
Recycling and Reuse Projects.--
          (1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        competitive grant program under which the non-Federal 
        project sponsor of any project determined by the 
        Secretary to be feasible under subsection (e)(3)(A) 
        shall be eligible to apply for funding for the 
        planning, design, and construction of the project, 
        subject to subsection (g)(2).
          (2) Priority.--When funding projects under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall give funding priority to 
        projects that meet one or more of the criteria listed 
        in paragraph (3) and are located in an area that--
                  (A) has been identified by the United States 
                Drought Monitor as experiencing severe, 
                extreme, or exceptional drought at any time in 
                the 4-year period before such funds are made 
                available; or
                  (B) was designated as a disaster area by a 
                State during the 4-year period before such 
                funds are made available.
          (3) Criteria.--The project criteria referred to in 
        paragraph (2) are the following:
                  (A) Projects that are likely to provide a 
                more reliable water supply for States and local 
                governments.
                  (B) Projects that are likely to increase the 
                water management flexibility and reduce impacts 
                on environmental resources from projects 
                operated by Federal and State agencies.
                  (C) Projects that are regional in nature.
                  (D) Projects with multiple stakeholders.
                  (E) Projects that provide multiple benefits, 
                including water supply reliability, eco-system 
                benefits, groundwater management and 
                enhancements, and water quality improvements.
  (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
          (1) There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
        Secretary of the Interior an additional [$50,000,000] 
        $167,500,000 to remain available until expended.
          (2) Projects can only receive funding if enacted 
        appropriations legislation designates funding to them 
        by name, after the Secretary recommends specific 
        projects for funding pursuant to subsection (f) and 
        transmits such recommendations to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress.
                              ----------                              


            SECTION 4 OF THE WATER DESALINATION ACT OF 1996

SEC. 4. DESALINATION DEMONSTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

  (a) In General.--In order to further demonstrate the 
feasibility of desalination processes investigated either 
independently or in research conducted pursuant to section 3, 
the Secretary shall administer and conduct a demonstration and 
development program for water desalination and related 
activities, including the following:
          (1) Desalination plants and modules.--Conduct or 
        contract for technical work, including the design, 
        construction, and testing of plants and modules to 
        develop desalination processes and concepts, including 
        modules specifically designed for brine management.
          (2) Projects.--
                  (A) In general.--Subject to the requirements 
                of this subsection, the Secretary of the 
                Interior may participate in an eligible 
                desalination project in an amount equal to not 
                more than 25 percent of the total cost of the 
                eligible desalination project.
                  (B) Eligible desalination project.--The term 
                ``eligible desalination project'' means any 
                project in a Reclamation State, that--
                          (i) involves an ocean or brackish 
                        water desalination facility either 
                        constructed, operated and maintained; 
                        or sponsored by any State, department 
                        of a State, subdivision of a State or 
                        public agency organized pursuant to a 
                        State law; and
                          (ii) provides a Federal benefit in 
                        accordance with the reclamation laws 
                        (including regulations).
                  (C) State role.--Participation by the 
                Secretary of the Interior in an eligible 
                desalination project under this subsection 
                shall not occur unless--
                          (i) the project is included in a 
                        state-approved plan or federal 
                        participation has been requested by the 
                        Governor of the State in which the 
                        eligible desalination project is 
                        located; and
                          (ii) the State or local sponsor 
                        determines, and the Secretary of the 
                        Interior concurs, that--
                                  (I) the eligible desalination 
                                project is technically and 
                                financially feasible and 
                                provides a Federal benefit in 
                                accordance with the reclamation 
                                laws;
                                  (II) sufficient non-Federal 
                                funding is available to 
                                complete the eligible 
                                desalination project; and
                                  (III) the eligible 
                                desalination project sponsors 
                                are financially solvent; and
                          (iii) the Secretary of the Interior 
                        submits to Congress a written 
                        notification of these determinations 
                        within 30 days of making such 
                        determinations.
                  (D) Environmental laws.--When participating 
                in an eligible desalination project under this 
                subsection, the Secretary shall comply with all 
                applicable environmental laws, including the 
                National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
                U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
                  (E) Information.--When participating in an 
                eligible desalination project under this 
                subsection, the Secretary of the Interior--
                          (i) may rely on reports prepared by 
                        the sponsor of the eligible 
                        desalination project, including 
                        feasibility (or equivalent) studies, 
                        environmental analyses, and other 
                        pertinent reports and analyses; but
                          (ii) shall retain responsibility for 
                        making the independent determinations 
                        described in subparagraph (C).
                  (F) Authorization of appropriations.--
                          (i) [$30,000,000] $100,500,000 of 
                        funding is authorized to remain 
                        available until expended; and
                          (ii) Projects can only receive 
                        funding if enacted appropriations 
                        legislation designates funding to them 
                        by name, after the Secretary recommends 
                        specific projects for funding pursuant 
                        to this subsection and transmits such 
                        recommendations to the appropriate 
                        committees of Congress.
          (3) Byproducts.--Study methods for the marketing of 
        byproducts resulting from the desalting of water to 
        offset the costs of treatment and to reduce 
        environmental impacts of those byproducts.
          (4) Economic surveys.--Conduct economic studies and 
        surveys to determine present and prospective costs of 
        producing water for beneficial purposes in various 
        locations by desalination processes compared to other 
        methods.
  (b) Cooperative Agreements.--Federal participation in 
desalination activities may be conducted through cooperative 
agreements, including cost-sharing agreements, with non-Federal 
public utilities and State and local governmental agencies and 
other entities, in order to develop recommendations for Federal 
participation in processes and plants utilizing desalting 
technologies for the production of water.
  (c) Prioritization.--In carrying out demonstration and 
development activities under this section, the Secretary shall 
prioritize projects--
          (1) for the benefit of drought-stricken States and 
        communities;
          (2) for the benefit of States that have authorized 
        funding for research and development of desalination 
        technologies and projects;
          (3) that can reduce reliance on imported water 
        supplies that have an impact on species listed under 
        the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
        seq.); and
          (4) that demonstrably leverage the experience of 
        international partners with considerable expertise in 
        desalination, such as the State of Israel.
  (d) Water Production.--The Secretary shall provide, as part 
of the annual budget submission to Congress, an estimate of how 
much water has been produced and delivered in the past fiscal 
year using processes and facilities developed or demonstrated 
using assistance provided under sections 3 and 4. This 
submission shall include, to the extent practicable, available 
information on a detailed water accounting by process and 
facility and the cost per acre foot of water produced and 
delivered.

                  Appropriations Not Authorized by Law

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the following table lists the 
appropriations in the accompanying bill which are not 
authorized by law for the period concerned:


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                              Rescissions

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following table is submitted 
describing the rescissions recommended in the accompanying 
bill:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Department or Activity                       Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Construction, Rehabilitation, Operation and                      $17,000
 Maintenance, Western Area Power Administration......
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                                                       
                           Committee Hearings

    For the purposes of cl. 3(c)(6) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the following hearings were 
used to develop or consider the Energy and Water Development 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025:
    The Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and 
Related Agencies held a budget hearing on March 20, 2024, 
entitled ``FY 2025 Budget Request for the Department of 
Energy.'' The Subcommittee received testimony from:
          The Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm, Secretary, U.S. 
        Department of Energy
    The Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and 
Related Agencies held a budget hearing on April 17, 2024, 
entitled ``FY 2025 Budget Request for the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation.'' The Subcommittee 
received testimony from:
          The Honorable Michael L. Connor, Assistant Secretary 
        of the Army for Civil Works
          Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon, Chief of 
        Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of 
        Engineers
          The Honorable Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner, 
        Bureau of Reclamation
          Mr. Michael Brain, Principal Deputy Assistant 
        Secretary for Water and Science
    The Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and 
Related Agencies held a Member Day Hearing on April 10, 2024. 
The Subcommittee received testimony from:
          The Honorable James Moylan, Member of Congress
          The Honorable Greg Stanton, Member of Congress
          The Honorable Dina Titus, Member of Congress
          The Honorable Jim Costa, Member of Congress
          The Honorable John Garamendi, Member of Congress
          The Honorable Kevin Mullin, Member of Congress
          The Honorable Juan Ciscomani, Member of Congress
          The Honorable Sylvia Garcia, Member of Congress
    The Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and 
Related Agencies received written testimony from public 
witnesses. The Subcommittee received testimony from:
          Jack Waldorf, Executive Director, Western Governors' 
        Association
          Don A. Barnett, Executive Director, Colorado River 
        Basin Salinity Control Forum
          Shannon Angielski, President, Clean Hydrogen Future 
        Coalition
          Sapna Gheewala Dowla, Associate VP Policy & Research, 
        Alliance to Save Energy
          Alexander Ratner, Federal Policy Manager, American 
        Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
          Craig H. Piercy, Executive Director/CEO, American 
        Nuclear Society
          Amalia Corby, Federal Affairs Director, American 
        Society for Microbiology
          Crispin Taylor, CEO of the American Society of Plant 
        Biologists
          Michael J. Johnson, Advocacy Associate, Appliance 
        Standards Awareness Project
          Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for 
        Sustainable Energy
          Christopher S. Harris, Executive Director, Colorado 
        River Board of California
          Corinne Sama, Chairman, Columbia River Inter-Tribal 
        Fish Commission
          Earl Jackson, Deputy Manager/ Chief Financial 
        Officer, Department of Transportation and 
        Infrastructure
          Ewelina Czapla, Director of Energy Policy, Digital 
        Power Network
          Pat Stanton, Executive Director, E4TheFuture
          Steve Skodak, CEO, Building Performance Association
          Larry Zarker, CEO, Building Performance Institute
          Genevieve Cullen, President, Electric Drive 
        Transportation Association
          Dane Farrell, Director of Government Affairs, Federal 
        Performance Contracting Coalition
          Ellen Kuo, Associate Director Legislative Affairs, 
        Federation of American Societies for Experimental 
        Biology
          Trevor Baggiore, Water quality Division Director, 
        Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
          Sean Bradshaw, Chairman, Gas Turbine Association
          Anatha Krishnan, Senior Vice President, General 
        Atomics Energy Group
          Colden Franklin, Government Affairs Director, Heat is 
        Power Association
          Linda Ciocci, Executive Director, Hydropower 
        Foundation
          Laura Kroeger, Executive Director, Mile High Flood 
        District
          Ron Blacksmith, Core System Manager, Oglala Sioux 
        Rural Water Supply System
          Chuck Jacobs, Distribution System Director, Oglala 
        Sioux Rural Water Supply System
          Young Colombe, Manager, Rosebud Sioux Rural Water 
        System
          Jim McCauley, Manager, Lower Brule Sioux Rural Water 
        System
          Rolland P. Johnson, President, Muons Inc.
          David Terry, President, NASEO
          Mike A. Hamman, P.E. New Mexico State Engineer, State 
        of New Mexico Office of the State Engineer
          Nez Perce Tribe
          Maria Korsnick, President and CEO, Nuclear Energy 
        Institute
          Katrina McMurrian, Executive Director, Nuclear Waste 
        Strategy Coalition
          Dr. Sven Leyffer, President, SIAM
          Dr. Alejandro Aceves, Vice President for Science 
        Policy, SIAM
          Dr. Suzanne L. Weekes, Executive Director, SIAM
          Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO, Nuclear Energy 
        Institute
          Jimmy Hague, Senior Water Policy Advisor, The Nature 
        Conservancy
          Greg Fogel, Director of Government Affairs and 
        Policy, WateReuse Association


    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
        

                             MINORITY VIEWS

    Due to concerns about spending levels, harmful cuts to the 
clean energy economy, and partisan policy riders, we are unable 
to support the bill as written. Our goals for the fiscal year 
2025 Energy and Water Development bill are to make strategic 
investments that lower energy costs for American families, 
promote America's energy independence, and support a robust and 
modern manufacturing sector. The bill does the opposite.
    Energy and water undergird America's way of life. Sadly, 
the Majority's bill does not meet our nation's imperative for 
the future. The bill slow walks our nation's obligation to 
assure modern, dependable, affordable energy and clean water 
for millions of our citizens and thus fails to embrace a more 
secure future.
    The Majority's bill cuts $1.5 billion, or 43 percent, from 
the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy programs. This funding supports research and 
development, manufacturing, energy management, and 
weatherization technologies that are critical to our nation's 
growth and resilience.
    The Majority's bill revokes $8 billion from the Department 
of Energy's Loans Programs. These programs promote innovation 
and manufacturing in America, creating and reshoring jobs that 
will help America become truly energy independent and a leader 
in green energy. But without this funding, thousands of 
manufacturing jobs are at risk, and we will fall further behind 
our global competitors.
    The Majority's bill also slashes the Weatherization 
Assistance Program, resulting in approximately 54,000 fewer 
low-income homes receiving weatherization services. This 
increases burdensome energy costs on families and seniors 
struggling to make ends meet.
    The cuts in this bill will absolutely jeopardize innovation 
to achieve American energy independence. These cuts will hurt 
U.S. competitiveness. These cuts will increase energy costs for 
millions of our fellow citizens. And these cuts are robbing 
from our children's and grandchildren's economic, energy, and 
environmental future.
    The best path--the only path--that addresses climate 
change, reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, and ends 
reliance on foreign energy is to diversify how we produce and 
store energy at home. America must become energy independent in 
perpetuity. Thus, we oppose the Majority's cuts to vital energy 
and climate programs at the Department of Energy. Shortchanging 
these advances pushes our nation backwards. This bill fails to 
create a sustainable future, and it fails to ensure Americans 
have equitable access to resilient, secure, and clean energy 
sources.
    In other areas of this bill, we are concerned how this bill 
cuts nuclear nonproliferation programs that reduce nuclear 
risks and counter the global challenge of nuclear 
proliferation.
    Finally, the bill includes numerous controversial poison 
pill policy riders that sadly demonstrate the Majority is not 
interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become 
law. The bill prohibits implementation of a rule related to 
eligibility for participation Emergency Response to Natural 
Disasters program; allows firearms on Corps of Engineers' 
public lands; prohibits the modification of final rules 
pertaining to the Corps of Engineers' nationwide permits 
related to jurisdictional waters and wetlands; prohibits the 
Corps of Engineers from renaming items that commemorate the 
Confederacy; prohibits continuing or reinitiating Endangered 
Species Consultations for Central Valley Project and California 
State Water Projects unless certain requirements are met; 
directs water project operations in California; removes 
eligibility restrictions under an existing infrastructure 
program to allow for the inclusion of controversial water 
projects; modifies public water agency involvement in revising 
project operations; prohibits implementation of ``Clean Energy 
for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal 
Buildings''; prohibits funding related to Department of 
Energy's Justice40 initiative; statutorily modifies the process 
for approving the export of natural gas; prohibits funds for 
private consolidated interim storage of commercial spent 
nuclear fuel; prohibits funding related to critical race 
theory; prohibits funding for Executive Orders related to 
diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Federal 
workforce; prohibits funding related to advancing racial equity 
and support for underserved communities through the Federal 
Government; allows for discrimination based on same-sex 
marriage; limit the ability to fly flags at facilities, aimed 
at eliminating the use of pride flags; prohibits funds from 
being used to finalize any rule or regulation that has resulted 
in or is likely to result in an annual effect on the economy of 
$100 million or more; prohibits funds for guidance related to 
the valuation of ecosystem and environmental services and 
natural assets in the federal regulatory process; limits 
funding that may be used to implement the federal commitments 
to honor Tribal treaty rights through the Columbia Basin 
Restoration Initiative; and prohibits funds from being used to 
implement energy efficiency standards for distribution 
transformers, manufactured housing, air conditioners, and 
conventional cooking products.
    America's future relies on the new age frontiers of energy 
and water. We stand ready to pass legislation that lowers 
energy costs for the American people and ensures America leads 
the global transition to a clean energy economy. We must come 
together--Democrats and Republicans--to put forward a credible 
Energy and Water bill to advance our shared priorities into 
law.

                                   Rosa L. DeLauro.
                                   Marcy Kaptur.

                                  [all]