[House Report 119-241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-241
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MID-ATLANTIC RIVER BASIN COMMISSIONS REVIEW ACT
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September 8, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Graves, from the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3428]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 3428) to require the Comptroller
General of the United States to conduct a review of the Mid-
Atlantic River Basin Commissions, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose of Legislation........................................... 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 2
Legislative History and Consideration............................ 3
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations................. 3
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 3
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 6
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 6
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 6
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 6
Preemption Clarification......................................... 6
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 6
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 6
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 6
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 7
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 3428 is to require the Comptroller
General of the United States to conduct a review of the Mid-
Atlantic River Basin Commission, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Susquehanna River Basin Compact, Delaware River Basin
Compact, and Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Compact are the founding documents for the Susquehanna River
Basin Commission (SRBC), Delaware River Basin Commission
(DRBC), and Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
(ICPRB) (together, the ``Mid-Atlantic River Basin
Commissions'').\1\ The United States is a signatory to the
Susquehanna River Basin Compact and Delaware River Basin
Compact, and a member of the ICPRB.\2\
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\1\Pub L. No. 91-575, 84 Stat. 1509 [hereinafter Susquehanna River
Basin Compact]; Pub. L. No. 87-328, 75 Stat. 688; Pub. L. No. 91-407,
84 Stat. 856.
\2\Interstate Comm. on the Potomac River Basin, About ICPRB, (June
24, 2025), available at https://www.potomacriver.org/about-icprb/.
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Congress provided authorizing consent to each of these
interstate compacts prior to the formation of the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to coordinate and provide various water
management duties within each river basin. The SRBC and DRBC
hold certain regulatory authorities regarding water quality.\3\
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\3\See Susquehanna River Basin Compact & Delaware River Basin
Compact, supra note 1.
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Each of the Mid-Atlantic RBCs is comprised of commissioners
representing each state in the respective basin, along with the
Army Corps of Engineers, as the Federal representative. Each
member state traditionally contributes a share of funding for
each Mid-Atlantic RBC, and each Mid-Atlantic RBC is authorized
to receive Federal funding. Recently, a state level audit of
the SRBC raised concerns about compliance with ethics and
appropriate use of state funds.\4\
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\4\York Daily Record, Pa. House Members Demand Resignation After
Audit Reveals Agency Used Tax Dollars to Party, (June 24, 2025)
available at https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/11/09/susquehanna-
river-basin-commission-andrew-dehoff-kristin-phillips-hill-dan-moul-
auditor-general/1943314002/.
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H.R. 3428 directs the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) to review the Mid-Atlantic RBCs, specifically focusing on
ethics practices, communication with the public, and how each
carries out Federal responsibilities.
The bill requires GAO to submit a report to the House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee outlining their
findings, along with recommendations to improve the RBC's
transparency and ethics practices. The bill also requires each
RBC to report to Congress 90 days following the GAO report, and
for five years annually thereafter, on actions they have taken
to comply with GAO's recommendations.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of rule XIII, clause 3(c)(6)(A) of the
119th Congress, no hearings were used to develop H.R. 3428.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION
H.R. 3428, the ``Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions
Review Act'' was introduced in the United States House of
Representatives on May 15, 2025, by Representative Rob
Bresnahan of Pennsylvania and referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure. Within the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, H.R. 3428 was referred to
the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. The
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment was discharged
from further consideration of H.R. 3428 on June 11, 2025.
The Committee considered H.R. 3428 on June 11, 2025, and
ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a
favorable recommendation, without amendment, by voice.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each committee report to include the
total number of votes cast for and against on each record vote
on a motion to report and on any amendment offered to the
measure or matter, and the names of those members voting for
and against.
No recorded votes were requested during consideration of
H.R. 3428.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in this report.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is
included in this report.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3428 from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules
The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives
announces bills that will be considered under suspension of the
rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is
limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order
against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-
thirds majority vote.
At the request of the Majority Leader and the House
Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those
bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time to
review the legislation before consideration. Although it is
possible in most cases to determine whether the legislation
would affect direct spending or revenues, time may be
insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those effects. If CBO
has prepared estimates for similar or identical legislation, a
more detailed assessment of budgetary effects, including
effects on spending subject to appropriation, may be included.
EFFECTS ON DIRECT SPENDING AND REVENUES OF LEGISLATION CONSIDERED UNDER SUSPENSION OF THE RULES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
[Week of September 8, 2025]
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Additional
information on Suspension bill
Bill number Title Effect on direct Effect on revenues direct spending Link to published text at
spending and revenue estimates docs.house.gov
effects
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.R. 2591....................... Mental Health in None.............. None.............. .................. https:// https://
Aviation Act of www.cbo.gov/ docs.house.gov/
2025, as amended. publication/61623. billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%202591.pdf
H.R. 3055....................... TRANSPORT Jobs None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
Act, as amended. docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203055.pdf
H.R. 3423....................... FROST Act, as Increase by Less None.............. .................. https:// https://
amended. Than $500K. www.cbo.gov/ docs.house.gov/
publication/61630. billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203423.pdf
H.R. 3424....................... SPACE Act of 2025. None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203424.pdf
H.R. 3425....................... POST Act of 2025, None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
as amended. docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203425.pdf
H.R. 3426....................... CASE Act, as None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
amended. docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203426%20PAmen
ded.pdf
H.R. 3428....................... Mid-Atlantic River None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
Basin Commissions docs.house.gov/
Review Act. billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203428.pdf
H.R. 4550....................... United States Reduce by Less None.............. .................. https:// https://
Grain Standards Than $500K. www.cbo.gov/ docs.house.gov/
Reauthorization publication/61725. billsthisweek/
Act of 2025. 20250908/
HR%204550.pdf
H. Res.--....................... Honoring the None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
victims and docs.house.gov/
survivors of the billsthisweek/
mass shooting at 20250908/
Annunciation MN%20Res.pdf
Catholic Church
and School in
Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
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Source: Congressional Budget Office.
PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
performance goal and objective of this legislation is to
require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct
a review of the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commission, and for
other purposes.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that no provision
of H.R. 3428 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.
CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED
TARIFF BENEFITS
In compliance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule
XXI.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act (Public Law 104-4).
PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local,
or tribal law. The Committee finds that H.R. 3428 does not
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the definition of Section
5(b) of the appendix to Title 5, United States Code, are
created by this legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law
104-1).
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Short title
This section provides that this bill may be cited as the
``Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act.''
Section 2. Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions
This section instructs the GAO to conduct a report on the
ethics policies, communication practices, Federal
responsibilities, and transparency efforts of the Mid-Atlantic
RBCs, and submit such report to the relevant authorizing
Committees.
This section also requires each RBC to report to Congress
90 days following the GAO report, and for five years annually
thereafter, on actions they have taken to comply with any
recommendations provided by GAO.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
As reported by the Committee, H.R. 3428 makes no changes in
existing law.
[all]