[114th Congress Public Law 162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 130 STAT. 409]]

Public Law 114-162
114th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the 
   National Estuary Program, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: May 20, 
                          2016 -  [S. 1523]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. COMPETITIVE AWARDS.

    Section 320(g) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1330(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Competitive awards.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Using the amounts made available 
                under subsection (i)(2)(B), the Administrator shall make 
                competitive awards under this paragraph.
                    ``(B) Application for awards.--The Administrator 
                shall solicit applications for awards under this 
                paragraph from State, interstate, and regional water 
                pollution control agencies and entities, State coastal 
                zone management agencies, interstate agencies, other 
                public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, 
                organizations, and individuals.
                    ``(C) Selection of recipients.--In selecting award 
                recipients under this paragraph, the Administrator shall 
                select recipients that are best able to address urgent 
                and challenging issues that threaten the ecological and 
                economic well-being of coastal areas. Such issues shall 
                include--
                          ``(i) extensive seagrass habitat losses 
                      resulting in significant impacts on fisheries and 
                      water quality;
                          ``(ii) recurring harmful algae blooms;
                          ``(iii) unusual marine mammal mortalities;
                          ``(iv) invasive exotic species that may 
                      threaten wastewater systems and cause other 
                      damage;
                          ``(v) jellyfish proliferation limiting 
                      community access to water during peak tourism 
                      seasons;
                          ``(vi) flooding that may be related to sea 
                      level rise or wetland degradation or loss; and
                          ``(vii) low dissolved oxygen conditions in 
                      estuarine waters and related nutrient 
                      management.''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: Grants.>> AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1330) is amended by striking subsection (i) and inserting the following:
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--

[[Page 130 STAT. 410]]

            ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Administrator $26,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 
        through 2021 for--
                    ``(A) expenses relating to the administration of 
                grants or awards by the Administrator under this 
                section, including the award and oversight of grants and 
                awards, except that such expenses may not exceed 5 
                percent of the amount appropriated under this subsection 
                for a fiscal year; and
                    ``(B) making grants and awards under subsection (g).
            ``(2) Allocations.--
                    ``(A) Conservation and management plans.--Not less 
                than 80 percent of the amount made available under this 
                subsection for a fiscal year shall be used by the 
                Administrator to provide grant assistance for the 
                development, implementation, and monitoring of each of 
                the conservation and management plans eligible for grant 
                assistance under subsection (g)(2).
                    ``(B) Competitive awards.--Not less than 15 percent 
                of the amount made available under this subsection for a 
                fiscal year shall be used by the Administrator for 
                making competitive awards described in subsection 
                (g)(4).''.

    Approved May 20, 2016.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1523:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 114-161 (Comm. on Environment and Public Works).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 161 (2015):
                                    Aug. 5, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
                                                        Vol. 162 (2016):
                                    Apr. 26, considered and passed 
                                        House, amended.
                                    May 12, Senate concurred in House 
                                        amendment.

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