Wichita Project Equus Beds Division Authorization Act of 2005

Wichita Project Equus Beds Division Authorization Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to assist in the funding and implementation of the Equus Beds Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Component of the Integrated Local Water Supply Plan, Wichita, Kansas (referred to as the Equus Beds Division). Requires that construction of the Division be in substantial accordance with the plans and designs. Makes operation, maintenance, and replacement of the Division, including funding for those purposes, the sole responsibility of the City of Wichita.

Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) enter into or agree to amendments of cooperative or other appropriate agreements; and (2) charge an appropriate share related to administrative costs.

Directs the Secretary: (1) before obligating funds for design or construction, to work cooperatively with the City to use plans, designs, and engineering and environmental analyses that have already been prepared by the City for the Division; and (2) to assure that such information is used in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws and regulations, including principles and guidelines used in preparing feasibility level project studies.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1327 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1327

 To amend the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the construction of 
 the Cheney division, Wichita Federal reclamation project, Kansas, and 
   for other purposes'' to authorize the Equus Beds Division of the 
                            Wichita Project.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 15, 2005

  Mr. Tiahrt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the construction of 
 the Cheney division, Wichita Federal reclamation project, Kansas, and 
   for other purposes'' to authorize the Equus Beds Division of the 
                            Wichita Project.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wichita Project Equus Beds Division 
Authorization Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. EQUUS BEDS DIVISION.

    The Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the construction of the 
Cheney division, Wichita Federal reclamation project, Kansas, and for 
other purposes'' (Public Law 86-787; 74 Stat. 1026) is amended by 
adding the following new section:

``SEC. 10. EQUUS BEDS DIVISION.

    ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary of the Interior may assist in 
the funding and implementation of the Equus Beds Aquifer Recharge and 
Recovery Component which is a part of the `Integrated Local Water 
Supply Plan, Wichita, Kansas' (referred to in this section as the 
`Equus Beds Division'). Construction of the Equus Beds Division shall 
be in substantial accordance with the plans and designs.
    ``(b) Operation, Maintenance, and Replacement.--Operation, 
maintenance, and replacement of the Equus Beds Division, including 
funding for those purposes, shall be the sole responsibility of the 
City of Wichita, Kansas. The Equus Beds Division shall be operated in 
accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
    ``(c) Agreements.--The Secretary of the Interior may enter into, or 
agree to amendments of, cooperative agreements and other appropriate 
agreements to carry out this section.
    ``(d) Administrative Costs.--From funds made available for this 
section, the Secretary of the Interior may charge an appropriate share 
related to administrative costs incurred.
    ``(e) Plans and Analyses Consistent With Federal Law.--Before 
obligating funds for design or construction under this section, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall work cooperatively with the City of 
Wichita, Kansas, to use, to the extent possible, plans, designs, and 
engineering and environmental analyses that have already been prepared 
by the City for the Equus Beds Division. The Secretary of the Interior 
shall assure that such information is used consistent with applicable 
Federal laws and regulations, including principles and guidelines used 
in preparing feasibility level project studies.
    ``(f) Title; Responsibility; Liability.--Nothing in this section or 
assistance provided under this section shall be construed to transfer 
title, responsibility, or liability related to the Equus Beds Division 
(including portions or features thereof) to the United States.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated as the Federal share of the total cost of the Equus Beds 
Division, an amount not to not exceed 25 percent of the total cost or 
$30,000,000 (January, 2003 prices), whichever is less, plus or minus 
such amounts, if any, as may be justified by reason of ordinary 
fluctuations in construction costs as indicated by engineering cost 
indexes applicable to the type of construction involved herein, 
whichever is less. Such sums shall be nonreimbursable.''.
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