Rural Colorado Water Infrastructure Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to establish a pilot program to provide environmental assistance to non-federal interests in Colorado, which may be provided in the form of design and construction assistance for water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection and development projects.
Requires projects to be publicly owned as a prerequisite for assistance.
Directs the Secretary to enter into local cooperation agreements with non-federal interests for project design and construction. Sets the federal share of project costs under local cooperation agreements at 75 percent.
Sets the non-federal share of operation and maintenance costs for projects constructed with assistance under this Act at 100 percent.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3521 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3521
To provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the
State of Colorado.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 28, 2005
Mr. Beauprez (for himself, Mrs. Musgrave, Mr. Salazar, and Mr. Udall of
Colorado) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the
State of Colorado.
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 ``Rural Colorado Water Infrastructure
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers.
(2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Colorado.
SEC. 3. PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary may establish a pilot program to
provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the State.
(b) Form of Assistance.--Assistance under this section may be
provided in the form of design and construction assistance for water-
related environmental infrastructure and resource protection and
development projects in the State, including projects for--
(1) wastewater treatment and related facilities;
(2) water supply and related facilities;
(3) water conservation and related facilities;
(4) stormwater retention and remediation;
(5) environmental restoration; and
(6) surface water resource protection and development.
(c) Public Ownership Requirement.--The Secretary may provide
assistance for a project under this section only if the project is
publicly owned.
(d) Local Cooperation Agreement.--
(1) In general.--Before providing assistance under this
section, the Secretary shall enter into a local cooperation
agreement with a non-Federal interest to provide for design and
construction of the project to be carried out with the
assistance.
(2) Requirements.--Each local cooperation agreement entered
into under this subsection shall provide for the following:
(A) Plan.--Development by the Secretary, in
consultation and coordination with appropriate Federal
and State officials, of a facilities or resource
protection and development plan, including appropriate
engineering plans and specifications.
(B) Legal and institutional structures.--
Establishment of such legal and institutional
structures as are necessary to ensure the effective
long-term operation of the project by the non-Federal
interest.
(3) Cost sharing.--
(A) In general.--The Federal share of project costs
under each local cooperation agreement entered into
under this subsection--
(i) shall be 75 percent; and
(ii) may be in the form of grants or
reimbursements of project costs.
(B) Pre-cooperative agreement activities.--The
Federal share of the cost of activities carried out by
the Secretary under this section before the execution
of a local cooperative agreement shall be 100 percent.
(C) Credit for design work.--The non-Federal
interest shall receive credit, not to exceed 6 percent
of the total construction costs of a project, for the
reasonable costs of design work completed by the non-
Federal interest before entering into a local
cooperation agreement with the Secretary for the
project.
(D) Credit for interest.--In case of a delay in the
funding of the Federal share of the costs of a project
that is the subject of an agreement under this section,
the non-Federal interest shall receive credit for
reasonable interest incurred in providing the Federal
share of the costs of the project.
(E) Land, easements, and rights-of-way credit.--The
non-Federal interest shall receive credit for land,
easements, rights-of-way, and relocations toward the
non-Federal share of project costs (including all
reasonable costs associated with obtaining permits
necessary for the construction, operation, and
maintenance of the project on publicly owned or
controlled land), but not to exceed 25 percent of total
project costs.
(F) Operation and maintenance.--The non-Federal
share of operation and maintenance costs for projects
constructed with assistance provided under this section
shall be 100 percent.
(e) Applicability of Other Federal and State Laws.--Nothing in this
section waives, limits, or otherwise affects the applicability of any
provision of Federal or State law that would otherwise apply to a
project to be carried out with assistance provided under this section.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for the period
beginning with fiscal year 2006, to remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
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