Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act - Title I: Reclamation Rural Water Construction and Settlement Implementation Fund - (Sec. 101) Establishes the Reclamation Rural Water Construction and Settlement Implementation Fund, which shall consist of the Rural Water Project Account, the Indian Irrigation Account, and the Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit into such Accounts for each of FY2014-FY2035 specified amounts of revenues that would otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by the Reclamation Act of 1902. Terminates the Fund on September 30, 2035, and requires the unexpended and unobligated balance to be transferred to the reclamation fund.
Title II: Rural Water Projects - (Sec. 201) Permits the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to use specified amounts available in the Rural Water Project Account, for each of FY2014-FY2035, to complete construction of rural water projects: (1) authorized to be carried out on or before this Act's enactment date, or (2) for which a feasibility study was submitted by September 30, 2012, pursuant to the Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 and an Act of Congress after enactment of this Act has authorized construction.
(Sec. 202) Prohibits the Secretary from using any amounts from the Fund to pay for operation and maintenance costs of an authorized rural water project.
Prohibits the Secretary from expending any amounts from the Fund to carry out this title until development of: (1) programmatic goals that would enable the completion of construction of the authorized rural water projects as expeditiously as practicable and that reflect the goals and priorities identified in the laws authorizing the projects and the goals of the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act of 2006; and (2) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a methodology for distributing funds that take into account specified factors, including an evaluation of the urgent and compelling need for potable water supplies in the affected rural and tribal communities and the potential economic benefits of the expenditures on job creation and general economic development in such communities.
Title III: Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation - (Sec. 301) Directs the Secretary to use specified amounts authorized to be expended from the Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account for each of FY2014-FY2035 to: (1) provide authorized compensation to extinguish or otherwise resolve all monetary claims of an Indian tribe against the United States relating to use of tribal land by the United States for the generation of hydropower; or (2) complete construction, planning, and design of projects and implement provisions authorized under one or more Acts of Congress that resolve litigation involving the United States and the rights of federally recognized Indian tribes to access, use, or manage water resources or that implement approved agreements pursuant to which such tribes agree to some limitation on the exercise of such rights.
Title IV: Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance of Certain Indian Irrigation Projects - (Sec. 401) Directs the Secretary to establish a program to address the deferred maintenance needs of Indian irrigation projects that: (1) create risks to public or employee safety or natural or cultural resources, and (2) unduly impede the management and efficiency of the Indian irrigation program.
Directs the Secretary to use or transfer to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) a specified amount from the Indian Irrigation Account for each of FY2014-FY2035 to carry out maintenance, repair, and replacement activities for projects that, on the date of this Act's enactment: (1) are owned by the federal government, as listed in the federal inventory required by Executive Order 13327; (2) are managed by BIA; and (3) have deferred maintenance documented by BIA.
(Sec. 403) Conditions the expenditure of amounts from the Fund to carry out this title on the Secretary developing and submitting certain: (1) programmatic goals, including goals that would enable the completion of repairing, replacing, improving, or performing maintenance on projects as expeditiously as possible; and (2) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a methodology for distributing funds, including criteria that take into account the ability of the project to address tribal, regional, and watershed level water supply needs and the extent to which deferred maintenance of qualifying projects poses a threat to public or employee safety or health, to natural or cultural resources, or to the ability of BIA to carry out its mission in operating the project.
(Sec. 404) Directs the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs: (1) within two years after enactment of this Act, to complete a study that evaluates options for improving programmatic and project management and performance of irrigation projects managed and operated by BIA; (2) prior to conducting such study, to consult with the Indian tribes that have jurisdiction over the land on which an eligible project is located and to solicit and consider input from the landowners served by such project; and (3) on completing such study, to submit a report describing study results, including recommendations for improving programmatic and project management and performance in each qualifying project area and for the program as a whole.
(Sec. 405) Directs the Secretary, before expending funds on an Indian irrigation project under this title, to: (1) consult with the Indian tribe that has jurisdiction over the land on which the project is located, and (2) solicit and consider input from the landowners served by the project.
(Sec. 406) Directs the Secretary to ensure that each eligible Indian irrigation project that has critical maintenance needs receives part of the funding under this title for each of FY2014-FY2035, with priority to projects for which funding has not been made available during the 15 years preceding enactment of this Act and subject to a specified individual project funding cap.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 715 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 715
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to use designated funding to
pay for construction of authorized rural water projects, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 11, 2013
Mr. Baucus (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Franken, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Heinrich, Mr.
Hoeven, Ms. Heitkamp, and Mr. Harkin) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to use designated funding to
pay for construction of authorized rural water projects, and for other
purposes.
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 ``Authorized Rural Water Projects
Completion Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Reclamation Rural
Water Construction Fund established by section 3(a).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. RECLAMATION RURAL WATER CONSTRUCTION FUND.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the
United States a fund, to be known as the ``Reclamation Rural Water
Construction Fund'', consisting of--
(1) such amounts as are deposited in the Fund under
subsection (b); and
(2) any interest earned on investment of amounts in the
Fund under subsection (d).
(b) Deposits to Fund.--
(1) In general.--For each of fiscal years 2014 through
2030, the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit in the Fund
$80,000,000 of the revenues that would otherwise be deposited
for the fiscal year in the reclamation fund established by the
first section of the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388,
chapter 1093).
(2) Availability of amounts.--Amounts deposited in the Fund
under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) be made available in accordance with this
section, without further appropriation; and
(B) be in addition to amounts appropriated for such
purposes under any other provision of law.
(3) Limitation.--Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), no
amounts may be deposited in, or made available from, the Fund
under those paragraphs if the transfer or availability of the
amounts would increase the deficit.
(c) Expenditures From Fund.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Expenditures.--Subject to subparagraph (B), for
each of fiscal years 2014 through 2035, the Secretary
may expend from the Fund not more than the sum of--
(i) $80,000,000; and
(ii) the amount of interest accrued in the
Fund for the fiscal year in which the
expenditures are made.
(B) Additional expenditures.--Notwithstanding
subparagraph (A), the Secretary may expend more than
$80,000,000 for any fiscal year listed in subparagraph
(A) if such amounts are available in the Fund due to
expenditures not reaching $80,000,000 in 1 or more
prior fiscal years.
(2) Use.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the
Secretary may use amounts from the Fund to complete
construction of rural water projects--
(i) authorized to be carried out by the
Secretary on or before the date of enactment of
this Act; or
(ii) for which--
(I) pursuant to section 106(e) of
the Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 (43
U.S.C. 2405(e)), a feasibility study
has been submitted to the Secretary by
September 30, 2012; and
(II) an Act of Congress after the
date of enactment of this Act has
authorized the construction of the
project.
(B) Limitation.--The Secretary may not use amounts
from the Fund to pay for any operation and maintenance
costs of an authorized rural water project.
(3) Conditions.--The Secretary shall not expend any amounts
from the Fund until the date on which the Secretary develops--
(A) programmatic goals to carry out this section
that--
(i) would enable the completion of
construction of the authorized rural water
projects as expeditiously as possible; and
(ii) reflect--
(I) the goals and priorities
identified in the laws authorizing the
authorized rural water projects; and
(II) the goals of the Reclamation
Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 (43
U.S.C. 2401 et seq.); and
(B) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a
formula for distributing funds under this section that
take into account--
(i) an evaluation of the urgent and
compelling need for potable water supplies in
the affected rural and tribal communities;
(ii) the status of the current stages of
completion of the authorized rural water
project;
(iii) the financial needs of the affected
rural and tribal communities;
(iv) the potential economic benefits of the
expenditures on job creation and general
economic development in the affected rural and
tribal communities;
(v) the ability of the authorized rural
water project to address regional and watershed
level water supply needs;
(vi) the ability of the authorized rural
water project--
(I) to minimize water and energy
consumption; and
(II) to encourage the development
of renewable energy resources, such as
wind, solar, and hydropower elements;
(vii) the need for the authorized rural
water project to address--
(I) the needs of Indian tribes and
members of Indian tribes; and
(II) other community needs or
interests; and
(viii) such other factors as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate to prioritize the
use of available funds.
(d) Investments of Amounts.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall invest such portion of
the Fund as is not, in the judgment of the Secretary, required
to meet current withdrawals.
(2) Credits to fund.--The interest on, and the proceeds
from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the
Fund shall be credited to, and form a part of, the Fund.
(e) Transfers of Amounts.--
(1) In general.--The amounts required to be transferred to
the Fund under this section shall be transferred at least
monthly from the general fund of the Treasury to the Fund on
the basis of estimates made by the Secretary of the Treasury.
(2) Adjustments.--Proper adjustment shall be made in
amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates
were in excess of or less than the amounts required to be
transferred.
(f) Termination.--On September 30, 2035--
(1) the Fund shall terminate; and
(2) the unexpended and unobligated balance of the Fund
shall be transferred to the reclamation fund established by the
first section of the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388,
chapter 1093).
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-32.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-167.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-167.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 393.
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