Remote, Coastal, and Small Watersheds Act of 2020

Remote, Coastal, and Small Watersheds Act of 2020

This bill authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conducting a study of hurricane and storm damage reduction to recommend certain projects in remote, coastal, and small watersheds without the need to demonstrate that the projects are justified solely by national economic development benefits.

In considering whether to recommend a project, the Corps must consider the benefits of the project to (1) public health and safety of the local community and communities that are located in the region to be served by the project and that will rely on the project, (2) hurricane and storm damage effects on local and regional economic opportunities, (3) welfare of the regional population to be served by the project, or (4) social and cultural value to the local community and communities that are located in the region to be served by the project and that will rely on the project.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8968 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8968

  To authorize the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of 
Engineers, to recommend certain projects in remote, coastal, and small 
                  watersheds, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 15, 2020

Ms. Gabbard (for herself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of 
Engineers, to recommend certain projects in remote, coastal, and small 
                  watersheds, 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 ``Remote, Coastal, and Small 
Watersheds Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. REMOTE, COASTAL, OR SMALL WATERSHEDS.

    (a) In General.--In conducting a study of hurricane and storm 
damage reduction, the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief 
of Engineers, may recommend a project without the need to demonstrate 
that the project is justified solely by national economic development 
benefits if the Secretary determines that--
            (1) the community to be served by the project has limited 
        options for relocation or retreating from the flood plain or 
        coastal flood zone;
            (2) the project would be located in the State of Hawaii or 
        Alaska, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth 
        of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin 
        Islands, or American Samoa;
            (3) the area cost factor is greater than 2.2, as determined 
        by the Secretary; or
            (4) the long-term viability of the community in which the 
        project is located, or of a community that is located in the 
        region to be served by the project and that will rely on the 
        project, would be threatened without the hurricane and storm 
        damage reduction project.
    (b) Justification.--In considering whether to recommend a project 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider the benefits of the 
project to--
            (1) public health and safety of the local community and 
        communities that are located in the region to be served by the 
        project and that will rely on the project, including access to 
        facilities designed to protect public health and safety;
            (2) hurricane and storm damage effects on local and 
        regional economic opportunities;
            (3) welfare of the regional population to be served by the 
        project; or
            (4) social and cultural value to the local community and 
        communities that are located in the region to be served by the 
        project and that will rely on the project.
    (c) Prioritization.--Projects recommended by the Secretary under 
subsection (a) shall be given equivalent budget consideration and 
priority as projects recommended solely by national economic 
development benefits.
    (d) Disposition.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may carry out any project 
        identified in the study carried out pursuant to subsection (a) 
        in accordance with the criteria for projects carried out under 
        the authority of the Secretary under section 205 of the River 
        and Harbor Act of 1948 (33 U.S.C. 701s).
            (2) Non-federal interests.--In evaluating and implementing 
        a project under this section, the Secretary shall allow a non-
        Federal interest to participate in the financing of a project 
        in accordance with the criteria established for flood control 
        projects under section 903(c) of the Water Resources 
        Development Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-662; 100 Stat. 4184).
    (e) Annual Report.--For a project that cannot be carried out under 
the authority specified in subsection (d), on a determination by the 
Secretary of the feasibility of the project under subsection (a), the 
Secretary may include a recommendation concerning the project in the 
annual report submitted to Congress under section 7001 of the Water 
Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 2282d).
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