No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7289 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7289
To establish the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience
Initiative to carry out projects for the protection and restoration of
the Mississippi River Corridor, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 7, 2024
Ms. McCollum (for herself, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr.
Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms.
Bush, and Ms. Moore of Wisconsin) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and
in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience
Initiative to carry out projects for the protection and restoration of
the Mississippi River Corridor, 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 ``Mississippi River Restoration and
Resilience Initiative Act'' or the ``MRRRI Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The Mississippi River flows more than 2,300 miles from
its source at Lake Itasca through the center of the continental
United States to the Gulf of Mexico.
(2) The main stem of the Mississippi River flows through 10
States that collectively are home to 55.4 million people as of
2019.
(3) The Mississippi River provides drinking water to more
than 20 million people in 50 cities.
(4) The Mississippi River drives a vibrant natural resource
and recreation-based economy that generates nearly $500 billion
in annual revenue and directly employs more than 1.5 million
people.
(5) The Mississippi River and its 30 million acre
floodplain provide an ecological lifeline for all of North
America, supporting more than 780 species of fish and wildlife
and providing a vital migration corridor for 60 percent of all
North American birds and 40 percent of the migratory waterfowl
in the United States.
(6) The Mississippi River serves as a major transportation
corridor for grain and cargo.
(7) Congress has designated the Mississippi River System as
a nationally significant ecosystem and a nationally significant
navigation system and is the only inland river system to
receive both designations.
(8) Despite its critical value to the United States, the
Mississippi River is in a severe state of ecological decline,
as documented by the United States Geological Survey, the Army
Corps of Engineers, and other Federal and State agencies.
(9) Modifications to the Mississippi River have resulted in
the extensive loss of wetlands and complex river habitats
causing profound harm to the treasured fish and wildlife
resources in the United States and increasing flood risks to
communities.
(10) Polluted runoff has drastically reduced water quality
and created a massive dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
(11) Invasive aquatic species threaten the ecological
integrity of the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico, and the
fisheries and recreation that rely on a healthy ecosystem.
(12) Ecological degradation of the Mississippi River has
resulted in--
(A) more flooding;
(B) less wildlife;
(C) fewer jobs;
(D) reduced recreational opportunities; and
(E) higher costs for keeping communities safe and
ensuring that communities have clean drinking water.
(13) The consequences of ecological degradation have
disproportionately harmed rural communities, economically
disadvantaged communities, and communities of color.
(14) Existing Federal programs lack sufficient
coordination, funding, and participation with States, Tribes,
local governments, and nongovernmental organizations to address
these ongoing challenges and reverse the decline of the
Mississippi River.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to establish the
Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative to protect and
restore the ecological health and resilience of the Mississippi River
for current and succeeding generations of Americans and for the fish
and wildlife that rely on the Mississippi River and its floodplain. The
MRRRI is a nonregulatory initiative that will build upon existing
efforts and provide funding for projects and activities to protect and
restore the nationally significant resources of the Mississippi River
by--
(1) establishing the Mississippi River National Program
Office;
(2) establishing the focus areas and identifying qualifying
activities for MRRRI programs and projects;
(3) directing the development of actionable goals, an
action plan, and a science plan, and regular updates to such
plans, to guide the MRRRI and ensuring the integration of the
MRRRI with other Federal, State, Tribal, and local programs;
(4) establishing criteria for measuring the success of the
MRRRI in restoring the ecological health and resilience of the
Mississippi River;
(5) requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to
coordinate and consult with Federal and non-Federal
stakeholders to implement the MRRRI; and
(6) establishing the Mississippi River Corridor Research
Centers.
SEC. 3. MISSISSIPPI RIVER RESTORATION AND RESILIENCE INITIATIVE.
Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 127. MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Agency.--The term `Agency' means the Environmental
Protection Agency.
``(2) MRRRI.--The term `MRRRI' means the Mississippi River
Restoration and Resilience Initiative established by this
section.
``(3) Program office.--The term `Program Office' means the
Mississippi River National Program Office established by this
section.
``(4) MRRRI director.--The term `MRRRI Director' means the
Director of the Mississippi River National Program Office
established under this section.
``(5) Mississippi river corridor.--The term `Mississippi
River Corridor' means the portions of the Mississippi River
watershed (including tributary watersheds) located in a
Mississippi River State.
``(6) Mississippi river state.--The term `Mississippi River
State' means Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, or Wisconsin.
``(7) Tribal government.--The term `Tribal government'
means the recognized governing body of an any Indian tribe,
band, nation, pueblo, village, community, component band, or
component reservation, individually identified (including
parenthetically) in the list published pursuant to section 104
of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25
U.S.C. 5131).
``(8) Tribal organization.--The term `Tribal organization'
has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304).
``(9) Rural.--The term `rural' means an area that is not
delineated by the Bureau of the Census as an urbanized area or
an urban cluster based on decennial census results.
``(10) Economically disadvantaged community.--The term
`economically disadvantaged community' means any census block
group in which 30 percent or more of the population are
individuals with an annual household income equal to, or less
than, the greater of--
``(A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the median
income of the area in which the household is located,
as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development; and
``(B) an amount equal to 200 percent of the Federal
poverty line.
``(11) Community of color.--The term `community of color'
means a geographically distinct area in which the population of
any of the following categories of individuals is higher than
the average population of such category for the State in which
the geographically distinct area is located:
``(A) Black.
``(B) African American.
``(C) Asian.
``(D) Pacific Islander.
``(E) Hispanic.
``(F) Latino.
``(G) Indian (as such term is defined in section
202 of the Indian Land Consolidation Act (25 U.S.C.
2201)).
``(12) Relevant federal agency.--The term `relevant Federal
agency' means any of the following agencies:
``(A) The Department of Agriculture--
``(i) the Natural Resources Conservation
Service; and
``(ii) the Forest Service.
``(B) The Department of the Interior, including--
``(i) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
``(ii) the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service;
``(iii) the United States Geological
Survey; and
``(iv) the National Park Service.
``(C) The Corps of Engineers.
``(D) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
``(E) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
``(F) The Coast Guard.
``(G) Any other Federal agency the MRRRI Director
determines is relevant.
``(b) Mississippi River National Program Office.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a
Mississippi River National Program Office within the Agency to
carry out the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience
Initiative.
``(2) Location.--The Program Office shall be located in a
Mississippi River State.
``(3) Director.--The Program Office shall be headed by a
Director, appointed by the Administrator, who has management
experience and technical expertise relating to the Mississippi
River and who is highly qualified to direct the development of
programs and plans on a variety of issues related to
restoration of the Mississippi River.
``(4) Functions.--The MRRRI Director shall--
``(A) coordinate actions of the Agency that seek to
protect and restore the Mississippi River Corridor;
``(B) develop, implement, and update the MRRRI,
actionable goals, and action plan required by this
section, in coordination with relevant Federal agencies
and non-Federal entities;
``(C) document information and updates related to
the development and implementation of the MRRRI,
actionable goals, and action plan and make such
information and updates available to the public,
including on a public website;
``(D) facilitate engagement and consultation with
Tribal governments and Tribal organizations to ensure
Tribal needs and priorities are solicited early and
throughout the development of the actionable goals and
action plan required by this section;
``(E) work cooperatively with the Bureau of Indian
Affairs and other Federal agencies to carry out
subparagraph (D); and
``(F) submit to Congress, and make available on a
public website, an annual report describing--
``(i) progress made in implementing the
MRRRI;
``(ii) the coordination of the MRRRI with
other Federal, State, Tribal, and local
programs;
``(iii) any funds transferred to relevant
Federal agencies under this section;
``(iv) any grants awarded under this
section; and
``(v) specific projects and activities
carried out pursuant to this section.
``(5) Agreements.--In carrying out paragraph (4), the MRRRI
Director may enter into agreements, as applicable, with
relevant Federal agencies and non-Federal entities.
``(6) Tribal liaison.--The MRRRI Director shall appoint a
Tribal Liaison within the Program Office to ensure enhanced
interagency technical support, communication, and coordination
with Tribal governments, Tribal organizations, and Tribal
stakeholders, and to carry out other duties as determined
necessary to meet the needs of Tribes.
``(c) Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the
Agency the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience
Initiative to implement projects for systemic, large-scale
restoration of the Mississippi River Corridor.
``(2) Focus areas.--Any project or activity carried out
under this section shall address at least 1 of the following
focus areas:
``(A) The improvement of water quality in the
Mississippi River Corridor and drinking water quality
in the Mississippi River States by--
``(i) reducing the amount of polluted
runoff, excess agricultural nutrients, and
sediment in the Mississippi River Corridor; and
``(ii) improving source water protections.
``(B) The improvement of community resilience
throughout the Mississippi River Corridor by restoring
the ability of the Mississippi River floodplain,
riverine wetlands, delta and coastal wetlands, and
backwaters to minimize and ameliorate flood and storm
risks.
``(C) The protection and restoration of fish and
wildlife habitat in and along the Mississippi River
Corridor.
``(D) The prevention of the spread of aquatic
invasive species in the Mississippi River Corridor.
``(E) The improvement of communication and
partnership activities related to the focus areas
described in subparagraphs (A) through (D).
``(F) Monitoring, collecting, and evaluating
scientific data to assess the focus areas described in
subparagraphs (A) through (D).
``(3) Project implementation.--
``(A) In general.--Funds made available to carry
out the MRRRI may be used to implement eligible
projects and activities described in paragraph (5) that
are carried out by a relevant Federal agency or by a
non-Federal entity.
``(B) Grant authority.--The MRRRI Director, or the
head of any other Federal agency receiving funds under
this section, may make a grant to, or otherwise enter
into an agreement with, any non-Federal entity
(including any State, local, or Tribal governmental
entity, nonprofit organization, institution of higher
education (as such term is defined in section 101 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), or
individual) that the MRRRI Director or agency head
determines is qualified to carry out an eligible
project described in paragraph (5).
``(4) Project selection.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the MRRRI, the
MRRRI Director shall collaborate with relevant Federal
agencies to select projects and activities to be
implemented pursuant to this section using appropriate
principles and criteria, including--
``(i) the selection of an equitable
distribution of projects and activities along
the entire Mississippi River Corridor;
``(ii) the ability of a project to achieve
strategic and measurable environmental
outcomes;
``(iii) the recognition that projects may
provide benefits to local or regional
communities or to the entire Mississippi River
Corridor;
``(iv) the feasibility of prompt
implementation, timely achievement of
measurable results, and resource leveraging;
and
``(v) the opportunity to improve
interagency, intergovernmental, and
interorganizational coordination and
collaboration to reduce duplication and improve
measurable environmental outcomes.
``(B) Priority.--In selecting projects and
activities under this paragraph, the MRRRI Director
shall give priority to projects or activities that
carry out actions described in paragraph (5)(B)(xi).
``(C) Compatibility.--The MRRRI Director shall
ensure that projects and activities carried out under
this section are compatible with--
``(i) the ability of the Corps of Engineers
to maintain navigation in the Mississippi
River; and
``(ii) the structural integrity or
effectiveness of Federal, State, local, or
Tribal disaster risk reduction infrastructure.
``(5) Eligible projects.--
``(A) In general.--Funds made available to carry
out this section may only be used to implement a
project or activity that addresses at least 1 of the
focus areas described in paragraph (2) and that carries
out at least one of the actions described in
subparagraph (B).
``(B) Actions described.--The actions referred to
in subparagraph (A) are actions that--
``(i) protect or restore naturally
occurring hydrologic, geomorphic, and
ecological functions and processes, including
the restoration or rehabilitation of wetlands,
in-stream habitats (including through
reconnection of side channels and backwaters),
living shorelines, or upland habitats;
``(ii) remove or modify structures ,
including culverts, levees, and dams, to
restore--
``(I) natural hydrology of rivers,
streams, floodplains, wetlands, or
coasts; or
``(II) the form, function, or
processes of rivers, streams,
floodplains, wetlands, or coasts;
``(iii) permanently protect privately owned
lands through fee title acquisition or
enrollment into voluntary permanent wetland,
flooding, or other conservation easements;
``(iv) facilitate habitat restoration using
responsibly sourced and clean dredged sediment
material by covering the cost differential
between the Federal standard for dredge
disposal and the cost of transportation;
``(v) relocate, elevate, or demolish, and
clean up flood-prone structures, and carry out
any related floodplain restoration;
``(vi) increase water retention and
infiltration through actions that promote a
healthy soil ecosystem, including maximizing
soil cover, maximizing soil biodiversity, and
maximizing the presence of living roots;
``(vii) reduce nonpoint sources of
pollution and promote landscape-scale
vegetative cover (including perennial grains,
perennial woody crops, winter annual cover
crops, perennial pasture, and other approaches
to maintain year-round vegetative cover)
through the implementation of voluntary
initiatives developed with the support of
market research;
``(viii) reduce stormwater flows and
inflows that contribute to combined sewer
overflow events, and accelerate the adoption of
urban stormwater pollution prevention minimum
control measures through municipal separate
storm sewer system permits issued under section
402(p);
``(ix) facilitate the cleanup of legacy
contaminants that are not hazardous substances
(as defined in section 101 of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601)) or
designated as hazardous substances pursuant to
section 102 of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (42 U.S.C. 9602);
``(x) control, manage, or eradicate
nonnative aquatic invasive species or
reintroduce native aquatic species, including
through--
``(I) investments in technology and
research to combat the spread of
aquatic invasive species;
``(II) the use of in-river physical
deterrent or controls; or
``(III) the promotion of commercial
harvesting of nonnative aquatic
species;
``(xi) address the disproportionate effects
of the ecological degradation of the
Mississippi River Corridor on economically
disadvantaged communities in rural and urban
areas and on communities of color, including
through--
``(I) community based participatory
research;
``(II) project or community-wide
planning;
``(III) outreach and community
engagement; or
``(IV) restoration-related job
training and workforce development; or
``(xii) additional actions determined to be
eligible pursuant to subsection (d)(2)(B)(v).
``(C) Protection against invasive plant species.--
Funds made available to carry out this section may not
be used for a project or activity that proposes to use
a plant that has an elevated risk of becoming invasive,
as determined by the MRRRI Director through the use of
a credible weed risk assessment tool.
``(6) Monitoring plan.--A Federal agency or non-Federal
entity receiving funds to carry out a project or activity under
this section shall develop a detailed plan for monitoring the
implementation and ecological success of such project or
activity, as applicable, that--
``(A) describes criteria for ecological success by
which the project will be evaluated based on
replacement of lost functions and values of the
Mississippi River Corridor habitat, including
hydrologic and vegetative characteristics;
``(B) identifies an entity responsible for such
monitoring; and
``(C) includes continuation of such monitoring
until the project is determined to be successful based
on documented achievement of the ecological success
criteria described under subparagraph (A).
``(d) Actionable Goals; Action Plans.--
``(1) Actionable goals.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this section, the MRRRI Director shall
develop measurable goals for the MRRRI, including establishing
criteria for measuring the success of the MRRRI in addressing
the focus areas established in subsection (c)(2) and in
restoring the overall ecological health and resilience of the
Mississippi River Corridor.
``(2) Action plan.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this section, the MRRRI Director
shall develop an action plan to make progress on the
MRRRI through the implementation of MRRRI projects and
activities under subsection (c).
``(B) Contents.--The MRRRI Director shall include
in the action plan developed under subparagraph (A)--
``(i) a description of existing Federal,
State, Tribal, and regional plans, programs,
and activities affecting the Mississippi River
Corridor that may be used to advance the MRRRI;
``(ii) recommendations for a comprehensive
approach to advancing systemic, large-scale
restoration of the Mississippi River Corridor
that, where appropriate, leverages existing
Federal and State programs;
``(iii) a multi-year plan that identifies
objectives within each of the focus areas
described in subsection (c)(2), with
corresponding commitments for activities,
research, and measures for progress;
``(iv) a plan to monitor the implementation
of any recommendations developed under this
subparagraph; and
``(v) a description of any additional
actions the Director determines are eligible
under this section.
``(C) Project recommendations.--The action plan
described in subparagraph (A) may include
recommendations for specific projects or activities
that advance the objectives developed under
subparagraph (B)(iii), including timelines, budgets,
and the identification of entities responsible for the
implementation of such projects.
``(3) Updates.--
``(A) In general.--Not less than once every 5
years, the MRRRI Director shall review and update the
actionable goals and action plan developed under this
subsection.
``(B) Integration with science plan.--In updating
the action plan pursuant to this paragraph, the MRRRI
Director shall incorporate any relevant information
contained in the science plan developed pursuant to
section 4(b) of the MRRRI Act.
``(4) Coordination and consultation.--In developing and
updating the actionable goals and action plan required under
this subsection, the MRRRI Director shall--
``(A) consult with Mississippi River States, Tribal
governments within such States, the Secretary of the
Interior, the Chief of Engineers, and the Secretary of
Agriculture;
``(B) engage with relevant Federal agencies, local
governments, nongovernmental organizations,
institutions of higher education (as defined in section
101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001)), and members of the public; and
``(C) solicit input from the entities described in
subparagraph (B) through a formal public notice and
comment period.
``(e) Funding.--
``(1) Transfer of funds to federal entities.--With funds
made available to carry out this section for each fiscal year,
the MRRRI Director may--
``(A) transfer funds to the head of any relevant
Federal agency, with the concurrence of the head of
such agency, to carry out activities in accordance with
this section;
``(B) transfer funds to other Federal programs to
be used for achieving specifically targeted and
measurable environmental outcomes that advance the
actionable goals developed and updated under subsection
(d); and
``(C) enter into an interagency agreement with the
head of any relevant Federal agency to carry out
activities in accordance with this section.
``(2) Transfer of funds to bureau of indian affairs.--The
MRRRI Director shall transfer not less than 5 percent of the
funds made available to carry out this section to the Director
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with the concurrence of such
Director, to make grants or otherwise enter into agreements
with Tribal governments or Tribal organizations to carry out
projects or activities under this section.
``(3) Availability of funds to implement projects prior to
completion of the first action plan.--Before the date on which
the first action plan is developed under subsection (d)(2), the
MRRRI Director may transfer funds to another Federal entity, or
award a grant or otherwise enter into an agreement with a non-
Federal entity, to--
``(A) carry out projects or activities that meet
the requirements of subsection (c)(5); or
``(B) establish the research centers required under
section 4(a) of the MRRRI Act.
``(4) Cost share.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), the Federal share of the cost of a
project or activity carried out by a non-Federal entity
under this section shall not exceed 80 percent of the
total cost of the project or activity.
``(B) Exception.--The Federal share of the cost of
a project or activity carried out by a Tribal
government or Tribal organization under this section,
and the Federal share of the cost of a project or
activity described in subsection (c)(5)(B)(xi) carried
by a non-Federal entity, shall be 100 percent of the
total cost of the project or activity.
``(C) In kind contribution.--The non-Federal share
of the cost of a project or activity carried out under
this section may include the value of an in-kind
contribution provided by a non-Federal entity.
``(5) Limitations.--No funds made available to carry out
this section may be used for any water infrastructure activity
for which financial assistance is received under--
``(A) a State water pollution control revolving
fund established under section 603;
``(B) a State drinking water treatment revolving
loan fund established under section 1452 of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12); or
``(C) the Water Infrastructure Finance and
Innovation Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.).
``(6) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to waive any requirement under any applicable Federal
environmental law, including--
``(A) this Act;
``(B) the National Environmental Policy Act (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);
``(C) the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.); or
``(D) the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of
1934 (16 U.S.C. 662 et seq.).
``(f) Set-Aside.--
``(1) In general.--Of the total amount of funds made
available to carry out the MRRRI under this section for each
fiscal year--
``(A) not less than 25 percent shall be used for
projects or activities that carry out actions described
in subsection (c)(5)(B)(xi); and
``(B) not less than 10 percent shall be used for
projects or activities carried out in a persistent
poverty county that has had poverty rates of 20 percent
or greater, as determined by the Bureau of the Census,
for at least 30 consecutive years preceding such fiscal
year.
``(2) Action plan.--
``(A) In general.--Of the total amount of funds
made available to carry out the MRRRI under this
section for each fiscal year beginning with the first
fiscal year after which the action plan required under
subsection (d)(2) is developed, not more than 5 percent
may be used for projects and activities that are
eligible under subsection (c)(5), but that do not
address an objective identified in the action plan
under subsection (d)(2)(B)(iii).
``(B) Priority.--In using funds under subparagraph
(A), the MRRRI Director shall prioritize projects that
reduce the effects of natural disasters or respond to
emerging threats from natural disasters.
``(g) Activities by Other Federal Agencies.--
``(1) In general.--The head of a relevant Federal agency
that is engaged in, or has authority over, programs relating to
research, monitoring, and planning to maintain, enhance,
preserve, or rehabilitate the environmental quality and natural
resources of the Mississippi River shall--
``(A) submit an annual report to the Administrator
describing the activities of the agency relating to the
MRRRI;
``(B) strive to identify new projects and
activities to support the goals of the MRRRI;
``(C) ensure that any funding provided through the
MRRRI supplements, and does not supplant, funding
obtained through other agency budgets or other sources
of funds for activities related to the Mississippi
River; and
``(D) strive to maintain, and where possible
increase, the base level of funding for activities of
such agency related to the Mississippi River, without
regard to funding under the MRRRI.
``(h) Budget Item.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall, in the Agency's
annual budget submission to Congress, include a funding request
for the MRRRI as a separate budget line item.
``(2) Inclusion.--The budget justification for the budget
line item described in paragraph (1) shall include the amount
to support the operation and activities of the Program
Office.''.
SEC. 4. MISSISSIPPI RIVER CORRIDOR RESEARCH CENTERS AND SCIENCE PLAN.
(a) Mississippi River Corridor Research Centers.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior shall
coordinate with the MRRRI Director to establish a network of 4
Mississippi River Corridor Research Centers within the United
States Geological Survey.
(2) Location.--The network of research centers established
under paragraph (1) shall consist of--
(A) a National Mississippi River Corridor Research
Center located at an office of the United States
Geological Survey; and
(B) 3 regional research centers, each of which
shall be based out of a host university, as follows:
(i) An Upper Mississippi River Research
Center located in the region from the
headwaters of the Mississippi River to the
confluence with the Missouri River.
(ii) A Middle Mississippi River Research
Center located in the region downriver from the
confluence of the Missouri River to the
confluence of the Ohio River.
(iii) A Lower Mississippi River Research
Center located in the region downriver from the
confluence of the Ohio River to the Gulf of
Mexico.
(3) Functions.--The functions of the research centers
established under this subsection shall be to--
(A) conduct scientific research on the MRRRI focus
areas described in section 127(c)(2) of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (as added by this Act);
(B) consult with and advise relevant Federal
agencies on--
(i) the improvement of programs that
monitor water quality in the Mississippi River
Corridor and the health of the Mississippi
River Corridor habitat or the establishment of
such programs, where necessary;
(ii) the impact of projects and activities
carried out under the MRRRI; and
(iii) any additional goals, priorities,
metrics, and research objectives proposed as
part of the science plan described in
subsection (b)(2); and
(C) consult, and to the extent practicable,
collaborate with relevant Federal agencies and non-
Federal entities regarding research, monitoring, and
other efforts to promote the restoration and resiliency
of the Mississippi River Corridor.
(4) Integration with other federal activities.--The
Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that research and other
activities carried out under this subsection are carried out in
coordination with other Federal research and monitoring
activities related to efforts to promote the restoration and
resiliency of the Mississippi River Corridor.
(b) Science Plan.--
(1) Mississippi river science forum.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the
United States Geological Survey shall host a
Mississippi River science forum with relevant Federal
agencies, Mississippi River States, Tribal governments,
Tribal organizations, academia, and other non-Federal
entities to--
(i) share current science and identify data
gaps and areas of concern related to the
ecological health of the Mississippi River
Corridor; and
(ii) determine the resources that are
necessary to--
(I) address any data gaps and areas
of concern identified under clause (i);
and
(II) develop an integrated science
plan under paragraph (2).
(B) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the
Director of the United States Geological Survey hosts
the Mississippi River science forum under subparagraph
(A), the Director shall submit a report on the findings
from such forum to--
(i) the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency;
(ii) the MRRRI Director;
(iii) the Committee on Appropriations and
the Committee on Natural Resources and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives; and
(iv) the Committee on Appropriations and
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
of the Senate.
(2) Science plan development.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the
conclusion of the Mississippi River science forum
required by paragraph (1), the Director of the United
States Geological Survey shall develop a science plan
that establishes priorities, metrics, and research
proposals for the MRRRI.
(B) Submission.--Upon completion of the science
plan developed under this paragraph, the Director of
the United States Geological Survey shall make such
plan available on a public website and submit such plan
to the MRRRI Director to inform the implementation of
the actionable goals and action plans developed for the
MRRRI under section 127(d) of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (as added by this Act).
(C) Updates.--Not less than once every 5 years, the
Director of the United States Geological Survey shall
coordinate with the MRRRI Director and the research
centers established under subsection (a) to review and
update the science plan developed under this
subsection.
(D) Coordination.--In developing and updating the
science plan, the Director shall solicit input and
comment from the public through a formal public notice
and comment period.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the terms ``MRRRI'', ``MRRRI Director'', ``Mississippi
River Corridor'', ``Mississippi River State'', ``relevant Federal
agency'', ``Tribal government'', and ``Tribal organization'' have the
meanings given such terms in section 127(a) of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, as added by this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
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