Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2016

Summary: This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 23, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to revise and reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for FY2017-FY2021.  The bill restates the initiative's priorities for Great Lakes protection and restoration programs and projects, including: (1) the remediation of toxic substances and areas of concern; (2) the prevention and control of invasive species and their impacts; (3) the protection and restoration of near-shore health and the prevention and mitigation of nonpoint source pollution (water pollution that comes from many diffuse sources, such as pollution on the ground picked up by rain or snow); (4) habitat and wildlife protection and restoration; and (5) accountability, monitoring, evaluation, communication, and partnership activities. In selecting the best combination of the initiative's programs and projects, the EPA must consult with the Great Lake states and Indian Tribes and solicit input from other non-federal stakeholders. The EPA must designate a point person from an appropriate federal partner to coordinate, with federal partners and non-federal stakeholders, the initiative's projects and activities involving harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes. In addition to current requirements concerning the use of funds made available to carry out the initiative, the bill requires initiative funds to be used to strategically implement operations and activities of EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office, such as remediation of sediment contamination in areas of concern. The EPA or federal department or agency that receives funds under the initiative may make a grant to, or enter into an agreement with, a qualified nonfederal entity for planning, researching, monitoring, outreach, or implementation of a project that supports the Initiative Action Plan or the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Projects may be carried out under the initiative on multiple levels, including at the local level. Funding made available to implement the initiative may not be used for any water infrastructure activity (other than a green infrastructure project that improves habitat and other ecosystem functions in the Great Lakes) for which funding is made available under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014.  The EPA must review, and revise, if appropriate, the Initiative Action Plan at least once every five years. The EPA must also: (1) establish a process for monitoring and periodically reporting to the public on the plan's progress, (2) make information about each project carried out under the plan available on a public website, and (3) provide to specified congressional committees a yearly detailed description of the initiative's progress and amounts transferred to participating federal departments and agencies for carrying out activities that support the initiative.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 
Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE.

    Section 118(c)(7) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1268(c)(7)) is amended--
            (1) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C) and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(B) Focus areas.--In carrying out the Initiative, 
                the Administrator shall prioritize programs and 
                projects, to be carried out in coordination with non-
                Federal partners, that address the priority areas 
                described in the Initiative Action Plan, including--
                            ``(i) the remediation of toxic substances 
                        and areas of concern;
                            ``(ii) the prevention and control of 
                        invasive species and the impacts of invasive 
                        species;
                            ``(iii) the protection and restoration of 
                        nearshore health and the prevention and 
                        mitigation of nonpoint source pollution;
                            ``(iv) habitat and wildlife protection and 
                        restoration, including wetlands restoration and 
                        preservation; and
                            ``(v) accountability, monitoring, 
                        evaluation, communication, and partnership 
                        activities.
                    ``(C) Projects.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In carrying out the 
                        Initiative, the Administrator shall collaborate 
                        with other Federal partners, including the 
                        Great Lakes Interagency Task Force established 
                        by Executive Order No. 13340 (69 Fed. Reg. 
                        29043), to select the best combination of 
                        programs and projects for Great Lakes 
                        protection and restoration using appropriate 
                        principles and criteria, including whether a 
                        program or project provides--
                                    ``(I) the ability to achieve 
                                strategic and measurable environmental 
                                outcomes that implement the Initiative 
                                Action Plan and the Great Lakes Water 
                                Quality Agreement;
                                    ``(II) the feasibility of--
                                            ``(aa) prompt 
                                        implementation;
                                            ``(bb) timely achievement 
                                        of results; and
                                            ``(cc) resource leveraging; 
                                        and
                                    ``(III) the opportunity to improve 
                                interagency, intergovernmental, and 
                                inter-organizational coordination and 
                                collaboration to reduce duplication and 
                                streamline efforts.
                            ``(ii) Outreach.--In selecting the best 
                        combination of programs and projects for Great 
                        Lakes protection and restoration under clause 
                        (i), the Administrator shall consult with the 
                        Great Lakes States and Indian tribes and 
                        solicit input from other non-Federal 
                        stakeholders.
                            ``(iii) Harmful algal bloom coordinator.--
                        The Administrator shall designate a point 
                        person from an appropriate Federal partner to 
                        coordinate, with Federal partners and Great 
                        Lakes States, Indian tribes, and other non-
                        Federal stakeholders, projects and activities 
                        under the Initiative involving harmful algal 
                        blooms in the Great Lakes.'';
            (2) in subparagraph (D)--
                    (A) by striking clause (i) and inserting the 
                following:
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to subparagraph 
                        (J)(ii), funds made available to carry out the 
                        Initiative shall be used to strategically 
                        implement--
                                    ``(I) Federal projects;
                                    ``(II) projects carried out in 
                                coordination with States, Indian 
                                tribes, municipalities, institutions of 
                                higher education, and other 
                                organizations; and
                                    ``(III) operations and activities 
                                of the Program Office, including 
                                remediation of sediment contamination 
                                in areas of concern.'';
                    (B) in clause (ii)(I), by striking ``(G)(i)'' and 
                inserting ``(J)(i)''; and
                    (C) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
                            ``(iii) Agreements with non-federal 
                        entities.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--The 
                                Administrator, or the head of any other 
                                Federal department or agency receiving 
                                funds under clause (ii)(I), may make a 
                                grant to, or otherwise enter into an 
                                agreement with, a qualified non-Federal 
                                entity, as determined by the 
                                Administrator or the applicable head of 
                                the other Federal department or agency 
                                receiving funds, for planning, 
                                research, monitoring, outreach, or 
                                implementation of a project selected 
                                under subparagraph (C), to support the 
                                Initiative Action Plan or the Great 
                                Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
                                    ``(II) Qualified non-federal 
                                entity.--For purposes of this clause, a 
                                qualified non-Federal entity may 
                                include a governmental entity, 
                                nonprofit organization, institution, or 
                                individual.''; and
            (3) by striking subparagraphs (E) through (G) and inserting 
        the following:
                    ``(E) Scope.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Projects may be carried 
                        out under the Initiative on multiple levels, 
                        including--
                                    ``(I) locally;
                                    ``(II) Great Lakes-wide; or
                                    ``(III) Great Lakes basin-wide.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--No funds made available 
                        to carry out the Initiative may be used for any 
                        water infrastructure activity (other than a 
                        green infrastructure project that improves 
                        habitat and other ecosystem functions in the 
                        Great Lakes) for which financial assistance is 
                        received--
                                    ``(I) from a State water pollution 
                                control revolving fund established 
                                under title VI;
                                    ``(II) from a State drinking water 
                                revolving loan fund established under 
                                section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water 
                                Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12); or
                                    ``(III) pursuant to the Water 
                                Infrastructure Finance and Innovation 
                                Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.).
                    ``(F) Activities by other federal agencies.--Each 
                relevant Federal department or agency shall, to the 
                maximum extent practicable--
                            ``(i) maintain the base level of funding 
                        for the Great Lakes activities of that 
                        department or agency without regard to funding 
                        under the Initiative; and
                            ``(ii) identify new activities and projects 
                        to support the environmental goals of the 
                        Initiative.
                    ``(G) Revision of initiative action plan.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not less often than once 
                        every 5 years, the Administrator, in 
                        conjunction with the Great Lakes Interagency 
                        Task Force, shall review, and revise as 
                        appropriate, the Initiative Action Plan to 
                        guide the activities of the Initiative in 
                        addressing the restoration and protection of 
                        the Great Lakes system.
                            ``(ii) Outreach.--In reviewing and revising 
                        the Initiative Action Plan under clause (i), 
                        the Administrator shall consult with the Great 
                        Lakes States and Indian tribes and solicit 
                        input from other non-Federal stakeholders.
                    ``(H) Monitoring and reporting.--The Administrator 
                shall--
                            ``(i) establish and maintain a process for 
                        monitoring and periodically reporting to the 
                        public on the progress made in implementing the 
                        Initiative Action Plan;
                            ``(ii) make information about each project 
                        carried out under the Initiative Action Plan 
                        available on a public website; and
                            ``(iii) provide to the House Committee on 
                        Transportation and Infrastructure and the 
                        Senate Committee on Environment and Public 
                        Works a yearly detailed description of the 
                        progress of the Initiative and amounts 
                        transferred to participating Federal 
                        departments and agencies under subparagraph 
                        (D)(ii).
                    ``(I) Initiative action plan defined.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `Initiative Action Plan' means the 
                comprehensive, multi-year action plan for the 
                restoration of the Great Lakes, first developed 
                pursuant to the Joint Explanatory Statement of the 
                Conference Report accompanying the Department of the 
                Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 
                Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public Law 111-88).
                    ``(J) Funding.--
                            ``(i) In general.--There is authorized to 
                        be appropriated to carry out this paragraph 
                        $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 
                        through 2021.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--Nothing in this 
                        paragraph creates, expands, or amends the 
                        authority of the Administrator to implement 
                        programs or projects under--
                                    ``(I) this section;
                                    ``(II) the Initiative Action Plan; 
                                or
                                    ``(III) the Great Lakes Water 
                                Quality Agreement.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives April 26, 2016.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.