Great Lakes Federal Effectiveness Act

Summary: Great Lakes Federal Effectiveness Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a Great Lakes Research Council to: (1) prepare and provide to the Congress a report that promotes coordination of Federal research activities with respect to achieving protection of the Great Lakes and assesses and makes recommendations concerning research activities needed to fulfill the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; (2) identify topics for and participate in workshops and conferences on Great Lakes research issues; (3) make recommendations for the uniform collection of data for enhancing research and management protocols relating to the Great Lakes ecosystem; (4) make recommendations for the establishment of a multimedia data base for the ecosystem; and (5) ensure that findings and information regarding such research is disseminated in a timely manner.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Federal Effectiveness 
Act''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESEARCH COUNCIL.

    Subsection (d) of section 118 of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1268) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(d) Great Lakes Research Council.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--As used in this subsection:
                    ``(A) Council.--The term `Council' means the Great 
                Lakes Research Council established under paragraph (2).
                    ``(B) Great lakes.--The term `Great Lakes' means--
                            ``(i) Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, 
                        Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior;
                            ``(ii) the connecting waters of the lakes 
                        listed in clause (i), including the St. Mary's 
                        River, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the 
                        Detroit River, and the Niagara River; and
                            ``(iii) the St. Lawrence River.
                    ``(C) Great lakes research.--The term `Great Lakes 
                research' means the application of scientific or 
                engineering expertise to explain, understand, and 
                predict the physical, chemical, biological, and 
                socioeconomic processes, and their interactions, in the 
                Great Lakes ecosystem.
            ``(2) Establishment.--There is established a Great Lakes 
        Research Council.
            ``(3) Duties of the council.--The Council shall--
                    ``(A) not later than 12 months after the date of 
                enactment of this subparagraph, prepare and provide to 
                Congress and other interested parties, a report that--
                            ``(i) promotes the coordination of Federal 
                        research activities to avoid unnecessary 
                        duplication and ensure greater effectiveness in 
                        achieving protection of the ecosystem of the 
                        Great Lakes and the goals of the Great Lakes 
                        Water Quality Agreement;
                            ``(ii) assesses the research activities 
                        needed to fulfill the Great Lakes Water Quality 
                        Agreement goals;
                            ``(iii) assesses Federal expertise and 
                        capabilities existing on the date of enactment 
                        of this clause in activities needed to fulfill 
                        the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement goals, 
                        including an inventory of existing Federal 
                        Great Lakes research programs, projects, 
                        facilities, and personnel;
                            ``(iv) recommends long-term and short-term 
                        research priorities for Federal research on the 
                        Great Lakes, based on a comparison of the 
                        assessments conducted under clauses (ii) and 
                        (iii), and programs existing on the date of 
                        enactment of this clause; and
                            ``(v) describes coordination efforts with 
                        Canada;
                    ``(B) identify topics for, and participate in, 
                meetings, workshops, symposia, and conferences on Great 
                Lakes research issues;
                    ``(C) make recommendations for the uniform 
                collection and storage of data for enhancing research 
                and management protocols relating to the protection and 
                restoration of the physical, biological, and chemical 
                integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem;
                    ``(D) consider and make recommendations with 
                respect to the establishment of a comprehensive, 
                multimedia database for the Great Lakes ecosystem; and
                    ``(E) ensure that the results, findings, and 
                information regarding Great Lakes research programs 
                conducted or sponsored by the Federal Government be 
                disseminated in a timely manner, and in useful forms, 
                to interested persons, using as much as possible 
                existing mechanisms such as the Great Lakes Research 
                Inventory prepared by the International Joint 
                Commission.
            ``(4) Membership of the council.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Council shall be comprised 
                of 1 research manager with extensive knowledge, 
                scientific expertise, and experience in the Great Lakes 
                ecosystem from each of the following organizations:
                            ``(i) The Environmental Protection Agency.
                            ``(ii) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                        Administration.
                            ``(iii) The Fish and Wildlife Service.
                            ``(iv) The Coast Guard.
                            ``(v) Any other relevant Federal 
                        department, agency, or instrumentality, as 
                        determined by the Council membership.
                    ``(B) Non-voting members.--Any other person who is 
                not a Federal employee may serve as a non-voting member 
                of the Council, at the request of the Council 
                membership.
            ``(5) Chairperson.--The members of the Council shall elect 
        a Chairperson from among the members of the Council appointed 
        pursuant to paragraphs (4)(A) (i), (ii), and (iii). The 
        Chairperson shall serve a term of 2 years but may not serve for 
        more than 2 consecutive terms.
            ``(6) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Council who is 
        not an employee of the Federal Government shall be allowed 
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
        rates authorized for employees under subchapter I of chapter 57 
        of title 5, United States Code, while away from the home or 
        regular place of business of the member in the performance of 
        services for the Council.
            ``(7) Interagency cooperation.--The head of each 
        department, agency, or other instrumentality of the Federal 
        Government that is represented on the Council--
                    ``(A) may, upon written request of the Chairperson, 
                make available, on a reimbursable basis or otherwise, 
                personnel, services, or facilities as may be necessary 
                to assist the Council in achieving the purposes of this 
                subsection; and
                    ``(B) shall, upon written request from the 
                Chairperson, furnish data or other information 
                necessary to achieve the purposes of this subsection.
            ``(8) Effect on other laws.--Nothing in this subsection is 
        intended to amend, restrict, or otherwise alter the authority 
        of any Federal department, agency, or instrumentality, under 
        any law, to undertake Great Lakes research activities.''.