Water Resource Study Act of 2000

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Water Resource Study Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) water resources in the United States are among the most 
        plentiful in the world;
            (2) for many years, the effective development and use of 
        water resources in the United States has been the focus of a 
        wide array of Federal policies and programs;
            (3) in recent years, unprecedented growth, multiple 
        competing water uses, and growing public interest in 
        environmental protection have combined to create an atmosphere 
        of conflicting policy interests;
            (4) large-scale water conflicts continue to emerge between 
        communities, States, and stakeholder interests in the 
        southeastern region of the United States; and
            (5) Federal support is needed to assess the utility and 
        effectiveness of current Federal policies and programs as they 
        relate to resolving State and local water supply needs.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        Tennessee.

SEC. 4. STUDIES ON EMERGING WATER SUPPLY NEEDS.

    (a) Designation.--The Secretary shall offer to provide assistance 
to the State to conduct the studies described in this section.
    (b) Studies.--As a condition of receiving assistance under this 
section, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
in consultation with the Secretary, the State shall--
            (1) select a geographic area within the State having 
        consistent, emerging, water supply needs; and
            (2) conduct a study on the emerging water supply needs of 
        the geographic area.
    (c) Administration.--A study conducted under this section shall--
            (1) identify Federal and State resources, assistance 
        programs, regulations, and sources of funding for water supply 
        development and management that are applicable to the 
        geographic areas selected under subsection (b)(1);
            (2) identify potential weaknesses, redundancies, and 
        contradictions in those resources, assistance programs, 
        regulations, policies, and sources of funding;
            (3) conduct a water resource inventory in the geographic 
        study area to determine, with respect to the water supply needs 
        of the area--
                    (A) projected demand;
                    (B) existing supplies and infrastructure;
                    (C) water resources that cannot be developed for 
                water supplies due to regulatory or technical barriers, 
                including--
                            (i) special aquatic sites (as defined in 
                        section 330.2 of title 33, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations (or a successor regulation)); and
                            (ii) waters protected under any other 
                        Federal or State law;
                    (D) water resources that can be developed for water 
                supplies, such as sites that have few, if any, 
                technical or regulatory barriers to development;
                    (E) any water resources for which further research 
                or investigation, such as testing of groundwater 
                aquifers, is required to determine the potential for 
                water supply development for the site;
                    (F) a description of the social, political, 
                institutional, and economic dynamics and 
                characteristics of the geographic study area that may 
                impact the resolution of water supply needs;
                    (G) incentives for cooperation between water 
                districts, local governments, and State governments, 
                including methods that maximize private sector 
                participation in the water supply development; and
                    (H) new water resource development technologies 
                that merit further analysis and testing.
    (d) Lead Agency.--For each study under this section, the Corps of 
Engineers--
            (1) shall be the lead Federal agency; and
            (2) shall consult with the State for guidance in the 
        development of the study.
    (e) Participants.--
            (1) In general.--In consultation with the Secretary, the 
        State shall select entities to participate in the study under 
        this section.
            (2) Tennessee.--
                    (A) In general.--In addition to entities selected 
                under paragraph (1), the United States Geological 
                Survey and the Tennessee Valley Authority shall 
                participate in the study in the State.
                    (B) University of tennessee.--The University of 
                Tennessee may elect to participate in the study in the 
                State.
    (f) Funding.--The Federal share of each study under this section 
shall be 100 percent.
    (g) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion of a 
study under this section, the State completing the study shall submit a 
report describing the findings of the study to--
            (1) the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
        Senate.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2001.

Summary: Requires, as a condition of receiving such assistance, the State to: (1) select a geographic area within the State having consistent, emerging, water supply needs. And (2) conduct a study on such needs. Requires that such a study conducted under this Act: (1) identify Federal and State resources, assistance programs, regulations, and sources of funding for water supply development and management that are applicable to the geographic areas selected, (2) identify potential weaknesses, redundancies, and contradictions. And (3) conduct a water resource inventory in the geographic study area to determine specified considerations and conditions with respect to such area's water supply needs. Requires the Corps of Engineers, for each study, to: (1) be the lead Federal agency. And (2) consult with the State for guidance in the development of the study. Provides for: (1) selection by the State of entities to participate in the study. And (2) participation by the US Geological Survey and the Tennessee Valley Authority in such study. Permits the University of Tennessee to elect to participate in such study. Provides for each study to be funded at full Federal expense. Authorizes appropriations.