59–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 110–126 

ALASKA WATER RESOURCES ACT OF 2007 

MAY 7, 2007.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 

Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. RAHALL, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1114] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 

the bill (H.R. 1114) to require the Secretary of the Interior, acting 

through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the 

State of Alaska, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

H.R. 1114 requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 

the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study of groundwater resources in the State of 

Alaska, and for other purposes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Due to harsh climate and wild terrain, Alaska has unique water 

needs. There is little information on size or recharge capabilities of 

groundwater aquifers, or water treatment needs and technologies 

in Alaska. H.R. 1114 addresses this lack of information by requiring the Bureau of Reclamation to study water supplies, water 

treatment, and distribution needs in Alaska, as well as require 

USGS to assess the adequacy of their streamflow data collection 

process. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1114 was introduced on February 16, 2007 by Rep. Don 

Young (R–AK). This bill was referred to the Committee on Natural 

Resources, Subcommittee on Water and Power. On April 19, 2007, 

the Subcommittee met to consider the bill. The bill was reported, 

by unanimous consent, to the Full committee without amendment. 

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On May 2, 2007, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider 

the bill. No amendments were offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous 

consent. Similar legislation (S. 1338) passed the Senate by unanimous consent in the 109th Congress. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 provides the short title of the bill. 

Section 2. Definitions 

Section 2 clarifies that the term ‘‘Secretary’’ refers to the Secretary of the Interior, and the term ‘‘State’’ refers to Alaska. 

Section 3. Alaska water resources study 

Section 3 provides that the Secretary, acting through the Bureau 

of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, is required to conduct a study that includes (1) a survey of accessible 

water supplies, including aquifers, on the Kenai Peninsula in the 

municipality of Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the 

city of Fairbanks, and the Fairbanks Northstar Borough; (2) a survey of water treatment needs and technologies applicable to the 

water resources of Alaska; and (3) a review of the need for enhancement of the streamflow information collected by the Geological Survey in the state relating to critical water needs in areas 

such as infrastructure risks to state transportation, flood forecasting, resource extraction, and fire management. 

Sec. 3.(b) Report 

Section 3(b) requires the Secretary to submit a report on the 

findings of the study to Congress within 2 years. 

Section 4. Sunset 

Section 4 states that the authority to carry out the provisions of 

this Act terminates 10 years after enactment. 

Section 5. Authorization of appropriations 

Section 5 authorizes Congress to appropriate such sums as are 

necessary to carry out this Act. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States 

grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carmstockstill on PROD1PC66 with HEARING

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rying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule 

XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 

308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not 

contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to require the Secretary of the Interior, acting 

through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study of groundwater resources in the 

State of Alaska, and for other purposes. 

4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 1114—Alaska Water Resources Act of 2007 

Summary: H.R. 1114 would direct the Secretary of the Interior 

to conduct a study of water resources in five areas of Alaska. The 

study, to be completed within two years of the bill’s enactment, 

would include a survey of accessible water supplies and water 

treatment needs. Assuming appropriation of the necessary funds, 

CBO estimates that conducting those studies would cost $8 million 

over the 2008–2012 period. Enacting H.R. 1114 would not affect direct spending to or revenues. 

H.R. 1114 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: For this estimate, 

CBO assumes that H.R. 1114 will be enacted before the end of 

2007. Based on the cost of similar studies, CBO estimates that carrying out the proposed study would cost $8 million over the 2008– 2012 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. The 

estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 1114 is shown in the following 

table. The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300 

(natural resources and environment). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

CHANGES TO SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Estimated Authorization Level ................................................................................ 8 0 0 0 0 

Estimated Outlays ................................................................................................... 4 4 0 0 0 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 1114 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Previous CBO estimate: On February 8, 2007, CBO transmitted 

a cost estimate for S. 200, the Alaska Water Resources Act of 2007, 

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as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on January 31, 2007. S. 200 and H.R. 1114 are 

nearly identical, and the estimated costs of the two bills are the 

same. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Deborah Reis. Impact on 

State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Lisa Ramirez-Branum. Impact on the Private Sector: Craig Cammarata. 

Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

H.R. 1114 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e) 

or (f) of rule XXI. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

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