II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4884 

To require the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Secretary 

of Agriculture, to establish a joint natural infrastructure science program, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 

Ms. HIRONO introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination 

with the Secretary of Agriculture, to establish a joint 

natural infrastructure science program, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Natural Infrastructure 

5 Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) the American Society of Civil Engineers has 

2 estimated that the direct, cumulative repair needs 

3 for public infrastructure in the United States is 

4 $4,600,000,000,000; and 

5 (2) installing natural infrastructure is often 

6 lower-cost, more resilient, and more beneficial to the 

7 public than repairing or replacing gray infrastruc8 ture. 

9 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

10 In this Act: 

11 (1) NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term 

12 ‘‘natural infrastructure’’ means constructed land13 scape features and systems that employ nature14 based solutions that promote, use, restore, or emu15 late natural ecological processes. 

16 (2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 

17 the joint natural infrastructure science program es18 tablished under section 4(a). 

19 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di21 rector of the United States Geological Survey. 

22 SEC. 4. JOINT NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE SCIENCE PRO23 GRAM. 

24 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in coordina25 tion with the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 


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1 Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish a joint natural 

2 infrastructure science program to respond to the emerging 

3 research needs of civil engineers, local governments, devel4 opers, and the construction industry. 

5 (b) COORDINATION.—In administering the Program, 

6 the Secretary shall work closely with research programs 

7 at institutions of higher education to supplement the cur8 rent research efforts undertaken by those institutions of 

9 higher education. 

10 (c) PURPOSES.—The principal purposes of the Pro11 gram shall be— 

12 (1) to provide, with respect to natural infra13 structure, practical research that— 

14 (A) is responsive to the needs of civil engi15 neers, local governments, developers, and the 

16 construction industry; and 

17 (B) takes into account, to the maximum 

18 extent practicable, local cultural considerations; 

19 (2) to engage with and listen to clients of the 

20 Program, including civil engineers, local govern21 ments, developers, and the members of the construc22 tion industry— 

23 (A) to learn the needs of those clients; and 

24 (B) to develop focused, strategic lines of 

25 new research responsive to those needs; 


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1 (3)(A) to solicit proposals from scientists for 

2 funding provided under the Program; and 

3 (B) to award funding to those scientists 

4 through a competitive, rigorous peer-review process 

5 that is designed to ensure that the best projects are 

6 funded; and 

7 (4) to disseminate research findings, including 

8 associated environmental valuations, using a suite of 

9 communication tools to ensure that civil engineers, 

10 local governments, developers, and members of the 

11 construction industry are aware of, understand, and 

12 can use the information to make sound decisions 

13 and implement projects. 

14 (d) PROGRAM PLAN.—Not later than September 30, 

15 2023, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on En16 ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Com17 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representa18 tives a Program plan that includes— 

19 (1) an assessment of the current state of knowl20 edge about natural infrastructure; 

21 (2) an integrated approach to improve knowl22 edge sharing; 

23 (3) an approach for project monitoring and 

24 evaluation; and 

25 (4) an approach for setting research priorities. 


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1 (e) STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY GROUP.— 

2 (1) MEMBERSHIP.—The Secretary shall estab3 lish a stakeholder advisory group consisting of tech4 nical experts, including, at a minimum, 5 individuals 

5 selected from among the following potential mem6 bers: 

7 (A) A representative of a local government. 

8 (B) A developer. 

9 (C) A representative of a construction in10 dustry association or construction company. 

11 (D) A civil engineer or environmental engi12 neer. 

13 (E) A researcher from an institution of 

14 higher education. 

15 (F) A member of an Alaska Native organi16 zation, a Native Hawaiian organization, or an 

17 Indian Tribe (as those terms are defined in sec18 tion 2 of the Native American Graves Protec19 tion and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001)) 

20 with experience with natural infrastructure. 

21 (G) An environmental scientist. 

22 (2) DUTIES.—The stakeholder advisory group 

23 established under paragraph (1) shall meet not less 

24 frequently than annually— 


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1 (A) to consider both immediate and long2 term scientific needs with respect to research 

3 relating to natural infrastructure; 

4 (B) to suggest to the Secretary appropriate 

5 topic areas for research relating to natural in6 frastructure, specific issues to be researched 

7 within those topic areas, and information trans8 fer needs for which the Secretary shall solicit 

9 proposals in accordance with subsection (c)(3); 

10 and 

11 (C) to assist the Secretary in drafting the 

12 Program plan described in subsection (d). 

13 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For each 

14 of fiscal years 2023 through 2033, there is authorized to 

15 be appropriated to carry out this section $4,000,000, in16 cluding for activities to be carried out by the Secretary 

17 and the Secretary of Agriculture under this section. 

18 SEC. 5. ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE 

19 PROJECTS. 

20 (a) EVALUATION.—Subject to the availability of ap21 propriations, beginning in fiscal year 2023, the Secretary 

22 shall annually— 

23 (1) select not fewer than 30 natural infrastruc24 ture projects completed under the Program or by 


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1 any other entity or individual in the United States; 

2 and 

3 (2) assess the costs and effectiveness of those 

4 natural infrastructure projects. 

5 (b) GEOGRAPHIC AND PROJECT DIVERSITY.—The 

6 Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall select 

7 natural infrastructure projects under subsection (a)(1) 

8 that, taken together, reflect a diversity of— 

9 (1) geographic locations; and 

10 (2) types of natural infrastructure. 

11 (c) REPORT.—Beginning in fiscal year 2024, and an12 nually thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a report 

13 that— 

14 (1) lists the natural infrastructure projects se15 lected under subsection (a)(1); 

16 (2) discloses— 

17 (A) the costs of those natural infrastruc18 ture projects; and 

19 (B) the results of the assessment of the ef20 fectiveness of those natural infrastructure 

21 projects carried out under subsection (a)(2); 

22 and 


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1 (3) if applicable, includes recommendations to 

2 improve the construction, costs, and effectiveness of 

3 future natural infrastructure projects. 

Æ 


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