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[Senate Report 109-90]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                       Calendar No. 139
109th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                     109-90

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                      WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH ACT
                           AMENDMENTS OF 2005

                                _______
                                

                 June 27, 2005.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Inhofe, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [to accompany S. 1017]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred a bill (S. 1017) to reauthorize grants for the water 
resources research and technology institutes established under 
the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, having considered the 
same, reports favorably thereon and recommends that the bill do 
pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    The Water Resources Research Act (42 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.) 
was originally enacted in 1964. The Act authorizes a program of 
water-related research and training of scientists and engineers 
to enter fields of water research and management. The program 
is administered by Institutes at each of the 54 land grant 
colleges in each of the 50 States, and in the Virgin Islands, 
Guam, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The program is 
under the general guidance of the Secretary of the Interior. 
These Institutes award grant funds for research projects. The 
strength of the Institutes is their location within the 
university community, where a multitude of disciplines can be 
concentrated on water problems, offering new and innovative 
approaches. Funds are distributed to the Institutes in every 
State, assuring the widest possible geographic search for new 
information. The grants must be matched by two non-Federal 
dollars for each Federal dollar.
    In administering the water resources research program, the 
Secretary of the Department of the Interior, through the U.S. 
Geological Survey, distributes appropriated funds equally among 
the Institutes. The Institutes, in turn, award research funds 
through a competitive, peer review process. Each Institute 
maintains one or more advisory panels comprised of local, 
State, and Federal water officials, representatives from water 
user groups, and other interested parties. Annually, these 
groups develop research priorities for their States and review 
the allocation of funds among various competing projects. In 
this way, each Institute is able to focus grants on the most 
pressing water problems and issues affecting their State. This 
program has worked well.
    However, since the research agenda for this program is 
established by each State to meet its individual needs, the 
Department should continue the cooperative relationship with 
each State water resources research program and consider the 
priorities and funding recommendation of the State advisory 
panels. The Department shall maintain a level of funding for 
the institutional grants at each Institute sufficient to 
maintain the basic infrastructure for efficient State, 
regional, and national research coordination, collaboration, 
education and information transfer.
    S. 1017 continues the partnership between the Federal 
Government and non-Federal water resources researchers, a 
partnership that is centered at the university community. 
Specifically, S. 1017 extends the authorization for the State 
water resources research institutes to provide grants and 
address water resources management problems, such as the 
quantity and quality of water supplies, the sources of water 
contaminants and methods of remediation, and the training of 
research scientists, engineers and technicians. The Institute-
sponsored research funding, authorized by Section 104(b), 
requires a match of two non-Federal dollars for each Federal 
dollar.
    The Interstate Research Grants program, Section 104(g), is 
reauthorized in this bill. The Interstate Research Grants 
provide competitive Federal grants focusing on regional and 
interstate water resources problems beyond those affecting a 
single State and must be matched by at least one non-Federal 
dollar to each Federal dollar. By continuing and enhancing 
these collaborative efforts, the Institutes can better address 
critical issues on long-term water planning and supply that may 
exceed the resources of any one State.
    The authorized funding levels for the Section 104(b) and 
104(g) programs in fiscal year 2005 are $12 million and $6 
million, respectively. The fiscal year 2005 appropriation for 
both programs totaled $6.049 million.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

Section 1. Short title.
    This section provides that this Act may be cited as the 
``Water Resources Research Act Amendments of 2005.''
Sec. 2. Water resources research.
    S. 1017 authorizes the Section 104(b) institutional grants 
program at $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 
2008 and $13,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010, 
for a total of $52,000,000.
    S. 1017 authorizes the Section 104(g) competitive grants 
program at $6 million for each of fiscal years 2006 through 
2008 and $7 million for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010, for 
a total of $32,000,000.

                          Legislative History

    Senator Chafee, with Senators Clinton, Inhofe, Jeffords, 
Vitter, Baucus, Murkowski, Enzi, Corzine, Lautenberg and Crapo, 
introduced S. 1017 on May 12, 2005, and it was referred to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works. The committee met on 
June 8, 2005, to consider the bill. The bill was ordered 
reported on June 8, 2005.

                                Hearings

    No hearings were held on the bill.

                             Rollcall Votes

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 
consider S. 1017 on June 8, 2005. The bill was ordered reported 
favorably to the Senate by voice vote.

                           Regulatory Impact

    In compliance with Section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact of the bill. The bill does 
not create any additional regulatory burdens.

                          Mandates Assessment

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(Public Law 104-4), the committee makes the following 
evaluation of the Federal mandates contained in the reported 
bill. S. 1017 imposes no Federal intergovernmental mandates on 
State, local or tribal governments.

                          Cost of Legislation

    Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the 
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be 
included in the report. That statement follows:
                              ----------                              

S. 1017, Water Resources Research Act Amendments of 2005, As ordered 
        reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public 
        Works on June 8, 2005.
Summary
    S. 1017 would authorize the appropriation of $94 million 
over the 2006-2010 period to carry out the Water Resources 
Research Act of 1984. Under that act, the U.S. Geological 
Survey (USGS) provides grants to research and technology 
institutes at American colleges and universities for research 
and education on water resources. Funding for those grants 
expires at the end of fiscal year 2005.
    Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO 
estimates that implementing S. 1017 would cost $14 million in 
fiscal year 2006 and $87 million through 2010. The remaining $7 
million authorized would be spent in 2011. Enacting the bill 
would not affect direct spending or revenues. S. 1017 contains 
no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). Any costs to State, 
local, or tribal governments would result from complying with 
conditions for receiving Federal aid.
Estimated Cost to the Federal Government
    For this estimate, CBO assumes that the authorized amounts 
will be appropriated for each year and that outlays will follow 
the historical spending patterns for these grant programs. The 
estimated impact of S. 1017 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   2005    2006    2007    2008    2009    2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Spending for Research Institutes Under Current Law..............
    Budget Authority\1\.........................................       6       0       0       0       0       0
    Estimated Outlays...........................................       6       1       0       0       0       0
Proposed Changes................................................
    Authorization Level.........................................       0      18      18      18      20      20
    Estimated Outlays...........................................       0      14      16      18      19      20
Spending for Research Institutes Under S. 1017..................
    Authorization Level\1\......................................       6      18      18      18      20      20
    Estimated Outlays...........................................       6      15      16      18      19      20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\The 2005 level is the amount appropriated for that year for USGS grants under the Water Resources Research
  Act.

Intergovernmental and Private-sector Impact
    S. 1017 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on State, 
local, or tribal governments. The bill would reauthorize grants 
for the 2006-2010 period for water resources research and 
technology institutes established under the Water Resources 
Research Act of 1984. This reauthorization would update the 
level of grant money available, and while State and local 
governments may incur some costs to match Federal funds, those 
costs would be incurred voluntarily.
    Estimate Prepared By: Federal Costs: Deborah Reis; 
Intergovernmental Impact: Ian Rudge and Lisa Ramirez-Branum; 
Impact on the Private Sector: Craig Cammarata.
    Estimate Approved By: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill 
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in [black brackets], new matter is printed 
in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown 
in roman:
                              ----------                              

                           [42 U.S.C. 10303]

                  WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH ACT OF 1984

    Sec. 10303. Water Resources Research and Technology 
Institutes.
    (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (f) Authorization of appropriations [in general].--
            [(1) For the purpose of carrying out this section, 
        there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
        the sum of $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $10,000,000 
        for each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and $12,000,000 
        for each of fiscal years 2004 and 2005, such sums to 
        remain available until expended.]
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this section, to remain 
        available until expended--
                    (A) $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
                2006 through 2008; and
                    (B) $13,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
                2009 and 2010.
            [(2) Any]
            (2) Failure to obligate funds.--Any sums 
        appropriated under this subsection but which fail to be 
        obligated by the close of the fiscal year for which 
        they were appropriated shall be transferred by the 
        Secretary and available for obligation during the 
        succeeding fiscal year under the terms of subsection 
        (g) of this section.
    (g) Additional appropriations where research focused on 
water problems of interstate nature.--
            [(1) There]
            (1) In general.--There is further authorized to be 
        appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior the sum 
        of [$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $4,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and $6,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2004 and 2005] $6,000,000 for each 
        of fiscal years 2006 through 2008 and $7,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010 only for 
        reimbursement of the direct cost expenses of additional 
        research or synthesis of the results of research by 
        institutes which focuses on water problems and issues 
        of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of 
        concern only to a single State and which relate to 
        specific program priorities identified jointly by the 
        Secretary and the institutes. [Such]
            (2) Non-federal matching funds.--The funds when 
        appropriated shall be matched on a not less than 
        dollar-for-dollar basis by funds made available to 
        institutes or groups of institutes, by States or other 
        non-Federal sources. [Funds]
            (3) Availability of funds.--Funds made available 
        under this subsection shall remain available until 
        expended.
            [(2)] (4) Research funds made available under this 
        subsection shall be made on a competitive basis subject 
        to the merit of the proposal, the need for the 
        information to be produced, and the opportunity such 
        funds will provide for training of water resources 
        scientists or professionals.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                                 
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