I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5459

To direct the Secretary of the Army to recommend a water resources development and conservation project for authorization by Congress only if

the project has projected benefits that are at least 1.5 times as great

as the project’s estimated total cost, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 12, 2000

Mr. SANFORD (for himself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. TANCREDO, and Ms.

MCKINNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Army to recommend a water

resources development and conservation project for authorization by Congress only if the project has projected

benefits that are at least 1.5 times as great as the

project’s estimated total cost, 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 ‘‘Corps of Engineers

5 Benefit-Cost Improvement Act of 2000’’.
2

•HR 5459 IH

1 SEC. 2. REQUIRED BENEFIT-COST RATIO.

2 (a) RECOMMENDATION OF PROJECTS.—Beginning in

3 fiscal year 2001, in the case of a water resources develop4 ment and conservation project that is subject to a benefit5 cost analysis (including any project that has been contin6 gently authorized subject to a favorable report from the

7 Chief of Engineers), the Secretary of the Army shall only

8 recommend the project for authorization by Congress, and

9 shall only choose the project as a recommended alternative

10 in any record of decision or environmental impact state11 ment, if the project, in addition to meeting any other cri12 teria required by law, has projected benefits that are at

13 least 1.5 times as great as the project’s estimated total

14 cost.

15 (b) REVIEW AND DEAUTHORIZATION OF

16 PROJECTS.—

17 (1) REVIEW.—Not later than 180 days after

18 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary

19 shall review each water resources development and

20 conservation project described in paragraph (2) to

21 determine whether the project has projected benefits

22 that are less than 1.5 times as great as the project’s

23 estimated total cost.

24 (2) PROJECTS SUBJECT TO REVIEW.—A water

25 resources development and conservation project shall

26 be subject to review under paragraph (1) if—
3

•HR 5459 IH

1 (A) the project is currently authorized;

2 (B) the project is a project that is subject

3 to a benefit-cost analysis; and

4 (C) less than 33 percent of the project’s

5 estimated total cost (other than costs of pre6 liminary engineering and design) have been ex7 pended.

8 (3) DEAUTHORIZATIONS.—Upon completion of

9 the review under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall

10 transmit to Congress a list of each project that has

11 projected benefits that are less than 1.5 times as

12 great as the project’s estimated total cost. A project

13 included on the list is not authorized after the date

14 that is 3 years after the date of transmittal of the

15 list to Congress unless the project is reauthorized by

16 law.

17 (4) DEAUTHORIZED PROJECTS FOR WHICH

18 CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN INITIATED.—In the case

19 of a project that is deauthorized under paragraph

20 (3) and for which construction (other than prelimi21 nary engineering and design) has been initiated, the

22 Secretary may take such actions as may be nec23 essary with respect to the project to protect public

24 health and safety and the environment.

Æ