I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 944 

To reauthorize the National Estuary Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2015 

Mr. LOBIONDO (for himself, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. POSEY, Mr. 

MURPHY of Florida, and Mr. JOLLY) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To reauthorize the National Estuary 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. COMPETITIVE AWARDS. 

4 Section 320(g) of the Federal Water Pollution Con5 trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(g)) is amended by adding at the 

6 end the following: 

7 ‘‘(4) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Using the amounts 

9 made available under subsection (i)(2)(B), the 


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1 Administrator shall make competitive awards 

2 under this paragraph. 

3 ‘‘(B) APPLICATION FOR AWARDS.—The 

4 Administrator shall solicit applications for 

5 awards under this paragraph from State, inter6 state, and regional water pollution control agen7 cies and entities, State coastal zone manage8 ment agencies, interstate agencies, other public 

9 or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, orga10 nizations, and individuals. 

11 ‘‘(C) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—In se12 lecting award recipients under this paragraph, 

13 the Administrator shall select recipients that 

14 are best able to address urgent and challenging 

15 issues that threaten the ecological and economic 

16 well-being of coastal areas. Such issues shall in17 clude— 

18 ‘‘(i) extensive seagrass habitat losses 

19 resulting in significant impacts on fisheries 

20 and water quality; 

21 ‘‘(ii) recurring harmful algae blooms; 

22 ‘‘(iii) unusual marine mammal mor23 talities; 


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1 ‘‘(iv) invasive exotic species that may 

2 threaten wastewater systems and cause 

3 other damage; 

4 ‘‘(v) jellyfish proliferation limiting 

5 community access to water during peak 

6 tourism seasons; 

7 ‘‘(vi) flooding that may be related to 

8 sea level rise or wetland degradation or 

9 loss; and 

10 ‘‘(vii) low dissolved oxygen conditions 

11 in estuarine waters and related nutrient 

12 management.’’. 

13 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

15 Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) is amended by striking subsection 

16 (i) and inserting the following: 

17 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

19 appropriated to the Administrator $27,000,000 for 

20 each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for— 

21 ‘‘(A) expenses relating to the administra22 tion of grants or awards by the Administrator 

23 under this section, including the award and 

24 oversight of grants and awards, except that 

25 such expenses may not exceed 5 percent of the 


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1 amount appropriated under this subsection for 

2 a fiscal year; and 

3 ‘‘(B) making grants and awards under 

4 subsection (g). 

5 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATIONS.— 

6 ‘‘(A) CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

7 PLANS.—Not less than 80 percent of the 

8 amount made available under this subsection 

9 for a fiscal year shall be used by the Adminis10 trator for the development, implementation, and 

11 monitoring of each of the conservation and 

12 management plans eligible for grant assistance 

13 under subsection (g)(2). 

14 ‘‘(B) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.—Not less 

15 than 15 percent of the amount made available 

16 under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be 

17 used by the Administrator for making competi18 tive awards described in subsection (g)(4).’’. 

Æ 


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