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Union Calendar No. 73 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 944 

[Report No. 114–104] 

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 

MAY 8, 2015 

Additional sponsors: Ms. CASTOR of Florida and Mr. MACARTHUR

MAY 8, 2015 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 

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2 

•HR 944 RH

A BILL 

To reauthorize the National Estuary Program, and for other 

purposes. 

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•HR 944 RH

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 

10 Administrator shall make competitive awards 

11 under this paragraph. 

12 ‘‘(B) APPLICATION FOR AWARDS.—The 

13 Administrator shall solicit applications for 

14 awards under this paragraph from State, inter15 state, and regional water pollution control agen16 cies and entities, State coastal zone manage17 ment agencies, interstate agencies, other public 

18 or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, orga19 nizations, and individuals. 

20 ‘‘(C) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—In se21 lecting award recipients under this paragraph, 

22 the Administrator shall select recipients that 

23 are best able to address urgent and challenging 

24 issues that threaten the ecological and economic 

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1 well-being of coastal areas. Such issues shall in2 clude— 

3 ‘‘(i) extensive seagrass habitat losses 

4 resulting in significant impacts on fisheries 

5 and water quality; 

6 ‘‘(ii) recurring harmful algae blooms; 

7 ‘‘(iii) unusual marine mammal mor8 talities; 

9 ‘‘(iv) invasive exotic species that may 

10 threaten wastewater systems and cause 

11 other damage; 

12 ‘‘(v) jellyfish proliferation limiting 

13 community access to water during peak 

14 tourism seasons; 

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

16 sea level rise or wetland degradation or 

17 loss; and 

18 ‘‘(vii) low dissolved oxygen conditions 

19 in estuarine waters and related nutrient 

20 management.’’. 

21 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

22 Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

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

24 (i) and inserting the following: 

25 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

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

3 each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for— 

4 ‘‘(A) expenses relating to the administra5 tion of grants or awards by the Administrator 

6 under this section, including the award and 

7 oversight of grants and awards, except that 

8 such expenses may not exceed 5 percent of the 

9 amount appropriated under this subsection for 

10 a fiscal year; and 

11 ‘‘(B) making grants and awards under 

12 subsection (g). 

13 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATIONS.— 

14 ‘‘(A) CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

15 PLANS.—Not less than 80 percent of the 

16 amount made available under this subsection 

17 for a fiscal year shall be used by the Adminis18 trator for the development, implementation, and 

19 monitoring of each of the conservation and 

20 management plans eligible for grant assistance 

21 under subsection (g)(2). 

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

23 than 15 percent of the amount made available 

24 under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be 

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1 used by the Administrator for making competi2 tive awards described in subsection (g)(4).’’. 

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Union Calendar No. 73 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 944 

[Report No. 114–104] 

A BILL 

To reauthorize the National Estuary Program, and 

for other purposes. 

MAY 8, 2015 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS