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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1024 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>

                                                       Calendar No. 372
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1024

                          [Report No. 114-211]

  To authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 21, 2015

 Mr. Kirk (for himself and Mr. Portman) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

                           February 24, 2016

               Reported by Mr. Inhofe, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Restoration 
Initiative Act of 2015''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 118(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(33 U.S.C. 1268(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (7) and inserting 
the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(7) Great lakes restoration initiative.--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) Establishment.--There is established 
                in the Agency a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 
                (referred to in this paragraph as the `Initiative') to 
                carry out programs and projects for Great Lakes 
                protection and restoration.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Focus areas.--The Initiative shall 
                prioritize programs and projects carried out in 
                coordination with non-Federal partners and programs and 
                projects that address priority areas each fiscal year, 
                including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) the remediation of toxic 
                        substances and areas of concern;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) the prevention and control 
                        of invasive species and the impacts of invasive 
                        species;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) the protection and 
                        restoration of nearshore health and the 
                        prevention and mitigation of nonpoint source 
                        pollution;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iv) habitat and wildlife 
                        protection and restoration, including wetlands 
                        restoration and preservation; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(v) accountability, monitoring, 
                        evaluation, communication, and partnership 
                        activities.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) Projects.--Under the Initiative, the 
                Agency shall collaborate with Federal partners, 
                including the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, to 
                select the best combination of programs and projects 
                for Great Lakes protection and restoration using 
                appropriate principles and criteria, including whether 
                a program or project provides--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) the ability to achieve 
                        strategic and measurable environmental outcomes 
                        that implement the Great Lakes Action Plan and 
                        the Great Lakes Water Quality 
                        Agreement;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) the feasibility of--
                        </DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(I) prompt 
                                implementation;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(II) timely achievement 
                                of results; and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(III) resource 
                                leveraging; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) the opportunity to improve 
                        interagency and inter-organizational 
                        coordination and collaboration to reduce 
                        duplication and streamline efforts.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(D) Implementation of projects.--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) In general.--Funds made 
                        available to carry out the Initiative shall be 
                        used to strategically implement--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(I) Federal projects; 
                                and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(II) projects carried 
                                out in coordination with States, Indian 
                                tribes, municipalities, institutions of 
                                higher education, and other 
                                organizations.</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) Transfer of funds.--With 
                        amounts made available for the Initiative each 
                        fiscal year, the Administrator may--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(I) transfer not more 
                                than $300,000,000 to the head of any 
                                Federal department or agency, with the 
                                concurrence of the department or agency 
                                head, to carry out activities to 
                                support the Initiative and the Great 
                                Lakes Water Quality Agreement; 
                                and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(II) enter into an 
                                interagency agreement with the head of 
                                any Federal department or agency to 
                                carry out activities described in 
                                subclause (I).</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(E) Scope.--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) In general.--Projects shall 
                        be carried out under the Initiative on multiple 
                        levels, including--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(I) Great Lakes-wide; 
                                and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(II) Great Lakes basin-
                                wide.</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) Limitation.--No funds made 
                        available to carry out the Initiative may be 
                        used for any water infrastructure activity 
                        (other than a green infrastructure project that 
                        improves habitat and other ecosystem functions 
                        in the Great Lakes) for which amounts are made 
                        available from--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(I) a State water 
                                pollution control revolving fund 
                                established under title VI; 
                                or</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(II) a State drinking 
                                water revolving loan fund established 
                                under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking 
                                Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-
                                12).</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(F) Activities by other federal 
                agencies.--Each relevant Federal department or agency 
                shall, to the maximum extent practicable--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) maintain the base level of 
                        funding for the Great Lakes activities of that 
                        department or agency without regard to funding 
                        under the Initiative; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) identify new activities and 
                        projects to support the environmental goals of 
                        the Initiative.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(G) Funding.--There is authorized to be 
                appropriated to carry out the Initiative $300,000,000 
                for each of fiscal years 2016 through 
                2020.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 
Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE.

    Section 118(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1268(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the 
following:
            ``(7) Great lakes restoration initiative.--
                    ``(A) Establishment.--There is established in the 
                Agency a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (referred 
                to in this paragraph as the `Initiative') to carry out 
                programs and projects for Great Lakes protection and 
                restoration.
                    ``(B) Focus areas.--Each fiscal year under a 5-year 
                Initiative Action Plan, the Initiative shall prioritize 
                programs and projects, carried out in coordination with 
                non-Federal partners, that address priority areas, such 
                as--
                            ``(i) the remediation of toxic substances 
                        and areas of concern;
                            ``(ii) the prevention and control of 
                        invasive species and the impacts of invasive 
                        species;
                            ``(iii) the protection and restoration of 
                        nearshore health and the prevention and 
                        mitigation of nonpoint source pollution;
                            ``(iv) habitat and wildlife protection and 
                        restoration, including wetlands restoration and 
                        preservation; and
                            ``(v) accountability, monitoring, 
                        evaluation, communication, and partnership 
                        activities.
                    ``(C) Projects.--Under the Initiative, the Agency 
                shall collaborate with Federal partners, including the 
                Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, to select the best 
                combination of programs and projects for Great Lakes 
                protection and restoration using appropriate principles 
                and criteria, including whether a program or project 
                provides--
                            ``(i) the ability to achieve strategic and 
                        measurable environmental outcomes that 
                        implement the Great Lakes Action Plan and the 
                        Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement;
                            ``(ii) the feasibility of--
                                    ``(I) prompt implementation;
                                    ``(II) timely achievement of 
                                results; and
                                    ``(III) resource leveraging; and
                            ``(iii) the opportunity to improve 
                        interagency and inter-organizational 
                        coordination and collaboration to reduce 
                        duplication and streamline efforts.
                    ``(D) Implementation of projects.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to subparagraph 
                        (G)(ii), funds made available to carry out the 
                        Initiative shall be used to strategically 
                        implement--
                                    ``(I) Federal projects; and
                                    ``(II) projects carried out in 
                                coordination with States, Indian 
                                tribes, municipalities, institutions of 
                                higher education, and other 
                                organizations.
                            ``(ii) Transfer of funds.--With amounts 
                        made available for the Initiative each fiscal 
                        year, the Administrator may--
                                    ``(I) transfer not more than 
                                $300,000,000 to the head of any Federal 
                                department or agency, with the 
                                concurrence of the department or agency 
                                head, to carry out activities to 
                                support the Initiative and the Great 
                                Lakes Water Quality Agreement;
                                    ``(II) enter into an interagency 
                                agreement with the head of any Federal 
                                department or agency to carry out 
                                activities described in subclause (I); 
                                and
                                    ``(III) make grants to governmental 
                                entities, nonprofit organizations, 
                                institutions, and individuals for 
                                planning, research, monitoring, 
                                outreach, and implementation of 
                                projects in furtherance of the 
                                Initiative and the Great Lakes Water 
                                Quality Agreement.
                    ``(E) Scope.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Projects shall be 
                        carried out under the Initiative on multiple 
                        levels, including--
                                    ``(I) Great Lakes-wide; and
                                    ``(II) Great Lakes basin-wide.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--No funds made available 
                        to carry out the Initiative may be used for any 
                        water infrastructure activity (other than a 
                        green infrastructure project that improves 
                        habitat and other ecosystem functions in the 
                        Great Lakes) for which amounts are made 
                        available from--
                                    ``(I) a State water pollution 
                                control revolving fund established 
                                under title VI; or
                                    ``(II) a State drinking water 
                                revolving loan fund established under 
                                section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water 
                                Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12).
                    ``(F) Activities by other federal agencies.--Each 
                relevant Federal department or agency shall, to the 
                maximum extent practicable--
                            ``(i) maintain the base level of funding 
                        for the Great Lakes activities of that 
                        department or agency without regard to funding 
                        under the Initiative; and
                            ``(ii) identify new activities and projects 
                        to support the environmental goals of the 
                        Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality 
                        Agreement.
                    ``(G) Funding.--
                            ``(i) In general.--There is authorized to 
                        be appropriated to carry out this paragraph 
                        $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 
                        through 2021.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--Nothing in this 
                        paragraph creates, expands, or amends the 
                        authority of the Administrator to implement 
                        programs or projects under--
                                    ``(I) this section;
                                    ``(II) the Initiative Action Plan; 
                                or
                                    ``(III) the Great Lakes Water 
                                Quality Agreement.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 372

114th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1024

                          [Report No. 114-211]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           February 24, 2016

                       Reported with an amendment
```