II 

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. 

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 ‘‘Great Lakes Restora5 tion Initiative Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE. 

2 Section 118(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Con3 trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1268(c)) is amended by striking para4 graph (7) and inserting the following: 

5 ‘‘(7) GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIA6 TIVE.— 

7 ‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is estab8 lished in the Agency a Great Lakes Restoration 

9 Initiative (referred to in this paragraph as the 

10 ‘Initiative’) to carry out programs and projects 

11 for Great Lakes protection and restoration. 

12 ‘‘(B) FOCUS AREAS.—The Initiative shall 

13 prioritize programs and projects carried out in 

14 coordination with non-Federal partners and 

15 programs and projects that address priority 

16 areas each fiscal year, including— 

17 ‘‘(i) the remediation of toxic sub18 stances and areas of concern; 

19 ‘‘(ii) the prevention and control of 

20 invasive species and the impacts of invasive 

21 species; 

22 ‘‘(iii) the protection and restoration of 

23 nearshore health and the prevention and 

24 mitigation of nonpoint source pollution; 


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1 ‘‘(iv) habitat and wildlife protection 

2 and restoration, including wetlands res3 toration and preservation; and 

4 ‘‘(v) accountability, monitoring, eval5 uation, communication, and partnership 

6 activities. 

7 ‘‘(C) PROJECTS.—Under the Initiative, the 

8 Agency shall collaborate with Federal partners, 

9 including the Great Lakes Interagency Task 

10 Force, to select the best combination of pro11 grams and projects for Great Lakes protection 

12 and restoration using appropriate principles 

13 and criteria, including whether a program or 

14 project provides— 

15 ‘‘(i) the ability to achieve strategic 

16 and measurable environmental outcomes 

17 that implement the Great Lakes Action 

18 Plan and the Great Lakes Water Quality 

19 Agreement; 

20 ‘‘(ii) the feasibility of— 

21 ‘‘(I) prompt implementation; 

22 ‘‘(II) timely achievement of re23 sults; and 

24 ‘‘(III) resource leveraging; and 


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1 ‘‘(iii) the opportunity to improve 

2 interagency and inter-organizational co3 ordination and collaboration to reduce du4 plication and streamline efforts. 

5 ‘‘(D) IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS.— 

6 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Funds made avail7 able to carry out the Initiative shall be 

8 used to strategically implement— 

9 ‘‘(I) Federal projects; and 

10 ‘‘(II) projects carried out in co11 ordination with States, Indian tribes, 

12 municipalities, institutions of higher 

13 education, and other organizations. 

14 ‘‘(ii) TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—With 

15 amounts made available for the Initiative 

16 each fiscal year, the Administrator may— 

17 ‘‘(I) transfer not more than 

18 $300,000,000 to the head of any Fed19 eral department or agency, with the 

20 concurrence of the department or 

21 agency head, to carry out activities to 

22 support the Initiative and the Great 

23 Lakes Water Quality Agreement; and 

24 ‘‘(II) enter into an interagency 

25 agreement with the head of any FedVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:35 Feb 24, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S1024.RS S1024

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1 eral department or agency to carry 

2 out activities described in subclause 

3 (I). 

4 ‘‘(E) SCOPE.— 

5 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Projects shall be 

6 carried out under the Initiative on multiple 

7 levels, including— 

8 ‘‘(I) Great Lakes-wide; and 

9 ‘‘(II) Great Lakes basin-wide. 

10 ‘‘(ii) LIMITATION.—No funds made 

11 available to carry out the Initiative may be 

12 used for any water infrastructure activity 

13 (other than a green infrastructure project 

14 that improves habitat and other ecosystem 

15 functions in the Great Lakes) for which 

16 amounts are made available from— 

17 ‘‘(I) a State water pollution con18 trol revolving fund established under 

19 title VI; or 

20 ‘‘(II) a State drinking water re21 volving loan fund established under 

22 section 1452 of the Safe Drinking 

23 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12). 

24 ‘‘(F) ACTIVITIES BY OTHER FEDERAL

25 AGENCIES.—Each relevant Federal department 


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1 or agency shall, to the maximum extent prac2 ticable— 

3 ‘‘(i) maintain the base level of funding 

4 for the Great Lakes activities of that de5 partment or agency without regard to 

6 funding under the Initiative; and 

7 ‘‘(ii) identify new activities and 

8 projects to support the environmental goals 

9 of the Initiative. 

10 ‘‘(G) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be 

11 appropriated to carry out the Initiative 

12 $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 

13 through 2020.’’. 

14 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

15 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Lakes Restoration 

16 Initiative Act of 2016’’. 

17 SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE. 

18 Section 118(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

19 Act (33 U.S.C. 1268(c)) is amended by striking paragraph 

20 (7) and inserting the following: 

21 ‘‘(7) GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE.— 

22 ‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is estab23 lished in the Agency a Great Lakes Restoration 

24 Initiative (referred to in this paragraph as the 


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1 ‘Initiative’) to carry out programs and projects 

2 for Great Lakes protection and restoration. 

3 ‘‘(B) FOCUS AREAS.—Each fiscal year 

4 under a 5-year Initiative Action Plan, the Ini5 tiative shall prioritize programs and projects, 

6 carried out in coordination with non-Federal 

7 partners, that address priority areas, such as— 

8 ‘‘(i) the remediation of toxic substances 

9 and areas of concern; 

10 ‘‘(ii) the prevention and control of 

11 invasive species and the impacts of invasive 

12 species; 

13 ‘‘(iii) the protection and restoration of 

14 nearshore health and the prevention and 

15 mitigation of nonpoint source pollution; 

16 ‘‘(iv) habitat and wildlife protection 

17 and restoration, including wetlands restora18 tion and preservation; and 

19 ‘‘(v) accountability, monitoring, eval20 uation, communication, and partnership 

21 activities. 

22 ‘‘(C) PROJECTS.—Under the Initiative, the 

23 Agency shall collaborate with Federal partners, 

24 including the Great Lakes Interagency Task 

25 Force, to select the best combination of programs 


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1 and projects for Great Lakes protection and res2 toration using appropriate principles and cri3 teria, including whether a program or project 

4 provides— 

5 ‘‘(i) the ability to achieve strategic and 

6 measurable environmental outcomes that 

7 implement the Great Lakes Action Plan and 

8 the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; 

9 ‘‘(ii) the feasibility of— 

10 ‘‘(I) prompt implementation; 

11 ‘‘(II) timely achievement of re12 sults; and 

13 ‘‘(III) resource leveraging; and 

14 ‘‘(iii) the opportunity to improve 

15 interagency and inter-organizational co16 ordination and collaboration to reduce du17 plication and streamline efforts. 

18 ‘‘(D) IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS.— 

19 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara20 graph (G)(ii), funds made available to 

21 carry out the Initiative shall be used to 

22 strategically implement— 

23 ‘‘(I) Federal projects; and 

24 ‘‘(II) projects carried out in co25 ordination with States, Indian tribes, 


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1 municipalities, institutions of higher 

2 education, and other organizations. 

3 ‘‘(ii) TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—With 

4 amounts made available for the Initiative 

5 each fiscal year, the Administrator may— 

6 ‘‘(I) transfer not more than 

7 $300,000,000 to the head of any Fed8 eral department or agency, with the 

9 concurrence of the department or agen10 cy head, to carry out activities to sup11 port the Initiative and the Great Lakes 

12 Water Quality Agreement; 

13 ‘‘(II) enter into an interagency 

14 agreement with the head of any Fed15 eral department or agency to carry out 

16 activities described in subclause (I); 

17 and 

18 ‘‘(III) make grants to govern19 mental entities, nonprofit organiza20 tions, institutions, and individuals for 

21 planning, research, monitoring, out22 reach, and implementation of projects 

23 in furtherance of the Initiative and the 

24 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. 

25 ‘‘(E) SCOPE.— 


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1 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Projects shall be 

2 carried out under the Initiative on multiple 

3 levels, including— 

4 ‘‘(I) Great Lakes-wide; and 

5 ‘‘(II) Great Lakes basin-wide. 

6 ‘‘(ii) LIMITATION.—No funds made 

7 available to carry out the Initiative may be 

8 used for any water infrastructure activity 

9 (other than a green infrastructure project 

10 that improves habitat and other ecosystem 

11 functions in the Great Lakes) for which 

12 amounts are made available from— 

13 ‘‘(I) a State water pollution con14 trol revolving fund established under 

15 title VI; or 

16 ‘‘(II) a State drinking water re17 volving loan fund established under 

18 section 1452 of the Safe Drinking 

19 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12). 

20 ‘‘(F) ACTIVITIES BY OTHER FEDERAL AGEN21 CIES.—Each relevant Federal department or 

22 agency shall, to the maximum extent prac23 ticable— 

24 ‘‘(i) maintain the base level of funding 

25 for the Great Lakes activities of that departVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:35 Feb 24, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S1024.RS S1024

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1 ment or agency without regard to funding 

2 under the Initiative; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) identify new activities and 

4 projects to support the environmental goals 

5 of the Initiative and the Great Lakes Water 

6 Quality Agreement. 

7 ‘‘(G) FUNDING.— 

8 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized 

9 to be appropriated to carry out this para10 graph $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

11 2017 through 2021. 

12 ‘‘(ii) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this 

13 paragraph creates, expands, or amends the 

14 authority of the Administrator to imple15 ment programs or projects under— 

16 ‘‘(I) this section; 

17 ‘‘(II) the Initiative Action Plan; 

18 or 

19 ‘‘(III) the Great Lakes Water 

20 Quality Agreement.’’. 


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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 


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