II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1523 

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the 

National Estuary Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 8, 2015 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself and Mr. VITTER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL 

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 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. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM REAUTHORIZA4 TION; COMPETITIVE AWARDS. 

5 Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

6 Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the 

8 following: 

9 ‘‘(4) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.— 


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

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

3 Administrator shall make competitive awards 

4 under this paragraph. 

5 ‘‘(B) APPLICATION FOR AWARDS.—The 

6 Administrator shall solicit applications for 

7 awards under this paragraph from State, inter8 state, and regional water pollution control agen9 cies and entities, State coastal zone manage10 ment agencies, interstate agencies, other public 

11 or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, orga12 nizations, and individuals. 

13 ‘‘(C) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—The 

14 Administrator shall select award recipients 

15 under this paragraph that, as determined by 

16 the Administrator, are best able to address ur17 gent and challenging issues that threaten the 

18 ecological and economic well-being of coastal 

19 areas, including— 

20 ‘‘(i) extensive seagrass habitat losses 

21 resulting in significant impacts on fisheries 

22 and water quality; 

23 ‘‘(ii) recurring harmful algae blooms; 

24 ‘‘(iii) unusual marine mammal mor25 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.’’; and 

13 (2) by striking subsection (i) and inserting the 

14 following: 

15 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

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

18 each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for— 

19 ‘‘(A) making grants and awards under 

20 subsection (g); and 

21 ‘‘(B) 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, subject to the 

25 condition that such expenses may not exceed 5 


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1 percent of the amount appropriated under this 

2 subsection for a fiscal year. 

3 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATIONS.— 

4 ‘‘(A) CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

5 PLANS.—Not less than 80 percent of the 

6 amount made available under this subsection 

7 for a fiscal year shall be used by the Adminis8 trator for the development, implementation, and 

9 monitoring of each conservation and manage10 ment plan eligible for grant assistance under 

11 subsection (g)(2). 

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

13 than 15 percent of the amount made available 

14 under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be 

15 used by the Administrator for making competi16 tive awards under subsection (g)(4).’’. 

Æ 


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