114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1523 

AN ACT 

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, 
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1 SECTION 1. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM REAUTHORIZA2 TION; COMPETITIVE AWARDS. 

3 Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

4 Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) is amended— 

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

6 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.—The 

21 Administrator shall select award recipients 

22 under this paragraph that, as determined by 

23 the Administrator, are best able to address ur24 gent and challenging issues that threaten the 

25 ecological and economic well-being of coastal 

26 areas, including— 
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1 ‘‘(i) extensive seagrass habitat losses 

2 resulting in significant impacts on fisheries 

3 and water quality; 

4 ‘‘(ii) recurring harmful algae blooms; 

5 ‘‘(iii) unusual marine mammal mor6 talities; 

7 ‘‘(iv) invasive exotic species that may 

8 threaten wastewater systems and cause 

9 other damage; 

10 ‘‘(v) jellyfish proliferation limiting 

11 community access to water during peak 

12 tourism seasons; 

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

14 sea level rise or wetland degradation or 

15 loss; and 

16 ‘‘(vii) low dissolved oxygen conditions 

17 in estuarine waters and related nutrient 

18 management.’’; and 

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

20 following: 

21 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

23 appropriated to the Administrator $26,000,000 for 

24 each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for— 
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1 ‘‘(A) making grants and awards under 

2 subsection (g); and 

3 ‘‘(B) expenses relating to the administra4 tion of grants or awards by the Administrator 

5 under this section, including the award and 

6 oversight of grants and awards, subject to the 

7 condition that such expenses may not exceed 5 

8 percent of the amount appropriated under this 

9 subsection for a fiscal year. 

10 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATIONS.— 

11 ‘‘(A) CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

12 PLANS.—Not less than 80 percent of the 

13 amount made available under this subsection 

14 for a fiscal year shall be used by the Adminis15 trator for the development, implementation, and 

16 monitoring of each conservation and manage17 ment plan eligible for grant assistance under 

18 subsection (g)(2). 

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

20 than 15 percent of the amount made available 

21 under this subsection for a fiscal year shall be 
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1 used by the Administrator for making competi2 tive awards under subsection (g)(4).’’. 

Passed the Senate August 5, 2015. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1523 

AN ACT 

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

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