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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1935 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>

                                                       Calendar No. 508
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1935

                          [Report No. 114-272]

To require the Secretary of Commerce to undertake certain activities to 
      support waterfront community revitalization and resiliency.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 4, 2015

  Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Mr. King, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Peters, and Mr. 
    Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                              June 8, 2016

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to undertake certain activities to 
      support waterfront community revitalization and resiliency.

    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 ``Waterfront Community 
Revitalization and Resiliency Act of 2015''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) many communities in the United States were 
        developed along waterfronts;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) water proximity and access is a recognized 
        economic driver;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) water shortages faced by parts of the United 
        States underscore the need to manage water sustainably and 
        restore water quality;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) interest in waterfront revitalization and 
        development has grown, while the circumstances driving 
        waterfront development have changed;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) waterfront communities face challenges to 
        revitalizing and leveraging water resources, such as outdated 
        development patterns, deteriorated water infrastructure, 
        industrial contamination of soil and sediment, and lack of 
        public access to the waterfront, which are often compounded by 
        overarching economic distress in the community;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) public investment in waterfront community 
        development and infrastructure should reflect changing 
        ecosystem conditions and extreme weather projections to ensure 
        strategic, resilient investments;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) individual communities have unique priorities, 
        concerns, and opportunities related to waterfront restoration 
        and community revitalization; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) the Secretary of Commerce has unique expertise 
        in Great Lakes and ocean coastal resiliency and economic 
        development.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Resilient waterfront community.--The term 
        ``resilient waterfront community'' means a unit of local 
        government or Indian tribe that is--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A)(i) bound in part by--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (I) the Great Lakes; or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (II) the ocean; or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (ii) bordered or traversed by a riverfront 
                or an inland lake;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) self-nominated as a resilient 
                waterfront community; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) designated by the Secretary as a 
                resilient waterfront community on the basis of the 
                development by the community of an eligible resilient 
                waterfront community plan, with eligibility determined 
                by the Secretary after considering the requirements of 
                subsections (b) and (c) of section 4.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
        Secretary of Commerce.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. RESILIENT WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES 
              DESIGNATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Designation.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary shall designate resilient waterfront communities 
        based on the extent to which a community meets the criteria 
        described in subsection (b).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Collaboration.--For inland lake and riverfront 
        communities, in making the designation described in paragraph 
        (1) and promulgating criteria and best practices, the Secretary 
        shall work with the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency and the heads of other Federal agencies, as 
        the Secretary determines to be necessary to provide comparable 
        services to waterfront communities not located on Great Lakes 
        or ocean coasts.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Resilient Waterfront Community Plan.--A resilient 
waterfront community plan is a community-driven vision and plan that is 
developed--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) voluntarily at the discretion of the 
        community--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to respond to local needs; 
                or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to take advantage of new water-
                oriented opportunities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) with the leadership of the relevant 
        governmental entity or Indian tribe with the active 
        participation of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) community residents;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) utilities; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) interested business and 
                nongovernmental stakeholders;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) as a new document or by amending or compiling 
        community planning documents, as necessary, at the discretion 
        of the Secretary;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) in consideration of with all applicable State 
        and Federal coastal zone management planning 
        requirements;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) to address economic competitive strengths; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) to complement and incorporate the objectives 
        and recommendations of applicable regional economic 
        plans.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Components of a Resilient Waterfront Community Plan.--
A resilient waterfront community plan shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) consider all, or a portion of, the waterfront 
        area and adjacent land and water to which the waterfront is 
        connected ecologically, economically, or through local 
        governmental or tribal boundaries; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) describe a vision and plan for the community 
        to develop as a vital and resilient waterfront community, 
        integrating consideration of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the economic opportunities resulting 
                from water proximity and access, including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) water-dependent 
                        industries;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) water-oriented commerce; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) recreation and 
                        tourism;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the community relationship to the 
                water, including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) quality of life;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) public health;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) community heritage; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) public access, particularly 
                        in areas in which publicly funded ecosystem 
                        restoration is underway;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) ecosystem challenges and projections, 
                including unresolved and emerging impacts to the health 
                and safety of the waterfront and projections for 
                extreme weather and water conditions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) infrastructure needs and 
                opportunities, to facilitate strategic and sustainable 
                capital investments in--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) docks, piers, and harbor 
                        facilities;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) protection against storm 
                        surges, waves, and flooding;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) stormwater, sanitary sewer, 
                        and drinking water systems, including green 
                        infrastructure and opportunities to control 
                        nonpoint source runoff; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) other community facilities 
                        and private development; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) such other factors as are determined 
                by the Secretary to align with metrics or indicators 
                for resiliency, considering environmental and economic 
                changes.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Duration.--After the designation of a community as a 
resilient waterfront community under subsection (a), a resilient 
waterfront community plan developed in accordance with subsections (b) 
and (c) shall be--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) effective for the 10-year period beginning on 
        the date on which the Secretary approves the resilient 
        waterfront community plan; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) updated by the resilient waterfront community 
        and submitted to the Secretary for the approval of the 
        Secretary before the expiration of the 10-year 
        period.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. RESILIENT WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES NETWORK.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall develop a resilient 
waterfront communities network to facilitate the sharing of best 
practices and technical assistance among waterfront 
communities.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Public Recognition.--In consultation with designated 
resilient waterfront communities, the Secretary shall provide formal 
public recognition of the designated resilient waterfront communities 
to promote tourism, investment, or other benefits.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. WATERFRONT COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION GRANT 
              PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish within the 
Department of Commerce a program under which the Secretary shall 
provide planning and implementation grants that leverage other sources 
of public and private investment to assist with the following eligible 
activities:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The development of resilient waterfront 
        community plans, including such costs as planning and 
        feasibility analysis.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Implementation of strategic components of a 
        resilient waterfront community plan, once a plan has been 
        approved by the Secretary.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Eligible Applicants.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Lead applicants.--A unit of local government 
        or an Indian tribe shall be eligible to apply as a lead 
        applicant for a grant under subsection (a) if the unit of local 
        government or Indian tribe is--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) bound in part by--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the Great Lakes; or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) the ocean; or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) bordered or traversed by a riverfront 
                or an inland lake.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Subawards.--Subject to subsection (d)(3), a 
        lead applicant may provide a subaward to an eligible subawardee 
        for implementation activities described in subsection 
        (d)(2).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Use of Planning Funds.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Planning funds received through a 
        grant under subsection (a) shall be used to develop a resilient 
        waterfront community plan.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Eligible planning activities.--In developing a 
        resilient waterfront community plan using amounts made 
        available under subsection (a), a resilient waterfront 
        community may--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) conduct community visioning and 
                outreach;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) identify challenges and 
                opportunities;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) develop strategies and 
                solutions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) prepare plan materials, including 
                text, maps, design, and preliminary 
                engineering;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) collaborate across local agencies and 
                work with regional, State, and Federal agencies to 
                identify, understand, and develop responses to changing 
                ecosystem and economic circumstances; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) conduct other planning activities that 
                the Secretary considers necessary for the development 
                of a resilient waterfront community plan that responds 
                to revitalization and resiliency issues confronted by 
                the resilient waterfront community.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Use of Implementation Funds.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Implementation funds received 
        through a grant under subsection (a)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) shall be used to initiate 
                implementation of a resilient waterfront community plan 
                and facilitate high-quality development, including 
                leveraging local and private sector investment; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) may be used on 1 or more eligible 
                activities to address strategic community priorities 
                that are identified in the resilient waterfront 
                community plan.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Eligible implementation activities.--Grant 
        funds may be used flexibly across 1 or more eligible 
        implementation costs, such as--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) site preparation;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) environmental review;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) engineering and design;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) acquiring easements or land for uses 
                such as green infrastructure, public amenities, or 
                assembling development sites;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) updates to zoning codes;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) construction of--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) public waterfront or boating 
                        amenities; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) public spaces;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) infrastructure upgrades to improve 
                coastal resiliency;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) economic and community development 
                marketing and outreach; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (I) other activities at the discretion of 
                the Secretary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Implementation subawards.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--To assist in implementing 
                eligible implementation activities, a lead applicant 
                may grant subawards from implementation funds to 
                eligible subawardees, including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) a nonprofit 
                        organization;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) a public utility;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) a private entity;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) an institution of higher 
                        education;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) a State government; 
                        or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vi) a regional 
                        organization.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Lead applicant responsibility.--The 
                lead applicant shall ensure that grant funds, including 
                funds awarded as a subaward, are used for the purposes 
                of, and in a manner consistent with, the waterfront 
                community revitalization grant program.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Specifications on Use of Grant Funds.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--A grant made under this section 
        shall be not less than $50,000 or more than 
        $1,000,000.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Limitations on use.--In accordance with the 
        grant agreement, a resilient waterfront community shall spend 
        no more than $200,000 of any grant awarded under this section 
        on planning activities, with remaining grant award balances 
        reserved for implementation activities after the approval of 
        the Secretary of an approved resilient waterfront community 
        plan.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Matching funds.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--A resilient waterfront 
                community receiving a grant under this section shall 
                provide non-Federal matching funds toward completion of 
                an eligible project in an amount equal to not less than 
                25 percent of the grant amount.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Non-federal match.--Non-Federal 
                matching funds may be provided by--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) 1 or more units of local or 
                        tribal government;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) a State government;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) a nonprofit 
                        organization;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) a private entity;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) a foundation;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vi) a public utility; 
                        or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vii) a regional 
                        organization.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) In-kind match.--The Secretary shall 
                treat as non-Federal matching funds the value of in-
                kind contributions of land or easements held in 
                perpetuity by the resilient waterfront 
                community.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Funding periods.--In establishing obligation 
        and expenditure periods for grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall provide grant periods that enable funds to be 
        used strategically to match private or public sector 
        investments in planning and implementation.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. INTERAGENCY AWARENESS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Interagency Awareness.--At regular intervals, the 
Secretary shall provide a list of resilient waterfront communities to 
the applicable States and the heads of national and regional offices of 
interested Federal agencies, including at a minimum--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Secretary of Transportation;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Secretary of Agriculture;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil 
        Works;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the Secretary of the Interior; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Interagency Coordination.--To encourage consideration 
of opportunities for synergistic projects and timelines, the Secretary 
shall coordinate awareness of designated resilient waterfront 
communities among managers of relevant Federal grant and loan programs 
that fund projects or infrastructure that are addressed in a resilient 
waterfront community plan.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 8. PREFERENTIAL GRANT STATUS FOR FEDERAL 
              FUNDING.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Department of Commerce Grant and Loan Programs.--The 
Secretary shall provide to designated resilient waterfront communities 
preferential status in select grant and loan programs of the Department 
of Commerce, including--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Economic Development Administration; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) other relevant entities under the authority of 
        the Secretary.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Other Grant and Loan Programs.--Considering the 
integration in resilient waterfront community plans of myriad 
components and project types traditionally funded through separate 
agencies and departments and the opportunity that resilient waterfront 
communities present for resilient long-term investment, the heads of 
other interested Federal agencies and departments, including the agency 
heads described in section 7(a), are encouraged to provide designated 
resilient waterfront communities with preferential status in grant and 
loan programs.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to 
carry out this Act $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 
2020, to remain available until expended.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Waterfront Community Revitalization 
and Resiliency Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) many communities in the United States were developed 
        along waterfronts;
            (2) water proximity and access is a recognized economic 
        driver;
            (3) water shortages faced by parts of the United States 
        underscore the need to manage water sustainably and restore 
        water quality;
            (4) interest in waterfront revitalization and development 
        has grown, while the circumstances driving waterfront 
        development have changed;
            (5) waterfront communities face challenges to revitalizing 
        and leveraging water resources, such as outdated development 
        patterns, deteriorated water infrastructure, industrial 
        contamination of soil and sediment, and lack of public access 
        to the waterfront, which are often compounded by overarching 
        economic distress in the community;
            (6) public investment in waterfront community development 
        and infrastructure should reflect changing ecosystem conditions 
        and extreme weather projections to ensure strategic, resilient 
        investments;
            (7) individual communities have unique priorities, 
        concerns, and opportunities related to waterfront restoration 
        and community revitalization; and
            (8) the Secretary of Commerce has unique expertise in Great 
        Lakes and ocean coastal resiliency and economic development.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
            (2) Resilient waterfront community.--The term ``resilient 
        waterfront community'' means a unit of local government or 
        Indian tribe that is--
                    (A)(i) bound in part by--
                            (I) the Great Lakes; or
                            (II) the ocean; or
                    (ii) bordered or traversed by a riverfront or an 
                inland lake;
                    (B) self-nominated as a resilient waterfront 
                community; and
                    (C) designated by the Secretary as a resilient 
                waterfront community on the basis of the development by 
                the community of an eligible resilient waterfront 
                community plan, with eligibility determined by the 
                Secretary after considering the requirements of 
                subsections (b) and (c) of section 4.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.

SEC. 4. RESILIENT WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES DESIGNATION.

    (a) Designation.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
        shall designate resilient waterfront communities based on the 
        extent to which a community meets the criteria described in 
        subsection (b).
            (2) Collaboration.--For inland lake and riverfront 
        communities, in making the designation described in paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall work with the Administrator of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency and the heads of other Federal 
        agencies, as the Secretary determines to be necessary.
    (b) Resilient Waterfront Community Plan.--A resilient waterfront 
community plan is a community-driven vision and plan that is 
developed--
            (1) voluntarily at the discretion of the community--
                    (A) to respond to local needs; or
                    (B) to take advantage of new water-oriented 
                opportunities;
            (2) with the leadership of the relevant governmental entity 
        or Indian tribe with the active participation of--
                    (A) community residents;
                    (B) utilities; and
                    (C) interested business and nongovernmental 
                stakeholders;
            (3) as a new document or by amending or compiling community 
        planning documents, as necessary, at the discretion of the 
        Secretary;
            (4) in consideration of all applicable State and Federal 
        coastal zone management planning requirements;
            (5) to address economic competitive strengths; and
            (6) to complement and incorporate the objectives and 
        recommendations of applicable regional economic plans.
    (c) Components of a Resilient Waterfront Community Plan.--A 
resilient waterfront community plan shall--
            (1) consider all, or a portion of, the waterfront area and 
        adjacent land and water to which the waterfront is connected 
        ecologically, economically, or through local governmental or 
        tribal boundaries;
            (2) describe a vision and plan for the community to develop 
        as a vital and resilient waterfront community, integrating 
        consideration of--
                    (A) the economic opportunities resulting from water 
                proximity and access, including--
                            (i) water-dependent industries;
                            (ii) water-oriented commerce; and
                            (iii) recreation and tourism;
                    (B) the community relationship to the water, 
                including--
                            (i) quality of life;
                            (ii) public health;
                            (iii) community heritage; and
                            (iv) public access, particularly in areas 
                        in which publicly funded ecosystem restoration 
                        is underway;
                    (C) ecosystem challenges and projections, including 
                unresolved and emerging impacts to the health and 
                safety of the waterfront and projections for extreme 
                weather and water conditions;
                    (D) infrastructure needs and opportunities, to 
                facilitate strategic and sustainable capital 
                investments in--
                            (i) docks, piers, and harbor facilities;
                            (ii) protection against storm surges, 
                        waves, and flooding;
                            (iii) stormwater, sanitary sewer, and 
                        drinking water systems, including green 
                        infrastructure and opportunities to control 
                        nonpoint source runoff; and
                            (iv) other community facilities and private 
                        development; and
                    (E) such other factors as are determined by the 
                Secretary to align with metrics or indicators for 
                resiliency, considering environmental and economic 
                changes.
    (d) Duration.--After the designation of a community as a resilient 
waterfront community under subsection (a), a resilient waterfront 
community plan developed in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) may 
be--
            (1) effective for the 10-year period beginning on the date 
        on which the Secretary approves the resilient waterfront 
        community plan; and
            (2) updated by the resilient waterfront community and 
        submitted to the Secretary for the approval of the Secretary 
        before the expiration of the 10-year period.

SEC. 5. RESILIENT WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES NETWORK.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall develop and maintain a 
resilient waterfront communities network to facilitate the sharing of 
best practices among waterfront communities.
    (b) Public Recognition.--In consultation with designated resilient 
waterfront communities, the Secretary shall provide formal public 
recognition of the designated resilient waterfront communities to 
promote tourism, investment, or other benefits.

SEC. 6. WATERFRONT COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--To support a community in leveraging other sources 
of public and private investment, the Secretary may use existing 
authority to support--
            (1) the development of a resilient waterfront community 
        plan, including planning and feasibility analysis; and
            (2) the implementation of strategic components of a 
        resilient waterfront community plan after the resilient 
        waterfront community plan has been approved by the Secretary.
    (b) Non-Federal Partners.--
            (1) Lead non-federal partners.--A unit of local government 
        or an Indian tribe shall be eligible to be considered as a lead 
        non-Federal partner if the unit of local government or Indian 
        tribe is--
                    (A) bound in part by--
                            (i) the Great Lakes; or
                            (ii) the ocean; or
                    (B) bordered or traversed by a riverfront or an 
                inland lake.
            (2) Non-federal implementation partners.--Subject to 
        subsection (d)(3), a lead non-Federal partner may contract with 
        an eligible non-Federal implementation partner for 
        implementation activities described in subsection (d)(2).
    (c) Planning Activities.--
            (1) In general.--Technical assistance may be provided for 
        the development of a resilient waterfront community plan.
            (2) Eligible planning activities.--In developing a 
        resilient waterfront community plan, a resilient waterfront 
        community may--
                    (A) conduct community visioning and outreach;
                    (B) identify challenges and opportunities;
                    (C) develop strategies and solutions;
                    (D) prepare plan materials, including text, maps, 
                design, and preliminary engineering;
                    (E) collaborate across local agencies and work with 
                regional, State, and Federal agencies to identify, 
                understand, and develop responses to changing ecosystem 
                and economic circumstances; and
                    (F) conduct other planning activities that the 
                Secretary considers necessary for the development of a 
                resilient waterfront community plan that responds to 
                revitalization and resiliency issues confronted by the 
                resilient waterfront community.
    (d) Implementation Activities.--
            (1) In general.--Implementation assistance may be 
        provided--
                    (A) to initiate implementation of a resilient 
                waterfront community plan and facilitate high-quality 
                development, including leveraging local and private 
                sector investment; and
                    (B) to address strategic community priorities that 
                are identified in the resilient waterfront community 
                plan.
            (2) Assistance.--Assistance may be provided to advance 
        implementation activities, such as--
                    (A) site preparation;
                    (B) environmental review;
                    (C) engineering and design;
                    (D) acquiring easements or land for uses such as 
                green infrastructure, public amenities, or assembling 
                development sites;
                    (E) updates to zoning codes;
                    (F) construction of--
                            (i) public waterfront or boating amenities; 
                        and
                            (ii) public spaces;
                    (G) infrastructure upgrades to improve coastal 
                resiliency;
                    (H) economic and community development marketing 
                and outreach; and
                    (I) other activities at the discretion of the 
                Secretary.
            (3) Implementation partners.--
                    (A) In general.--To assist in the completion of 
                implementation activities, a lead non-Federal partner 
                may contract or otherwise collaborate with a non-
                Federal implementation partner, including--
                            (i) a nonprofit organization;
                            (ii) a public utility;
                            (iii) a private entity;
                            (iv) an institution of higher education;
                            (v) a State government; or
                            (vi) a regional organization.
                    (B) Lead non-federal partner responsibility.--The 
                lead non-Federal partner shall ensure that assistance 
                and resources received by the lead non-Federal partner 
                to advance the resilient waterfront community plan of 
                the lead non-Federal partner and for related activities 
                are used for the purposes of, and in a manner 
                consistent with, any initiative advanced by the 
                Secretary for the purpose of promoting waterfront 
                community revitalization and resiliency.
    (e) Use of Non-Federal Resources.--
            (1) In general.--A resilient waterfront community receiving 
        assistance under this section shall provide non-Federal funds 
        toward completion of planning or implementation activities.
            (2) Non-federal resources.--Non-Federal funds may be 
        provided by--
                    (A) 1 or more units of local or tribal government;
                    (B) a State government;
                    (C) a nonprofit organization;
                    (D) a private entity;
                    (E) a foundation;
                    (F) a public utility; or
                    (G) a regional organization.

SEC. 7. INTERAGENCY AWARENESS.

    At regular intervals, the Secretary shall provide a list of 
resilient waterfront communities to the applicable States and the heads 
of national and regional offices of interested Federal agencies, 
including at a minimum--
            (1) the Secretary of Transportation;
            (2) the Secretary of Agriculture;
            (3) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency;
            (4) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency;
            (5) the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
            (6) the Secretary of the Interior; and
            (7) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

SEC. 8. NO NEW REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

    Nothing in this Act may be construed as establishing new authority 
for any Federal agency.
                                                       Calendar No. 508

114th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1935

                          [Report No. 114-272]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To require the Secretary of Commerce to undertake certain activities to 
      support waterfront community revitalization and resiliency.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              June 8, 2016

                       Reported with an amendment
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