I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4225 

To authorize drought assistance adjustments to provide immediate funding 

for projects and activities that will help alleviate record unemployment 

and diminished agricultural production related to the drought in California. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 8, 2009 

Mr. COSTA (for himself and Mr. CARDOZA) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize drought assistance adjustments to provide immediate funding for projects and activities that will help 

alleviate record unemployment and diminished agricultural production related to the drought in California. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. DROUGHT ASSISTANCE AUTHORITY. 

4 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of the Interior 

5 may use funds provided by the American Recovery and 

6 Reinvestment Act of 2009 or appropriation measures 

7 through fiscal year 2012 for any required non-Federal 

8 share of the cost of projects that— 


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1 (1) are funded by the Federal Government for 

2 the same purpose; 

3 (2) are located in an area described in para4 graph (1) or (2) of subsection (b); and 

5 (3) have— 

6 (A) been identified as a project that will— 

7 (i) make progress towards achieving 

8 the co-equal goals of providing a more reli9 able water supply for California and pro10 tecting, restoring, and enhancing the Sac11 ramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem; 

12 (ii) increase water management flexi13 bility; or 

14 (iii) reduce impacts on environmental 

15 resources from projects operated by the 

16 California State Department of Water Re17 sources, the California State Department 

18 of Fish and Game, the Bureau of Reclama19 tion, the United States Fish and Wildlife 

20 Service, or other relevant State and Fed21 eral agencies; 

22 (B) show potential, as determined by rel23 evant Federal and State agencies, to restore ag24 riculture production or agricultural employment 


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1 for an area described in paragraph (1) or (2) 

2 of subsection (b); and 

3 (C) made significant progress in the com4 pletion of any necessary environmental or public 

5 review if applicable. 

6 (b) ELIGIBLE AREAS.—An area referred to in sub7 section (a)(2) is any area that— 

8 (1) has been identified by the U.S. Drought 

9 Monitor as experiencing Severe, Extreme, or Excep10 tional Drought within the 24 months prior to the 

11 date of the enactment of this Act; or 

12 (2) has been designated as a disaster area by 

13 the State of California during calendar year 2009. 

14 (c) DROUGHT ASSISTANCE ADJUSTMENT.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The use of funds for the 

16 non-Federal share of projects as authorized in this 

17 section shall be considered a Drought Assistance Ad18 justment. 

19 (2) CRITERIA FOR CALCULATING DROUGHT AS20 SISTANCE ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary shall, 

21 within 60 days after the date of the enactment of 

22 this Act, establish criteria for calculating drought 

23 assistance adjustments utilizing existing practices 


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1 for adjustments in water service and repayment 

2 rates. 

Æ 


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