I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8968 

To authorize the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to recommend certain projects in remote, coastal, and small watersheds, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 15, 2020 

Ms. GABBARD (for herself and Mr. YOUNG) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Army, acting through 

the Chief of Engineers, to recommend certain projects 

in remote, coastal, and small watersheds, 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 ‘‘Remote, Coastal, and 

5 Small Watersheds Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REMOTE, COASTAL, OR SMALL WATERSHEDS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—In conducting a study of hurri8 cane and storm damage reduction, the Secretary of the 


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1 Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, may rec2 ommend a project without the need to demonstrate that 

3 the project is justified solely by national economic develop4 ment benefits if the Secretary determines that— 

5 (1) the community to be served by the project 

6 has limited options for relocation or retreating from 

7 the flood plain or coastal flood zone; 

8 (2) the project would be located in the State of 

9 Hawaii or Alaska, the Commonwealth of Puerto 

10 Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern 

11 Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, 

12 or American Samoa; 

13 (3) the area cost factor is greater than 2.2, as 

14 determined by the Secretary; or 

15 (4) the long-term viability of the community in 

16 which the project is located, or of a community that 

17 is located in the region to be served by the project 

18 and that will rely on the project, would be threat19 ened without the hurricane and storm damage re20 duction project. 

21 (b) JUSTIFICATION.—In considering whether to rec22 ommend a project under subsection (a), the Secretary 

23 shall consider the benefits of the project to— 

24 (1) public health and safety of the local commu25 nity and communities that are located in the region 


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1 to be served by the project and that will rely on the 

2 project, including access to facilities designed to pro3 tect public health and safety; 

4 (2) hurricane and storm damage effects on local 

5 and regional economic opportunities; 

6 (3) welfare of the regional population to be 

7 served by the project; or 

8 (4) social and cultural value to the local com9 munity and communities that are located in the re10 gion to be served by the project and that will rely 

11 on the project. 

12 (c) PRIORITIZATION.—Projects recommended by the 

13 Secretary under subsection (a) shall be given equivalent 

14 budget consideration and priority as projects rec15 ommended solely by national economic development bene16 fits. 

17 (d) DISPOSITION.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may carry out 

19 any project identified in the study carried out pursu20 ant to subsection (a) in accordance with the criteria 

21 for projects carried out under the authority of the 

22 Secretary under section 205 of the River and Har23 bor Act of 1948 (33 U.S.C. 701s). 

24 (2) NON-FEDERAL INTERESTS.—In evaluating 

25 and implementing a project under this section, the 


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1 Secretary shall allow a non-Federal interest to par2 ticipate in the financing of a project in accordance 

3 with the criteria established for flood control 

4 projects under section 903(c) of the Water Re5 sources Development Act of 1986 (Public Law 99– 

6 662; 100 Stat. 4184). 

7 (e) ANNUAL REPORT.—For a project that cannot be 

8 carried out under the authority specified in subsection (d), 

9 on a determination by the Secretary of the feasibility of 

10 the project under subsection (a), the Secretary may in11 clude a recommendation concerning the project in the an12 nual report submitted to Congress under section 7001 of 

13 the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 

14 2014 (33 U.S.C. 2282d). 

Æ 


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