I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2085 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into negotiations with interested local water and power providers for the transfer of ownership, 

control, and operation of the New Melones Unit, Central Valley Project, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 2015 

Mr. DENHAM (for himself, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, and Mr. NUNES) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into negotiations with interested local water and power providers 

for the transfer of ownership, control, and operation 

of the New Melones Unit, Central Valley Project, 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. TRANSFER THE NEW MELONES UNIT, CENTRAL 

4 VALLEY PROJECT TO INTERESTED PRO5 VIDERS. 

6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this Act, the 

7 following terms apply: 


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1 (1) INTERESTED LOCAL WATER AND POWER

2 PROVIDERS.—The term ‘‘interested local water and 

3 power providers’’ includes the Calaveras County 

4 Water District, Central San Joaquin Water Con5 servation District, Modesto Irrigation District, 

6 Oakdale Irrigation District, Stockton East Water 

7 District, South San Joaquin Irrigation District, 

8 Tuolumne Utilities District, Turlock Irrigation Dis9 trict, and Union Public Utilities District. 

10 (2) NEW MENLONES UNIT, CENTRAL VALLEY

11 PROJECT.—The term ‘‘New Melones Unit, Central 

12 Valley Project’’ means all Federal reclamation 

13 projects located within or diverting water from or to 

14 the watershed of the Stanislaus and San Joaquin 

15 rivers and their tributaries as authorized by the Act 

16 of August 26, 1937 (50 Stat. 850), and all Acts 

17 amendatory or supplemental thereto, including the 

18 Act of October 23, 1962 (76 Stat. 1173). 

19 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of the Interior. 

21 (b) NEGOTIATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other pro22 vision of law, the Secretary shall enter into negotiations 

23 with interested local water and power providers for the 

24 transfer ownership, control, and operation of the New 


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1 Melones Unit, Central Valley Project to interested local 

2 water and power providers within the State of California. 

3 (c) TRANSFER.—The Secretary shall transfer the 

4 New Melones Unit, Central Valley Project in accordance 

5 with an agreement reached pursuant to negotiations con6 ducted under subsection (b). 

7 SEC. 2. REPORT. 

8 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact9 ment of this Act, and every 6 months thereafter, the Sec10 retary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Re11 sources of the House of Representatives and the Com12 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

13 a report that describes, in detail— 

14 (1) if an agreement is reached pursuant to ne15 gotiations conducted under section 1(b), the terms of 

16 that agreement; 

17 (2) the status of formal discussions with inter18 ested local water and power providers for the trans19 fer of ownership, control, and operation of the New 

20 Melones Unit, Central Valley Project to interested 

21 local water and power providers; 

22 (3) all unresolved issues regarding the negotia23 tions of an agreement for the transfer of ownership, 

24 control, and operation of the New Melones Unit, 

25 Central Valley Project; 


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1 (4) an analysis and review of studies, reports, 

2 discussions, hearing transcripts, negotiations, and 

3 other information about past and present formal dis4 cussions that— 

5 (A) have an impact on the progress of the 

6 formal discussions; 

7 (B) explain or provide information about 

8 the issues that prevent progress or finalization 

9 of formal discussions; or 

10 (C) are, in whole or in part, preventing 

11 execution of an agreement for the transfer; and 

12 (5) any actions the Secretary recommends that 

13 the United States should take to finalize an agree14 ment for that transfer. 

Æ 


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