I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2247 

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance 

for programs and activities to protect the water quality of Puget Sound, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2019 

Mr. HECK (for himself and Mr. KILMER) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance for programs and activities to protect 

the water quality of Puget Sound, 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 ‘‘Promoting United Gov5 ernment Efforts To Save Our Sound Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘PUGET SOS Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Puget Sound and its tributary waters are 

2 one of the most ecologically diverse ecosystems in 

3 North America with natural resources that have eco4 logical, economic, and cultural importance to the 

5 United States and the many Tribal nations that 

6 have stewarded it for millennia. The health and pro7 ductivity of Puget Sound is not only the cornerstone 

8 of the region’s quality of life and vibrant economy, 

9 but its word-class salmon fishery, commercial aqua10 culture, agriculture, and port activities ripple 

11 throughout the Nation. 

12 (2) Threats to Puget Sound, such as water pol13 lution, sediment contamination, environmental deg14 radation, and habitat loss, jeopardize the economic 

15 productivity and natural resources that support the 

16 increasing population of the region. 

17 (3) For nearly a decade, State, local, and Tribal 

18 governments, cooperative partnerships, and con19 cerned citizens have worked together in a deliberate 

20 and coordinated way to direct and manage public re21 source allocation toward habitat restoration, improv22 ing water quality and shellfish farms, and developing 

23 a body of scientific knowledge, all of which have ad24 vanced the Puget Sound recovery efforts. 


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1 (4) Tribal governments with treaty-reserved 

2 rights in the natural resources of Puget Sound have 

3 long served as co-managers of fishery resources, 

4 have engaged in Puget Sound Partnership processes 

5 and public forums to encourage a holistic and sci6 entific approach to recovery efforts, and have contin7 ued in their role as stewards of Puget Sound, includ8 ing by engaging with multi-faceted restoration and 

9 protection actions, and are thus an indispensable, 

10 equal partner in all Puget Sound recovery actions. 

11 (5) Despite significant and nationally recog12 nized accomplishments, the rate of damage to Puget 

13 Sound still exceeds the rate of recovery. To outpace 

14 mounting pollutants and other cascading negative 

15 impacts, the next step in fortifying the recovery sys16 tem is to align Federal recovery and protection ef17 forts seamlessly with State, local, and Tribal invest18 ments. 

19 (6) At this time, water and air pollution, sedi20 ment contamination, habitat loss and decline, and 

21 water flow disruption continue to devastate the fish, 

22 marine mammal, bird, and shellfish populations of 

23 Puget Sound, threatening local economies and Tribal 

24 treaty rights and contributing to— 


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1 (A) significant declines in the populations 

2 of wild Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Summer 

3 Chum Salmon, Steelhead, and Pacific Herring, 

4 which are essential food sources for humans, 

5 fish, seabirds, mammals, and other wildlife; 

6 (B) risks to the sustainability of fish and 

7 shellfish populations, and their food chains, re8 productive cycles, and habitats, which also 

9 threaten Federal obligations to protect Tribal 

10 resources culture, traditions, and economies; 

11 (C) 113 marine species being listed at risk 

12 or vulnerable to extinction, according to State, 

13 Federal, and provincial lists that identify the 

14 species of Puget Sound and surrounding areas, 

15 including the iconic population of southern resi16 dent Orca whales; 

17 (D) sediment contaminated with toxic sub18 stances (such as polychlorinated biphenyls 

19 (PCBs), heavy metals (mercury), and oil 

20 (grease)), all of which are polluting Puget 

21 Sound, threatening public health, and posing 

22 significant dangers to humans, fish, and wild23 life; 

24 (E) rivers and beaches that fail to meet 

25 water quality standards and become unsafe for 


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1 salmon, as well as business and recreational ac2 tivities, such as fishing and swimming; 

3 (F) the closing of shellfish beds from con4 taminated pollution caused by sources such as 

5 stormwater and agricultural runoff; and 

6 (G) mortalities and morbidity in shellfish 

7 due to the acidification of Puget Sound. 

8 SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF POLICY; PURPOSE. 

9 (a) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

10 United States that the Federal Government should sup11 port, partner, and collaborate with the regional efforts 

12 that are addressing environmental and natural resource 

13 issues involving Puget Sound because— 

14 (1) Puget Sound is a national treasure, the re15 covery and protection of which will significantly con16 tribute to the environmental, cultural, and economic 

17 well-being of the United States and the many Tribal 

18 nations that have stewarded it for millennia; 

19 (2) a more deliberate coordination of Federal 

20 investments with regional, local, and Tribal recovery 

21 and preservation efforts will be the most effective 

22 and efficient use of public resources; and 

23 (3) it is the role of the Federal Government to 

24 align its efforts and resources to— 


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1 (A) fully implement and enforce the goals 

2 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, in3 cluding State implementation of non-point 

4 source water quality standards for salmon, the 

5 Endangered Species Act of 1973, and all other 

6 Federal laws that contribute to the recovery 

7 and protection of Puget Sound; 

8 (B) uphold Federal trust responsibilities to 

9 restore and protect resources crucial to Tribal 

10 treaty rights, including by carrying out govern11 ment-to-government consultation; 

12 (C) support regional, local, and Tribal ef13 forts to address environmental challenges; and 

14 (D) encourage local citizen and community 

15 stewardship. 

16 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to ensure 

17 that the recovery and protection programs, projects, and 

18 initiatives that the Federal Government undertakes in, or 

19 that otherwise impact, Puget Sound shall be actively co20 ordinated and aligned with the protection of Tribal treaty 

21 rights and resources the Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, 

22 Salmon Recovery Plans, the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution 

23 Control Program, and the Puget Sound Action Agenda. 


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1 SEC. 4. PUGET SOUND COORDINATED RECOVERY. 

2 Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

3 (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

4 the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 124. PUGET SOUND. 

6 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 

7 definitions apply: 

8 ‘‘(1) COASTAL NONPOINT POLLUTION CONTROL

9 PROGRAM.—The term ‘Coastal Nonpoint Pollution 

10 Control Program’ means the State of Washington’s 

11 federally approved coastal nonpoint pollution control 

12 program required under section 6217(b) of the 

13 Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 

14 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1455(b)). 

15 ‘‘(2) CO-CHAIRS.—The term ‘Co-Chairs’ means 

16 the co-chairs of the Task Force. 

17 ‘‘(3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means 

18 the Director of the Program Office. 

19 ‘‘(4) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Execu20 tive Director’ means the Executive Director of the 

21 Puget Sound Partnership. 

22 ‘‘(5) INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION.—The 

23 term ‘International Joint Commission’ means the 

24 International Joint Commission established by the 

25 United States and Canada under the Boundary 

26 Waters Treaty of 1909. 


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1 ‘‘(6) PACIFIC SALMON COMMISSION.—The term 

2 ‘Pacific Salmon Commission’ means the Pacific 

3 Salmon Commission established by the United 

4 States and Canada under the Pacific Salmon Trea5 ty. 

6 ‘‘(7) PROGRAM OFFICE.—The term ‘Program 

7 Office’ means the Puget Sound Recovery National 

8 Program Office of the Environmental Protection 

9 Agency established by this section. 

10 ‘‘(8) PUGET SOUND.—The term ‘Puget Sound’ 

11 means the estuary that is an arm of the Pacific 

12 Ocean, extends inland, and meets 19 different river 

13 basins. 

14 ‘‘(9) PUGET SOUND REGION.—The term ‘Puget 

15 Sound region’ includes all of the water that falls on 

16 the Olympic and Cascade Mountains and flows to 

17 meet Puget Sound’s marine waters. The Puget 

18 Sound region covers the land and waters in the 

19 northwest corner of the State of Washington from 

20 the Canadian border to the north to the Pacific 

21 Ocean on the west, including Hood Canal and the 

22 Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

23 ‘‘(10) PUGET SOUND ACTION AGENDA; ACTION

24 AGENDA.—The term ‘Puget Sound Action Agenda’ 

25 or ‘Action Agenda’ means the most recent plan deVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:38 Apr 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2247.IH H2247

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1 veloped by the Puget Sound Management Con2 ference, in consultation with the Tribal Management 

3 Conference under the leadership of the Puget Sound 

4 Partnership and adopted by the Environmental Pro5 tection Agency as the Puget Sound Comprehensive 

6 Conservation and Management Plan. 

7 ‘‘(11) PUGET SOUND FEDERAL TASK FORCE.— 

8 The term ‘Puget Sound Federal Task Force’ means 

9 the Puget Sound Federal Task Force established in 

10 2016 under a memorandum of understanding among 

11 9 Federal agencies. 

12 ‘‘(12) PUGET SOUND FEDERAL LEADERSHIP

13 TASK FORCE; TASK FORCE.—The term ‘Puget Sound 

14 Federal Leadership Task Force’ or ‘Task Force’ 

15 means the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task 

16 Force established by this section. 

17 ‘‘(13) PUGET SOUND NATIONAL ESTUARY PRO18 GRAM MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE.—The term 

19 ‘Puget Sound National Estuary Program Manage20 ment Conference’ means the management conference 

21 for Puget Sound established pursuant to section 

22 320(c). 

23 ‘‘(14) SALMON RECOVERY PLANS.—The term 

24 ‘Salmon Recovery Plans’ means the federally ap25 proved recovery plans for salmon and steelhead speVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:38 Apr 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2247.IH H2247

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1 cies listed under section 4(f) of the Endangered Spe2 cies Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(f)). 

3 ‘‘(15) PUGET SOUND PARTNERSHIP.—The term 

4 ‘Puget Sound Partnership’ means the State agency 

5 that is established under the laws of the State of 

6 Washington (section 90.71.210 of the Revised Code 

7 of Washington), or its successor agency, that has 

8 been designated by the Environmental Protection 

9 Agency as the lead entity to support the manage10 ment conference for Puget Sound. 

11 ‘‘(16) TREATY RIGHTS AT RISK INITIATIVE.— 

12 The term ‘Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative’ means 

13 the 2011 report from the Treaty Tribes of western 

14 Washington or its successor report, which outlines 

15 issues and offers solutions for the protection of Trib16 al treaty rights, recovery of salmon habitat, and 

17 management of sustainable treaty and non-treaty 

18 salmon fisheries, including through Tribal salmon 

19 hatchery programs. 

20 ‘‘(17) STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The 

21 term ‘State Advisory Committee’ means the advisory 

22 committee established by subsection (e). 

23 ‘‘(18) PUGET SOUND TRIBAL MANAGEMENT

24 CONFERENCE.—The term ‘Puget Sound Tribal Man25 agement Conference’ means the 20 Treaty Tribes of 


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1 the Puget Sound region and along the coast of 

2 Washington State, and the Northwest Indian Fish3 eries Commission. 

4 ‘‘(19) PUGET SOUND LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.— 

5 The term ‘Puget Sound Leadership Council’ means 

6 the governing body of the Puget Sound Partnership 

7 established under the laws of the State of Wash8 ington (section 90.71.210 of the Revised Code of 

9 Washington). 

10 ‘‘(20) SALISH SEA.—The term ‘Salish Sea’ 

11 means the network of coastal waterways on the west 

12 coast of North America that includes the Puget 

13 Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the Strait of Juan 

14 de Fuca. 

15 ‘‘(b) CONSISTENCY.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—All Federal agencies rep17 resented on the Puget Sound Federal Leadership 

18 Task Force shall act consistently with the protection 

19 of Tribal, treaty-reserved rights and, to the greatest 

20 extent practicable given their existing obligations 

21 under Federal law, act consistently with the objec22 tives and priorities of the Action Agenda, Salmon 

23 Recovery Plans, Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, 

24 and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Pro25 gram, when— 


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1 ‘‘(A) conducting Federal agency activities 

2 within or outside the Puget Sound that affect 

3 any land or water use or natural resources of 

4 Puget Sound and its tributary waters, including 

5 activities performed by a contractor for the ben6 efit of a Federal agency; 

7 ‘‘(B) interpreting and enforcing regulations 

8 that impact the recovery and preservation of 

9 Puget Sound; 

10 ‘‘(C) issuing Federal licenses or permits 

11 that impact the recovery and preservation of 

12 Puget Sound; and 

13 ‘‘(D) granting Federal assistance to State, 

14 local, and Tribal governments for activities re15 lated to the recovery and preservation of Puget 

16 Sound. 

17 ‘‘(2) EXEMPTIONS.—Any Federal agency activ18 ity necessary for national security, deemed by the 

19 President to be in the paramount interest of the 

20 United States, or determined by the Task Force, in 

21 consultation with the State Advisory Committee and 

22 the Puget Sound Tribal Management Conference, to 

23 be necessary to complete a project that was ap24 proved prior to the enactment of this section shall 


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1 be exempt from the consistency requirements estab2 lished in paragraph (1). 

3 ‘‘(c) PUGET SOUND RECOVERY NATIONAL PROGRAM

4 OFFICE.— 

5 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 

6 the Environmental Protection Agency a Puget 

7 Sound Recovery National Program Office to be lo8 cated in the State of Washington. 

9 ‘‘(2) DIRECTOR.— 

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the 

11 Program Office shall be a career reserved posi12 tion, as such term is defined in section 

13 3132(a)(8) of title 5. 

14 ‘‘(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Director of 

15 the Program Office, by reason of prior leader16 ship and project management experience, shall 

17 be highly qualified to— 

18 ‘‘(i) support the integration of mul19 tiple project planning efforts and programs 

20 from different agencies and jurisdictions; 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(ii) align numerous and often con23 flicting needs toward implementing a 

24 shared action agenda with visible and 

25 measurable outcomes. 


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1 ‘‘(3) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY; STAFFING.— 

2 The Administrator shall delegate to the Director 

3 such authority and provide such additional staff as 

4 may be necessary to carry out this subsection. 

5 ‘‘(4) DUTIES.—The Director shall— 

6 ‘‘(A) coordinate and manage the timely 

7 execution of the Environmental Protection 

8 Agency’s role described in this section, includ9 ing the formation and meetings of the Task 

10 Force; 

11 ‘‘(B) coordinate Puget Sound recovery, 

12 protection, and restoration actions, programs, 

13 grants, science, research, and initiatives across 

14 the Agency; 

15 ‘‘(C) coordinate and align the Agency’s 

16 strategies, policies, studies, programs, and ac17 tivities with the Puget Sound Action Agenda, 

18 Salmon Recovery Plans, Treaty Rights at Risk 

19 Initiative, and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution 

20 Control Program; 

21 ‘‘(D) promote the efficient use of Agency 

22 resources in pursuit of Puget Sound recovery; 

23 ‘‘(E) serve on the Task Force and collabo24 rate with, help coordinate, and implement strat25 egies, policies, studies, programs, and activities 


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1 with other Federal agencies that have respon2 sibilities involving Puget Sound recovery and 

3 protection; 

4 ‘‘(F) provide or procure such other advice, 

5 technical assistance, research, assessments, 

6 monitoring, or other support or enforcement as 

7 is deemed necessary or prudent to most effi8 ciently and effectively fulfill the objectives and 

9 priorities of the Action Agenda, Salmon Recov10 ery Plans, Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, and 

11 the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Pro12 gram consistent with the best available science 

13 and to ensure that the health of the system is 

14 thereafter maintained; 

15 ‘‘(G) track the progress of the Environ16 mental Protection Agency toward meeting the 

17 Agency’s specified goals and objectives within 

18 the Action Agenda; 

19 ‘‘(H) implement the recommendations of 

20 the Government Accountability Office, as set 

21 forth in the report GAO–18–453 dated July 19, 

22 2018; 

23 ‘‘(I) serve as liaison and coordinate 

24 projects, programs, and studies for the recovery 

25 and protection of the Salish Sea, with Canadian 


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1 authorities, the Pacific Salmon Commission, 

2 and the International Joint Commission; and 

3 ‘‘(J) carry out such additional duties as 

4 the Administrator determines necessary and ap5 propriate. 

6 ‘‘(d) PUGET SOUND FEDERAL LEADERSHIP TASK

7 FORCE.— 

8 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a 

9 Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force. 

10 ‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Task 

11 Force shall be to build upon the current membership 

12 of the Puget Sound Federal Task Force in order 

13 to— 

14 ‘‘(A) provide a venue for dialogue and co15 ordination across all Federal agencies on the 

16 Task Force to align Federal resources for the 

17 purposes of achieving this section and all other 

18 Federal laws that contribute to the recovery 

19 and protection of Puget Sound and uphold Fed20 eral trust responsibilities to restore and protect 

21 resources crucial to Tribal treaty rights, includ22 ing carrying out government-to-govenment con23 sultation; 

24 ‘‘(B) work with the Puget Sound Tribal 

25 Management Conference and the State Advisory 


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1 Committee to align and coordinate Federal ac2 tions impacting Puget Sound with the actions 

3 of State, local, and Tribal governments and 

4 other stakeholders as they have been coordi5 nated and prioritized in the Puget Sound Ac6 tion Agenda, Salmon Recovery Plans, Treaty 

7 Rights at Risk Initiative, and the Coastal 

8 Nonpoint Pollution Control Program; 

9 ‘‘(C) raise national awareness of the sig10 nificance of Puget Sound and thereby increase 

11 the importance of investment in its recovery, 

12 restoration, and protection efforts; 

13 ‘‘(D) promote the efficient use of govern14 ment resources in pursuit of Puget Sound re15 covery through coordination and collaboration; 

16 ‘‘(E) catalyze public leaders at all levels to 

17 work together toward shared goals by dem18 onstrating interagency best practices coming 

19 from the Federal partners; and 

20 ‘‘(F) develop and approve, every 5 years, 

21 an Action Plan that leverages Federal programs 

22 across agencies, and serves to coordinate di23 verse programs on a specific suite of priorities 

24 on Puget Sound recovery. The Action Plan may 

25 not adversely affect national security. 


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1 ‘‘(3) DUTIES.— 

2 ‘‘(A) PARTICIPATION OF STATE ADVISORY

3 COMMITTEE AND PUGET SOUND TRIBAL MAN4 AGEMENT CONFERENCE.— 

5 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force 

6 shall carry out its duties with input from 

7 and in collaboration with the State Advi8 sory Committee and Puget Sound Tribal 

9 Management Conference. 

10 ‘‘(ii) SPECIFIC ADVICE AND REC11 OMMENDATIONS.—The Task Force shall 

12 seek the advice and recommendations of 

13 the State Advisory Committee and Puget 

14 Sound Tribal Management Conference on 

15 the actions, progress, and issues pertaining 

16 to recovery and protection of Puget Sound. 

17 ‘‘(B) GENERAL DUTIES.—The Task Force 

18 shall— 

19 ‘‘(i) enable and encourage the Federal 

20 agencies represented on the Puget Sound 

21 Federal Leadership Task Force to act con22 sistently with the objectives and priorities 

23 of the Action Agenda, Salmon Recovery 

24 Plans, Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, 


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1 and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Con2 trol Program; 

3 ‘‘(ii) facilitate the coordination of 

4 Federal activities that impact the recovery 

5 and protection of Puget Sound; 

6 ‘‘(iii) facilitate the delivery of feed7 back given by Federal agencies to the 

8 Puget Sound Partnership during the devel9 opment of the Action Agenda; 

10 ‘‘(iv) facilitate the resolution of (and, 

11 if necessary, seek to mediate in cooperation 

12 with the Executive Office of the President) 

13 interagency conflicts associated with the 

14 recovery and protection of Puget Sound 

15 among the agencies represented on the 

16 Task Force; 

17 ‘‘(v) provide a forum for exchanging 

18 information among agencies regarding re19 sources, programs, projects, and activities 

20 being conducted, including obstacles or ef21 ficiencies found, during Puget Sound re22 covery and protection activities; 

23 ‘‘(vi) ensure that the science necessary 

24 for recovery and protection of Puget Sound 


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1 is coordinated, planned, and implemented 

2 efficiently across the Federal Government; 

3 ‘‘(vii) provide advice and support on 

4 scientific and technical issues and act as a 

5 forum for the exchange of scientific infor6 mation about Puget Sound; 

7 ‘‘(viii) identify and inventory Federal 

8 environmental research and monitoring 

9 programs related to Puget Sound, and pro10 vide such inventory to the Puget Sound 

11 National Estuary Program Management 

12 Conference; 

13 ‘‘(ix) ensure that Puget Sound recov14 ery and protection projects, programs, and 

15 studies are consistent with ongoing recov16 ery and protection and related efforts in 

17 the Salish Sea that are being conducted by 

18 Canadian authorities, the Pacific Salmon 

19 Commission, and the International Joint 

20 Commission; 

21 ‘‘(x) establish any necessary working 

22 groups or advisory committees necessary to 

23 assist the Task Force in its duties, includ24 ing public policy and scientific issues; 


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1 ‘‘(xi) work with the Office of Manage2 ment and Budget to give necessary input 

3 on the crosscut budget to be developed 

4 under subsection (g); and 

5 ‘‘(xii) develop a biennial report on 

6 progress made towards the Action Plan, as 

7 described in subsection (d), to be sub8 mitted to the President, Congress, and the 

9 Governor of Washington. 

10 ‘‘(C) FEEDBACK BY FEDERAL AGEN11 CIES.—The feedback given by Federal agencies 

12 under subparagraph (B)(iii) shall consider, at a 

13 minimum, possible Federal actions designed 

14 to— 

15 ‘‘(i) further the goals, targets, and ac16 tions of the Action Agenda, Salmon Recov17 ery Plans, Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, 

18 and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Con19 trol Program; 

20 ‘‘(ii) implement and enforce this Act, 

21 the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and 

22 all other Federal laws that contribute to 

23 the recovery and protection of Puget 

24 Sound, including those that protect Tribal 

25 treaty rights; 


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1 ‘‘(iii) prevent the introduction and 

2 spread of invasive species; 

3 ‘‘(iv) prevent the destruction of ma4 rine and wildlife habitats; 

5 ‘‘(v) protect, restore, and conserve for6 ests, wetlands, riparian zones, and near7 shore waters that provide marine and wild8 life habitat; 

9 ‘‘(vi) promote resilience to climate 

10 change and ocean acidification effects; 

11 ‘‘(vii) conserve and recover endan12 gered species under the Endangered Spe13 cies Act of 1973; 

14 ‘‘(viii) restore fisheries so that they 

15 are sustainable and productive; 

16 ‘‘(ix) preserve biodiversity; 

17 ‘‘(x) restore and protect ecosystem 

18 services that provide clean water, filter 

19 toxic chemicals, and increase ecosystem re20 silience; and 

21 ‘‘(xi) improve water quality and re22 store wildlife habitat, including by pre23 venting and managing stormwater runoff, 

24 incorporating erosion control techniques, 

25 using sustainable stormwater practices, 


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1 and mitigating and minimizing other 

2 nonpoint source pollution. 

3 ‘‘(D) USE OF PREVIOUS WORK.—The Task 

4 Force shall, to the extent practicable, use the 

5 work product produced, relied upon, and ana6 lyzed by the Puget Sound Federal Task Force 

7 in order to avoid duplicating the efforts of the 

8 Puget Sound Federal Task Force. 

9 ‘‘(4) MEMBERSHIP.— 

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The membership of 

11 the Task Force shall include representatives of 

12 Federal agencies that have responsibilities and 

13 authorities that govern recovery, conservation, 

14 and protection of the Puget Sound, its tribu15 taries, and watersheds. 

16 ‘‘(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members ap17 pointed under this paragraph shall have experi18 ence and expertise in matters of recovery and 

19 protection of large watersheds and bodies of 

20 water or related experience that will benefit the 

21 recovery and protection effort of the Puget 

22 Sound. 

23 ‘‘(C) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force 

24 shall be composed of the following members: 


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1 ‘‘(i) SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.— 

2 The following individuals appointed by the 

3 Secretary of Agriculture (or the Sec4 retary’s designee): 

5 ‘‘(I) A representative of the Na6 tional Forest Service. 

7 ‘‘(II) A representative of the 

8 Natural Resources Conservation Serv9 ice. 

10 ‘‘(ii) SECRETARY OF COMMERCE.—A 

11 representative of the National Oceanic and 

12 Atmospheric Administration appointed by 

13 the Secretary of Commerce (or the Sec14 retary’s designee). 

15 ‘‘(iii) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.—The 

16 following individuals appointed by the Sec17 retary of Defense (or the Secretary’s des18 ignee): 

19 ‘‘(I) A representative of the U.S. 

20 Army Corps of Engineers. 

21 ‘‘(II) A representative of the 

22 Joint Base Lewis-McChord. 

23 ‘‘(III) A representative of the 

24 Navy Region Northwest. 


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1 ‘‘(iv) ADMINISTRATOR.—A representa2 tive of the Puget Sound Recovery National 

3 Program Office appointed by the Adminis4 trator (or the Administrator’s designee). 

5 ‘‘(v) SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SE6 CURITY.—The following individuals ap7 pointed by the Secretary of Homeland Se8 curity (or the Secretary’s designee): 

9 ‘‘(I) A representative of the 

10 Coast Guard. 

11 ‘‘(II) A representative of the 

12 Federal Emergency Management 

13 Agency. 

14 ‘‘(vi) SECRETARY OF THE INTE15 RIOR.—The following individuals appointed 

16 by the Secretary of the Interior (or the 

17 Secretary’s designee): 

18 ‘‘(I) A representative of the Bu19 reau of Indian Affairs. 

20 ‘‘(II) A representative of the 

21 United States Fish and Wildlife Serv22 ice. 

23 ‘‘(III) A representative of the 

24 United States Geological Survey. 


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1 ‘‘(IV) A representative of the Na2 tional Park Service. 

3 ‘‘(vii) SECRETARY OF TRANSPOR4 TATION.—The following individuals ap5 pointed by the Secretary of Transportation 

6 (or the Secretary’s designee): 

7 ‘‘(I) A representative of the Fed8 eral Highway Administration. 

9 ‘‘(II) A representative of the 

10 Federal Transit Administration. 

11 ‘‘(viii) TASK FORCE.—Representatives 

12 of such other agencies, programs, and ini13 tiatives as the Task Force determines nec14 essary. 

15 ‘‘(5) LEADERSHIP.—The Co-Chairs shall ensure 

16 the Task Force completes its duties through robust 

17 discussion of all relevant issues and with the partici18 pation of all members. The Co-Chairs shall share 

19 leadership responsibilities equally. 

20 ‘‘(6) CO-CHAIRS.—The following members of 

21 the Task Force appointed under paragraph (4) shall 

22 serve as Co-Chairs of the Task Force: 

23 ‘‘(A) The representative of the National 

24 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 


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1 ‘‘(B) The representative of the Puget 

2 Sound Recovery National Program Office. 

3 ‘‘(C) The representative of the Corps of 

4 Engineers. 

5 ‘‘(7) MEETINGS.— 

6 ‘‘(A) INITIAL MEETING.—The Task Force 

7 shall meet not later than 180 days after the 

8 date of enactment of this section— 

9 ‘‘(i) to determine if all Federal agen10 cies are properly represented; 

11 ‘‘(ii) to establish the bylaws of the 

12 Task Force; 

13 ‘‘(iii) to establish necessary working 

14 groups or committees; and 

15 ‘‘(iv) to determine subsequent meeting 

16 times, dates, and logistics. 

17 ‘‘(B) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—After the 

18 initial meeting, the Task Force shall meet, at a 

19 minimum, twice per year to carry out the duties 

20 of the Task Force. 

21 ‘‘(C) WORKING GROUP MEETINGS.—Meet22 ings of any established working groups or com23 mittees of the Task Force shall not count to24 ward the minimum biannual meeting require25 ment of the full Task Force. 


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1 ‘‘(D) JOINT MEETINGS.—The Task Force 

2 shall offer to meet jointly with the Puget Sound 

3 National Estuary Program Management Con4 ference and the Puget Sound Tribal Manage5 ment Conference, at a minimum, once per year. 

6 These meetings may substitute for one of the 

7 two minimum biannual meetings of the full 

8 Task Force, if mutually agreed upon by all par9 ticipants. 

10 ‘‘(E) QUORUM.—A majority number of the 

11 members of the Task Force shall constitute a 

12 quorum. 

13 ‘‘(F) VOTING.—For the Task Force to 

14 pass a measure, a two-thirds percentage of the 

15 quorum must vote in the affirmative. 

16 ‘‘(e) STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 

17 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a 

18 State Advisory Committee. 

19 ‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The committee shall con20 sist of up to 7 members designated by the Puget 

21 Sound Leadership Council, in consultation with the 

22 Governor of Washington or the Governor’s designee, 

23 who will represent Washington State agencies with 

24 significant roles and responsibilities related to Puget 

25 Sound recovery. 


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1 ‘‘(f) TASK FORCE PROCEDURES AND ADVICE.— 

2 ‘‘(1) ADVISORS.—The Task Force, and any 

3 working group of the Task Force, may seek advice 

4 and input from any interested, knowledgeable, or af5 fected party as the Task Force or working group, re6 spectively, determines necessary to perform its du7 ties. 

8 ‘‘(2) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force, 

10 State Advisory Committee, and any working 

11 group of the Task Force, shall not be consid12 ered an advisory committee under the Federal 

13 Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). 

14 ‘‘(B) SEEKING ADVICE AND INPUT.—The 

15 Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

16 App.) shall not apply to any activity of the 

17 Task Force. 

18 ‘‘(3) COMPENSATION.—A member of the Task 

19 Force shall receive no additional compensation for 

20 service as a member on the Task Force. 

21 ‘‘(4) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Travel expenses in22 curred by a member of the Task Force in the per23 formance of services for the Task Force shall be 

24 paid by the agency or department that the member 

25 represents. 


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1 ‘‘(g) TASK FORCE BIENNIAL REPORT ON PUGET

2 SOUND RECOVERY ACTIVITIES.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

4 the date of enactment of this section, and biennially 

5 thereafter, the Task Force, in collaboration with the 

6 Puget Sound Tribal Management Conference and 

7 the State Advisory Committee, shall submit to the 

8 President, Congress, and the Governor of Wash9 ington a report that summarizes the progress, chal10 lenges, and milestones of the Task Force on the re11 covery and protection of Puget Sound. 

12 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The report shall include a 

13 description of the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) The roles of each Federal, State, and 

15 local government entity that has jurisdiction in 

16 the Puget Sound region and the progress made 

17 toward meeting the identified goals and objec18 tives of the Action Agenda, Salmon Recovery 

19 Plans, Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, and the 

20 Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program. 

21 ‘‘(B) If available, the roles and progress of 

22 Tribal governments that have jurisdiction in the 

23 Puget Sound region toward meeting the identi24 fied goals and objectives of the Action Agenda, 

25 Salmon Recovery Plans, Treaty Rights at Risk 


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1 Initiative, and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution 

2 Control Program. 

3 ‘‘(C) A summary of the progress each Fed4 eral agency has made in implementing their 

5 specific responsibilities under the Action Agen6 da, Salmon Recovery Plans, Treaty Rights at 

7 Risk Initiative, and the Coastal Nonpoint Pollu8 tion Control Program. 

9 ‘‘(D) The role of each Federal agency in 

10 protecting Tribal treaty rights, including by 

11 carrying out its Tribal trust responsibilities, 

12 and a summary of the progress each agency has 

13 made in protecting those rights. 

14 ‘‘(E) A summary of specific recommenda15 tions concerning implementation of the Action 

16 Agenda, including challenges, barriers, and an17 ticipated milestones, targets, and timelines. 

18 ‘‘(F) A summary of progress made by Fed19 eral agencies toward the priorities identified in 

20 the Action Plan, as defined in subsection (d). 

21 ‘‘(h) CROSSCUT BUDGET REPORT.— 

22 ‘‘(1) FINANCIAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 

23 year after the date of enactment of this section, and 

24 every 5 years thereafter, the Director of the Office 

25 of Management and Budget, in consultation with the 


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1 Task Force, shall submit to Congress and make 

2 available to the public, including on the internet, a 

3 financial report that is certified by the head of each 

4 agency represented by the Task Force. 

5 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The report shall contain an 

6 interagency crosscut budget relating to Puget Sound 

7 recovery and protection activities that displays— 

8 ‘‘(A) the proposed funding for any Federal 

9 recovery and protection activity to be carried 

10 out in the succeeding fiscal year, including any 

11 planned interagency or intra-agency transfer, 

12 for each of the Federal agencies that carry out 

13 recovery and protection activities; 

14 ‘‘(B) the estimated expenditures for Fed15 eral recovery and protection activities from the 

16 preceding 2 fiscal years, the current fiscal year, 

17 and the succeeding fiscal year; and 

18 ‘‘(C) the estimated expenditures for Fed19 eral environmental research and monitoring 

20 programs from the preceding 2 fiscal years, the 

21 current fiscal year, and the succeeding fiscal 

22 year. 

23 ‘‘(3) INCLUDED RECOVERY ACTIVITIES.—With 

24 respect to activities described in the report, the re25 port shall only describe activities that— 


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1 ‘‘(A) for Federal recovery or protection ac2 tivities, have funding amounts not less than 

3 $100,000; and 

4 ‘‘(B) for Federal environmental research 

5 and monitoring programs, have funding 

6 amounts not less than $100,000. 

7 ‘‘(4) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—The Director 

8 shall submit the report to— 

9 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

10 Committee on Natural Resources, the Com11 mittee on Energy and Commerce, and the Com12 mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 

13 the House of Representatives; and 

14 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 

15 Committee on Environment and Public Works, 

16 and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

17 Transportation of the Senate. 

18 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addi19 tion to any other funds authorized to be appropriated for 

20 activities related to Puget Sound, there is authorized to 

21 be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for 

22 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. 

23 ‘‘(j) PRESERVATION OF TREATY OBLIGATIONS AND

24 EXISTING FEDERAL STATUS.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) TRIBAL TREATY RIGHTS.—This Act is not 

2 intended to, and shall not, in any way limit, condi3 tion, abrogate, authorize the regulation of, or other4 wise adversely affect any right reserved by treaty be5 tween the United States and one or more Indian 

6 Tribes. 

7 ‘‘(2) NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM.—Nothing 

8 in this Act shall alter the requirements or status of 

9 the Puget Sound under the National Estuary Pro10 gram. 

11 ‘‘(3) OTHER FEDERAL LAW.—Nothing in this 

12 Act shall modify the requirements and procedures of 

13 other Federal law. 

14 ‘‘(k) CONSISTENCY.—Actions authorized or imple15 mented under this Act shall be consistent with— 

16 ‘‘(1) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and 

17 the State of Washington’s federally approved salmon 

18 recovery plans; 

19 ‘‘(2) the Coastal Zone Management Act of 

20 1972, its reauthorizing amendments, and the State 

21 of Washington’s federally approved coastal nonpoint 

22 pollution control program; 

23 ‘‘(3) the State of Washington’s federally ap24 proved State water quality standards; and 


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1 ‘‘(4) other applicable Federal requirements.’’. 

Æ 


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