I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5266 

To reauthorize the National Estuary Programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2014 

Mr. LOBIONDO (for himself, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. POSEY, and Mr. 

MURPHY of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To reauthorize the National Estuary Programs, 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. COMPETITIVE AWARDS. 

4 Section 320(g) of the Federal Water Pollution Con5 trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(g)) is amended by adding at the 

6 end the following: 

7 ‘‘(4) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount made 

9 available under subsection (i)(2)(B), the Admstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ministrator shall make competitive awards 

2 under this paragraph. 

3 ‘‘(B) APPLICATION FOR AWARDS.—The 

4 Administrator shall solicit applications for 

5 awards under this paragraph from State, inter6 state, and regional water pollution control agen7 cies and entities, State coastal zone manage8 ment agencies, interstate agencies, other public 

9 or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, orga10 nizations, and individuals. 

11 ‘‘(C) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—In se12 lecting award recipients under this paragraph, 

13 the Administrator shall select recipients that 

14 are best able to address urgent and challenging 

15 issues that threaten the ecological and economic 

16 well-being of coastal areas. Such issues shall in17 clude— 

18 ‘‘(i) extensive seagrass habitat losses 

19 resulting in significant impacts on fisheries 

20 and water quality; 

21 ‘‘(ii) recurring harmful algae blooms, 

22 unusual marine mammal mortalities; 

23 ‘‘(iii) invasive exotic species which can 

24 threaten wastewater systems and cause 

25 other damage; 

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1 ‘‘(iv) jellyfish proliferation limiting 

2 community access to water during peak 

3 tourism seasons; 

4 ‘‘(v) flooding which may be related to 

5 sea level rise or wetland degradation or 

6 loss; or 

7 ‘‘(vi) low dissolved oxygen conditions 

8 in estuarine waters and related nutrient 

9 management. 

10 ‘‘(D) PRIORITY.—The Administrator shall 

11 give priority for the competitive awards de12 scribed in subparagraph (A) to national estuary 

13 programs that are not part of the Geographic 

14 Programs as described in the explanatory state15 ment referred to in section 4 of the Consoli16 dated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 

17 113–76; 128 Stat. 7 and printed on page H978 

18 of the Congressional Record on January 15, 

19 2014).’’. 

20 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 

22 Act (33 U.S.C. 1330) is amended by striking subsection 

23 (i) and inserting the following: 

24 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

2 appropriated to the Administrator $27,000,000, for 

3 each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 for— 

4 ‘‘(A) expenses relating to the administra5 tion of grants or awards by the Administrator 

6 under this section, including the award and 

7 oversight of grants and awards, except that 

8 such expenses shall not exceed 5 percent of the 

9 amount appropriated under this subsection; and 

10 ‘‘(B) making grants and awards under 

11 subsection (g). 

12 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATIONS.— 

13 ‘‘(A) CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

14 PLAN.—The Administrator shall provide not 

15 less than 80 percent of the amounts made avail16 able for this section for each fiscal year referred 

17 to in paragraph (1) for the development, imple18 mentation, and monitoring of each conservation 

19 and management plan eligible for grant assist20 ance under subsection (g)(2). 

21 ‘‘(B) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.—The Admin22 istrator shall provide not less than 15 percent 

23 of the amounts made available for this section 

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1 in each fiscal year to make competitive awards 

2 described in subsection (g)(3).’’. 

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