I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5243 

To rescind certain amounts appropriated for Internal Revenue Service enforcement and COVID–19 relief and authorize such amounts to be redirected 

to water-related projects, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 18, 2023 

Mr. SANTOS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and 

Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To rescind certain amounts appropriated for Internal Revenue Service enforcement and COVID–19 relief and authorize such amounts to be redirected to water-related 

projects, 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 ‘‘Less Talk More Action 

5 Water Modernization Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RESCISSION AND REDIRECTION OF CERTAIN 

2 AMOUNTS TO WATER-RELATED PROJECTS. 

3 (a) RESCISSION OF UNEXPENDED IRS FUNDS.—The 

4 unexpended balance of amounts appropriated or otherwise 

5 made available for activities of the Internal Revenue Serv6 ice by section 10301 of Public Law 117–169 on the date 

7 of the enactment of this Act are hereby permanently re8 scinded. 

9 (b) RESCISSION OF UNEXPENDED COVID-19 

10 FUNDS.—The unexpended balance of amounts appro11 priated or otherwise made available for COVID–19 relief 

12 by each of Public Laws 116–123, 116–127, 116–136, 

13 116–139, 117–2, and divisions M and N of Public Law 

14 116–260 on the date of the enactment of this Act are 

15 hereby permanently rescinded. 

16 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

18 appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2024 through 

19 2026, provided that such funds are fully obligated 

20 by December 13, 2023— 

21 (A) to the Administrator of the Environ22 mental Protection Agency— 

23 (i) for the Clean Water State Revolv24 ing Funds under title VI of the Federal 

25 Water Pollution Control Act, 

26 $1,103,000,000; and 


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1 (ii) for the Drinking Water State Re2 volving Funds under section 1452 of the 

3 Safe Drinking Water Act, $665,400,000; 

4 and 

5 (B) for projects pertaining to water infra6 structure, water conveyance and storage, safety, 

7 hydropower generation, water treatment and 

8 water contamination remediation, moderniza9 tion projects, and dam development— 

10 (i) under the direction of the Sec11 retary of the Army and the supervision of 

12 the Chief of Engineers for authorized civil 

13 functions of the Department of the Army, 

14 $1,900,000,000; and 

15 (ii) to the Department of the Interior 

16 for the Bureau of Reclamation, 

17 $1,163,400,000, 

18 provided that at least $200,000,000 of such 

19 amounts shall be allocated to the Northeast re20 gion of the United States, including Long Is21 land and New York City, for water-related 

22 projects. 

23 (2) CHINESE DEBT OBLIGATIONS.—In the event 

24 that the amounts rescinded under subsections (a) 

25 and (b) are not equal to or greater than the 


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1 amounts authorized under paragraph (1), amounts 

2 necessary to equal amounts authorized under such 

3 paragraph shall be authorized to be paid before 

4 amounts necessary for payments with respect to 

5 Federal Government notes, bonds, and other securi6 ties held by the People’s Republic of China or the 

7 Chinese Communist Party. 

Æ 


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