I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4160 

To authorize the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of the Interior 

to jointly establish a program, in partnership with the private sector, 

to support research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities related to advanced hydrogen-based motorboat propulsion 

technologies suitable for operations in sensitive resource areas such as 

national parks, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 2, 2004 

Mr. RENZI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Science 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary 

of the Interior to jointly establish a program, in partnership with the private sector, to support research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities related to advanced hydrogen-based motorboat propulsion technologies suitable for operations in sensitive 

resource areas such as national parks, 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, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Grand Canyon Hydro3 gen-Powered Motorboat Demonstration Act of 2004’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 For purposes of this Act, the term— 

6 (1) ‘‘Departments’’ means the Department of 

7 Energy jointly with the Department of the Interior; 

8 and 

9 (2) ‘‘Secretaries’’ means the Secretary of En10 ergy jointly with the Secretary of the Interior. 

11 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

12 The Congress finds that— 

13 (1) there is a need for a research and develop14 ment program to support and foster the develop15 ment, demonstration, and deployment of emerging 

16 hydrogen-based motorboat propulsion technologies 

17 suitable for use in sensitive resource areas; 

18 (2) partnerships between the Department of 

19 Energy, the Department of the Interior, and United 

20 States industry to develop hydrogen-based energy 

21 technologies can provide significant benefits to our 

22 Nation, including enhancing our environmental stew23 ardship, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, in24 creasing our energy security, as well as creating jobs 

25 for United States workers and improving the com-
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1 petitive position of the United States in the global 

2 economy; and 

3 (3) when technologically and economically fea4 sible, the implementation of clean, silent or nearly 

5 silent, hydrogen-based motorboat propulsion tech6 nologies would further resource stewardship and ex7 periential goals in sensitive resource areas including 

8 units of the National Park System, such as Grand 

9 Canyon National Park, where motor-powered 

10 watercraft are used for recreational and other pur11 poses. 

12 SEC. 4. RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION 

13 PROGRAM. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall jointly es15 tablish and carry out a research and development pro16 gram, in partnership with the private sector, relating to 

17 hydrogen-based motorboat propulsion technologies suit18 able for operations in sensitive resource areas such as na19 tional parks. The Secretaries, in partnership with the pri20 vate sector, shall conduct a demonstration of hydrogen21 based motorboat propulsion technology at Grand Canyon 

22 National Park within three years after the date of enact23 ment of this Act. At his discretion, the Secretary of En24 ergy may choose to extend existing Department of Energy 

25 hydrogen-related vehicle research and development pro-
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1 grams in order to meet the objectives and requirements 

2 of this Act. 

3 (b) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the program shall 

4 be to research, develop, and demonstrate, in cooperation 

5 with affected and related industries, a hydrogen-based al6 ternative motorboat propulsion system suitable for rec7 reational whitewater river operations on the Colorado 

8 River within Grand Canyon National Park, that meets the 

9 following standards: 

10 (1) Silent or near-silent operation, meaning the 

11 propulsion system should generally not be audible 

12 over the sound of the watercraft moving through the 

13 water to a listener stationed a moderate distance 

14 away. 

15 (2) Low, ultra low, or zero emission of pollut16 ants. 

17 (3) Reliability. 

18 (4) Safe conveyance of passengers and crew. 

19 (c) PARTNERSHIP.—In order to accomplish the objec20 tive set forth in subsection (b), the Secretaries shall estab21 lish a partnership among the Departments, manufactur22 ers, other affected or related industries, and the National 

23 Park Service concessioners authorized to provide river 

24 running services in Grand Canyon National Park. 
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1 SEC. 5. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

2 One year after the date of enactment of this Act, and 

3 annually thereafter for the duration of the program, the 

4 Secretaries shall submit a report to the Committees on 

5 Appropriations, Resources, and Energy and Commerce of 

6 the House of Representatives and the Committees on Ap7 propriations and Energy and Natural Resources of the 

8 Senate describing the ongoing activities of the Secretaries 

9 and the Departments relating to the program authorized 

10 under this Act and, to the extent practicable, the activities 

11 planned for the coming fiscal year. 

12 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

13 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secre14 taries to carry out this Act, in addition to any amounts 

15 made available for these or related purposes under other 

16 Acts, $400,000 per year for three consecutive fiscal years 

17 beginning with the full fiscal year following the date of 

18 enactment of this Act. 

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