I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2781 

To amend the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to reauthorize grants 

for and require applied water supply research regarding the water resources research and technology institutes established under that Act, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 22, 2021 

Mr. HARDER of California (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, and Mrs. NAPOLITANO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to 

reauthorize grants for and require applied water supply 

research regarding the water resources research and 

technology institutes established under that Act, 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 ‘‘Water Resources Re5 search Amendments Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH ACT AMENDMENTS. 

2 (a) CLARIFICATION OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.—Sec3 tion 104(b)(1) of the Water Resources Research Act of 

4 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303(b)(1)) is amended— 

5 (1) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ‘‘water6 related phenomena’’ and inserting ‘‘water re7 sources’’; and 

8 (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 

9 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’. 

10 (b) COMPLIANCE REPORTS.—Section 104(c) of the 

11 Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 

12 10303(c)) is amended to read as follows: 

13 ‘‘(c) GRANTS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appro15 priated under subsection (f) and subject to sub16 section (e)(2), the Secretary shall— 

17 ‘‘(A) make grants to institutes; and 

18 ‘‘(B) require that grants under this para19 graph be matched on a basis of not less than 

20 1 non-Federal dollar for every 1 Federal dollar. 

21 ‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than December 31 of 

22 each fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit a report 

23 regarding the compliance of each institute that re24 ceived a grant under paragraph (1) for the imme25 diately preceding fiscal year to each of the following: 


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1 ‘‘(A) The Committee on Environment and 

2 Public Works of the Senate. 

3 ‘‘(B) The Committee on the Budget of the 

4 Senate. 

5 ‘‘(C) The Committee on Natural Resources 

6 of the House of Representatives. 

7 ‘‘(D) The Committee on Transportation 

8 and Infrastructure of the House of Representa9 tives. 

10 ‘‘(E) The Committee on the Budget of the 

11 House of Representatives.’’. 

12 (c) EVALUATION OF WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH

13 PROGRAM.—Section 104(e) of the Water Resources Re14 search Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303) is amended to read 

15 as follows: 

16 ‘‘(e) EVALUATION OF WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH

17 PROGRAM.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall con19 duct a careful and detailed evaluation of each insti20 tute at least once every 5 years to determine— 

21 ‘‘(A) the quality and relevance of the water 

22 resources research of the institute; 

23 ‘‘(B) the effectiveness of the institute at 

24 producing measured results and applied water 

25 supply research; and 


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1 ‘‘(C) whether the effectiveness of the insti2 tute as an institution for planning, conducting, 

3 and arranging for research warrants continued 

4 support under this section. 

5 ‘‘(2) PROHIBITION ON FURTHER SUPPORT.—If, 

6 as a result of an evaluation under paragraph (1), the 

7 Secretary determines that an institute does not qual8 ify for further support under this section, no further 

9 grants to the institute may be provided until the 

10 qualifications of the institute are reestablished to the 

11 satisfaction of the Secretary.’’. 

12 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

13 104(f)(1) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 

14 (42 U.S.C. 10303(f)(1)) is amended by striking 

15 ‘‘$12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011’’ 

16 and inserting ‘‘$12,000,000 for each fiscal years 2022 

17 through 2025’’. 

18 (e) ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS WHERE RE19 SEARCH FOCUSED ON WATER PROBLEMS OF INTERSTATE

20 NATURE.—Section 104(g)(1) of the Water Resources Re21 search Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303(g)(1)) is amended 

22 by striking ‘‘$6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 

23 through 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘$6,000,000 for each of fis24 cal years 2022 through 2025’’. 

Æ 


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