South Florida Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2023

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize the South Florida Program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the South Florida Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2023 2. South Florida program Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq. 127. South Florida (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Science Coordination Group The term Science Coordination Group (2) South Florida The term South Florida (A) all land and water within the administrative boundaries of the South Florida Water Management District and contiguous near-shore coastal waters, including the Florida Keys; and (B) Florida’s Coral Reef and the associated patch reef, hard-bottom, and seagrass resources. (3) South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force The term South Florida Ecosystem Task Force Public Law 104–303 (4) South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Working Group The term South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Working Group Public Law 104–303 (5) South Florida Program The term South Florida Program (b) South Florida program (1) Establishment The Administrator shall establish within the Water Division of the Region 4 Office of the Environmental Protection Agency the South Florida Program. (2) Duties In carrying out the South Florida Program, the Administrator shall— (A) assess trends in water quality, including trends that affect uses of water in South Florida; (B) collect, characterize, and assess data to identify existing or potential water quality problems and the causes of those problems; and (C) provide grants in accordance with subsections (d) and (f). (3) Designation The Administrator shall designate an individual in the Water Division of the Region 4 Office of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the day-to-day operations of the South Florida Program. (c) South florida ecosystem restoration working group The individual designated by the Administrator under subsection (b)(3) shall serve as the representative of the Environmental Protection Agency on the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Working Group. (d) Grant program (1) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the South Florida Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2023, the Administrator shall establish a grant program (referred to in this subsection as the grant program (A) in South Florida; and (B) outside of South Florida but within the study area boundaries of— (i) the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program authorized under section 320; and (ii) the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership authorized under that section. (2) Eligible entities An entity eligible to receive a grant under the grant program is— (A) a State agency; (B) a unit of local government; (C) an institution of higher education; (D) a federally recognized Indian Tribe; and (E) an entity that is described in section 501(c)(3) (3) Selection (A) Application An eligible entity seeking a grant under the grant program shall submit to the Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may require. (B) Limitations (i) Location of projects Not more than 15 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this subsection for each fiscal year may be awarded for projects that would be carried out in locations described in paragraph (1)(B). (ii) Other sources of funding (I) In general Subject to subclause (II), in selecting recipients of grants under the grant program, the Administrator may not award a grant to carry out a water infrastructure activity that has received assistance— (aa) from a State water pollution control revolving fund established under title VI; (bb) from a State drinking water treatment revolving loan fund established under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–12 (cc) pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 ( 33 U.S.C. 3901 et seq. (II) Exception The Administrator may award a grant under the grant program to carry out a separable component of a project described in subclause (I) if grant funds would be used to construct natural features and nature-based features (as those terms are defined in section 1184(a) of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act ( 33 U.S.C. 2289a(a) (4) Allocation Of the amounts made available to carry out this section each fiscal year, to the extent there are sufficient high-quality project applications, not less than 33 percent shall be used to carry out this subsection. (e) Support for south florida ecosystem restoration special projects and activities (1) Interagency agreement The Administrator shall, on an annual basis, develop and execute interagency agreements or cooperative agreements with appropriate Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies to provide funding for 1 or more special projects or activities within South Florida on the recommendation of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. (2) Coordination The Administrator shall coordinate with the Administrator of the Office of Everglades Restoration Initiatives of the Department of the Interior to annually solicit and receive a priority list of special projects or activities that enhance the capacity of Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies participating in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Working Group, and the Science Coordination Group to fulfill the mandate under section 528 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 ( Public Law 104–303 Public Law 106–541 (3) Allocation Of the amounts made available to carry out this section each fiscal year, to the extent there are sufficient high-quality project applications, not less than 50 percent shall be used to carry out this subsection. (f) Education grants (1) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the South Florida Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2022, the Administrator shall establish an education grant program (referred to in this subsection as the grant program (2) Eligible entities An entity eligible to receive a grant under the grant program is an entity focused on public engagement, environmental literacy, or education efforts that is— (A) a State, local, or Tribal government entity, including a public school district and a Tribal school; (B) an entity that is described in section 501(c)(3) (C) an institution of higher education. (3) Use of funds Each fiscal year, the Administrator shall award grants under the education grant program for public engagement, environmental literacy, and education efforts with respect to any of the following: (A) Biscayne Bay. (B) Caloosahatchee River and Estuary. (C) Charlotte Harbor. (D) The Everglades. (E) Everglades Headwaters. (F) Florida Bay. (G) Florida’s Coral Reef. (H) Lake Okeechobee. (I) Loxahatchee River and Lake Worth Lagoon. (J) Indian River Lagoon. (K) St. Lucie River and Estuary. (4) Selection (A) Application An eligible entity seeking a grant under the grant program shall submit to the Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may require. (B) Priority consideration In selecting entities to be awarded grants under the grant program, the Administrator shall give priority to applications that seek to fund field trips for socially disadvantaged students in public elementary schools, public secondary schools, and Tribal schools to access publicly protected lands and natural resources. (5) Cost-share (A) In general Subject to subparagraph (B), the Federal share of a project carried out using a grant under the grant program may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the project. (B) Waiver The Administrator may waive the Federal share requirement under subparagraph (A) for projects carried out to support efforts described in paragraph (4)(B). (6) Allocation Of the amounts made available to carry out this section each fiscal year, to the extent there are sufficient high-quality project applications, the Administrator may use not more than 1 percent to carry out this subsection. (g) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section. (2) Administrative costs Of the amounts made available to carry out this section under paragraph (1) each fiscal year, the Administrator may use not more than 4 percent for administrative costs. .

Summary: South Florida Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2023 This bill provides support for ecosystems in South Florida. Under the bill, South Florida means (1) land and water within the administrative boundaries of the South Florida Water Management District and contiguous near-shore coastal waters, including the Florida Keys; and (2) Florida's Coral Reef and the associated patch reef, hard-bottom, and seagrass resources. Specifically, the bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a South Florida Program within the Water Division of its Region 4 Office. Under the program, the EPA must (1) assess trends in water quality, (2) assess data to identify existing or potential water quality problems and the causes of those problems, and (3) award grants to carry out ecosystem and educational programs established by this bill. In addition, the EPA must annually develop and execute interagency agreements or cooperative agreements with federal, state, local, and tribal entities. Those agreements must provide funding for one or more special projects or activities within South Florida on the recommendation of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.