Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2018

To establish centers of excellence for innovative stormwater control infrastructure, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2018 2. Stormwater infrastructure funding task force (a) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a stormwater infrastructure funding task force composed of representatives of Federal, State, and local governments and private (including nonprofit) entities to conduct a study on, and develop recommendations to improve, the availability of public and private sources of funding for the construction, rehabilitation, and operation and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure to meet the requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1251 (b) Considerations In carrying out subsection (a), the task force shall— (1) identify existing Federal, State, and local public sources and private sources of funding for stormwater infrastructure; and (2) consider— (A) how funding for stormwater infrastructure from such sources has been made available, and utilized, in each State to address stormwater infrastructure needs identified pursuant to section 516(b)(1) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1375(b)(1) (B) how the source of funding affects the affordability of the infrastructure (as determined based on the considerations used to assess the financial capability of municipalities under the integrated planning guidelines described in the Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency on June 5, 2012, and dated May, 2012), including consideration of the costs associated with financing the infrastructure; and (C) whether such sources of funding are sufficient to support capital expenditures and long-term operation and maintenance costs necessary to meet the stormwater infrastructure needs of municipalities. (c) Report Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the study conducted, and the recommendations developed, under subsection (a). (d) State defined In this section, the term State 33 U.S.C. 1362 Amend the title so as to read: A bill to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a stormwater infrastructure funding task force, and for other purposes. July 16, 2018 Reported from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure July 16, 2018 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

Summary: Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2017 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to eligible higher education institutions and research institutions to establish and maintain between three and five centers of excellence for innovative stormwater control infrastructure, which is any green stormwater management technique that: (1) uses natural systems or engineered systems that mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspire, or capture stormwater; and (2) preserves, enhances, or mimics natural hydrology to protect or restore water quality. One of the centers must be the national electronic clearinghouse center and operate a website and a public database on the infrastructure. In addition, the EPA must provide grants to state, tribal, or local governments or entities that manage stormwater, drinking water resources, or wastewater resources for innovative stormwater control infrastructure projects. The EPA must ensure that: (1) EPA's Office of Water, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, Office of Research and Development, and Office of Policy promote the use of the infrastructure in, and coordinate the integration of, permitting programs, planning efforts, research, technical assistance, and funding guidance; and (2) the Office of Water supports establishing innovative financing mechanisms in the implementation of the infrastructure. The EPA must: (1) direct each EPA regional office to promote and integrate the use of the infrastructure within the region, and (2) promote sharing information about the infrastructure approaches. The EPA must establish the innovative stormwater control infrastructure portfolio standard of voluntary, measurable goals to increase the percentage of annual water managed by entities that use the infrastructure.