I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8016 
To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System 
pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 9, 2022 
Mr. NEWHOUSE (for himself, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Ms. HERRERA 
BEUTLER, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, Mr. ROSENDALE, Mr. STAUBER, Mr. 
MULLIN, Mr. FULCHER, Mr. BENTZ, Mr. LAMALFA, and Mr. 
WESTERMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River 
Power System pursuant to a certain operation plan for 
a specified period of time, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
The Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Columbia River 
Power System Certainty Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) FCRPS.—The term ‘‘FCRPS’’ means those 
portions of the Federal Columbia River Power Sys-
tem that are the subject of the Supplemental Opin-
ion. 
(2) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means— 
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Reclamation; 
(B) the Secretary of Energy, acting 
through the Bonneville Power Administration; 
and 
(C) the Secretary of the Army, acting 
through the Army Corps of Engineers. 
(3) SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION.—The term ‘‘Sup-
plemental Opinion’’ means the document titled ‘‘Co-
lumbia River System Operations Environmental Im-
pact Statement Record of Decision’’, and dated Sep-
tember 2020. 
SEC. 3. OPERATION OF FCRPS. 
The Secretaries shall operate the FCRPS in a man-
ner consistent with the reasonable and prudent alternative 
set forth in the Supplemental Opinion. 
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SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 3, the 
Secretaries may amend portions of the Supplemental 
Opinion and operate the FCRPS in accordance with such 
amendments if all of the Secretaries determine, in the sole 
discretion of each Secretary, that— 
(1) the amendment is necessary for public safe-
ty or transmission and grid reliability; or 
(2) the actions, operations, or other require-
ments that the amendment would remove are no 
longer warranted. 
(b) RESTRICTION ON AMENDMENTS.—The process 
described in subsection (a) shall be the only method by 
which the Secretaries may operate the FCRPS in any way 
that is not consistent with the reasonable and prudent al-
ternative set forth in the Supplemental Opinion. 
SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON RESTRICTING FCRPS ELECTRICAL 
GENERATION; CLARIFICATION. 
(a) RESTRICTING FCRPS ELECTRICAL GENERA-
TION.—No structural modification, action, study, or engi-
neering plan that restricts electrical generation at any 
FCRPS hydroelectric dam, or that limits navigation on 
the Snake River in the State of Washington, Oregon, or 
Idaho, shall proceed unless such proposal is specifically 
and expressly authorized by a Federal statute enacted 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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(b) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in this section affects 
or interferes with the authority of the Secretaries to con-
duct operation and maintenance activities or make capital 
improvements necessary to meet authorized project pur-
poses of FCRPS facilities. 
Æ 
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