I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4225 
To authorize drought assistance adjustments to provide immediate funding 
for projects and activities that will help alleviate record unemployment 
and diminished agricultural production related to the drought in Cali-
fornia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 8, 2009 
Mr. COSTA (for himself and Mr. CARDOZA) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To authorize drought assistance adjustments to provide im-
mediate funding for projects and activities that will help 
alleviate record unemployment and diminished agricul-
tural production related to the drought in California. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. DROUGHT ASSISTANCE AUTHORITY. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of the Interior 
may use funds provided by the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act of 2009 or appropriation measures 
through fiscal year 2012 for any required non-Federal 
share of the cost of projects that— 
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(1) are funded by the Federal Government for 
the same purpose; 
(2) are located in an area described in para-
graph (1) or (2) of subsection (b); and 
(3) have— 
(A) been identified as a project that will— 
(i) make progress towards achieving 
the co-equal goals of providing a more reli-
able water supply for California and pro-
tecting, restoring, and enhancing the Sac-
ramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem; 
(ii) increase water management flexi-
bility; or 
(iii) reduce impacts on environmental 
resources from projects operated by the 
California State Department of Water Re-
sources, the California State Department 
of Fish and Game, the Bureau of Reclama-
tion, the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service, or other relevant State and Fed-
eral agencies; 
(B) show potential, as determined by rel-
evant Federal and State agencies, to restore ag-
riculture production or agricultural employment 
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for an area described in paragraph (1) or (2) 
of subsection (b); and 
(C) made significant progress in the com-
pletion of any necessary environmental or public 
review if applicable. 
(b) ELIGIBLE AREAS.—An area referred to in sub-
section (a)(2) is any area that— 
(1) has been identified by the U.S. Drought 
Monitor as experiencing Severe, Extreme, or Excep-
tional Drought within the 24 months prior to the 
date of the enactment of this Act; or 
(2) has been designated as a disaster area by 
the State of California during calendar year 2009. 
(c) DROUGHT ASSISTANCE ADJUSTMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The use of funds for the 
non-Federal share of projects as authorized in this 
section shall be considered a Drought Assistance Ad-
justment. 
(2) CRITERIA FOR CALCULATING DROUGHT AS-
SISTANCE
ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary shall, 
within 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, establish criteria for calculating drought 
assistance adjustments utilizing existing practices 
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for adjustments in water service and repayment 
rates. 
Æ 
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