I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8041 
To establish a Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program within the 
Department of the Interior, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 14, 2020 
Mr. HARDER of California (for himself, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. MCNERNEY, 
Mr. COX of California, Ms. DEGETTE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. BERA, Mr. 
NEGUSE, and Mr. COSTA) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish a Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program 
within the Department of the Interior, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Snow Water Supply 
Forecasting Program Authorization Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program estab-
lished by section 3. 
(2) RECLAMATION
STATE.—The term ‘‘Rec-
lamation State’’ means a State or territory described 
in the first section of the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 
Stat. 388, chapter 1093; 43 U.S.C. 391). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.—The Snow Water 
Supply Forecasting Program is hereby established within 
the Department of the Interior. 
(b) PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.—To implement the 
program, the Secretary shall— 
(1) develop the program framework in coordina-
tion with other Federal agencies pursuant to section 
4, culminating in the report required under section 
4(c); and 
(2) after submitting the report required by sec-
tion 4(c), implement activities to improve snowpack 
measurement in particular watersheds pursuant to 
section 5. 
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SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM FRAMEWORK IN CO-
ORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGEN-
CIES. 
(a) SNOWPACK MEASUREMENT DATA.—When deter-
mining water supply forecasts or allocations to Federal 
water contractors, the Secretary, acting through the Com-
missioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, shall incorporate, 
to the greatest extent practicable, information from 
emerging technologies for snowpack measurement, such 
as— 
(1) synthetic aperture radar; 
(2) laser altimetry; and 
(3) other emerging technologies that the Sec-
retary determines are likely to provide more accurate 
or timely snowpack measurement data. 
(b) COORDINATION.—In carrying out subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall coordinate data use and collection ef-
forts with other Federal agencies that use or may benefit 
from the use of emerging technologies for snowpack meas-
urement. 
(c) EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES REPORT.—Not later 
than October 1, 2021, the Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a report that— 
(1) summarizes the use of emerging tech-
nologies pursuant to this section; 
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(2) describes benefits derived from the use of 
technologies summarized under paragraph (1) re-
lated to the environment and increased water supply 
reliability; and 
(3) describes how Federal agencies will coordi-
nate to implement emerging technologies. 
SEC. 5. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. 
(a) ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTING FRAMEWORK.—After 
submitting the report required under section 4(c), the Sec-
retary shall participate with program partners in imple-
menting activities to improve snowpack measurement in 
particular watersheds. 
(b) FOCUS.—The program shall focus on activities 
that will maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack 
measurement consistent with the report required by sec-
tion 4(c), with an emphasis on— 
(1) enhancing activities in river basins to 
achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting 
results; 
(2) activities in river basins where snow water 
supply forecasting related activities described in this 
section are not occurring on the of the date of the 
enactment of this Act; and 
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(3) demonstrating or testing new, or improving 
existing, snow and water supply forecasting tech-
nology. 
(c) INFORMATION SHARING.—The Secretary may 
provide information collected and analyzed under this Act 
to program partners through appropriate mechanisms, in-
cluding interagency agreements with Federal agencies, 
States, State agencies, or a combination thereof, leases, 
contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, loans, and 
memoranda of understanding. 
(d) PROGRAM PARTNERS.—Program partners with 
whom the Secretary enters into cooperative agreements 
pursuant to subsection (e) may include water districts, ir-
rigation districts, water associations, universities, State 
agencies, other Federal agencies, private sector entities, 
nongovernmental organizations, and other entities, as de-
termined by the Secretary. 
(e) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 
may— 
(1) enter into cooperative agreements with pro-
gram partners to allow the program to be adminis-
tered efficiently and cost effectively through cost 
sharing or by providing additional in-kind resources 
necessary for program implementation; and 
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(2) provide nonreimbursable matching funding 
for programmatic and operational activities under 
this section in consultation with program partners. 
(f) ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.—Nothing in this Act 
shall modify any obligation of the Secretary to comply with 
applicable Federal and State environmental laws in car-
rying out this Act. 
SEC. 6. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION REPORT. 
Not later than 4 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to 
the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, that in-
cludes— 
(1) a list of basins and sub-basins for which 
snowpack measurement technologies are being used 
under the program, including a description of each 
technology used; and 
(2) a list of Federal agencies and program part-
ners participating in each basin or sub-basin listed 
in paragraph (1). 
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SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary to carry out this Act $15,000,000, in the aggregate, 
for fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 
Æ 
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