cisionmaking either substantively or proce-
durally. 
(h) REPORT ON TIMESAVINGS METHODS.—Not later 
than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Secretary shall prepare and transmit to Congress a 
report estimating the time required for the issuance of all 
Federal, State, local, and tribal permits for the construc-
tion of non-Federal projects for water supply, wastewater 
infrastructure, flood damage reduction, storm damage re-
duction, ecosystem restoration, and navigation. The Sec-
retary shall include in that report recommendations for 
further reducing the amount of time required for the 
issuance of those permits, including any proposed changes 
in existing law. 
SEC. 2025. PROJECT STREAMLINING. 
(a) POLICY.—The benefits of water resources 
projects are important to the Nation’s economy and envi-
ronment, and recommendations to Congress regarding 
such projects should not be delayed due to uncoordinated 
and sequential environmental reviews or the failure to 
timely resolve disputes during the development of water 
resources projects. 
(b) SCOPE.—This section shall apply to each study 
initiated after the date of enactment of this Act to develop 
a feasibility report under section 905 of the Water Re-
sources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2282), or 
a reevaluation report, for a water resources project if the 
Secretary determines that such study requires an environ-
mental impact statement under the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
(c) WATER RESOURCES PROJECT REVIEW PROC-
ESS.—The Secretary shall develop and implement a co-
ordinated review process for water resources projects. 
(d) COORDINATED REVIEWS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The coordinated review proc-
ess under this section shall provide that all environ-
mental reviews, analyses, opinions, permits, licenses, 
and approvals that must be issued or made by a 
Federal, State, or local government agency or Indian 
tribe for a water resources project will be conducted 
concurrently, to the maximum extent practicable, 
and completed within a time period established by 
the Secretary, in cooperation with the agencies iden-
tified under subsection (e) with respect to the 
project. 
(2) AGENCY
PARTICIPATION.—Each Federal 
agency identified under subsection (e) shall formu-
late and implement administrative, policy, and pro-
cedural mechanisms to enable the agency to ensure 
completion of environmental reviews, analyses, opin-
ions, permits, licenses, and approvals described in 
paragraph (1) in a timely and environmentally re-
sponsible manner. 
(e) IDENTIFICATION
OF
JURISDICTIONAL
AGEN-
CIES.—With respect to each water resources project, the 
Secretary shall identify, as soon as practicable, all Fed-
eral, State, and local government agencies and Indian 
tribes that may have jurisdiction over environmental-re-
lated matters that may be affected by the project or may 
be required by law to conduct an environmental-related 
review or analysis of the project or determine whether to 
issue an environmental-related permit, license, or approval 
for the project. 
(f) STATE AUTHORITY.—If a coordinated review 
process is being implemented under this section by the 
Secretary with respect to a water resources project within 
the boundaries of a State, the State, consistent with State 
law, may choose to participate in such process and provide 
that all State agencies that have jurisdiction over environ-
mental-related matters that may be affected by the project 
or may be required by law to conduct an environmental-
related review or analysis of the project or determine 
whether to issue an environmental-related permit, license, 
or approval for the project, be subject to the process.
(g) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The co-
ordinated review process developed under this section may 
be incorporated into a memorandum of understanding for 
a project between the Secretary and the heads of other 
Federal, State, and local government agencies and Indian 
tribes identified under subsection (e) with respect to the 
project and the non-Federal interest for the project. 
(h) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO MEET DEADLINE.—
(1) NOTIFICATION OF CONGRESS AND CEQ.—If 
the Secretary determines that a Federal, State, or 
local government agency, Indian tribe, or non-Fed-
eral interest that is participating in a coordinated 
review process under this section with respect to a 
project has not met a deadline established under 
subsection (d) for the project, the Secretary shall no-
tify, within 30 days of the date of such determina-
tion, the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives, the Com-
mittee on Environment and Public Works of the 
Senate, the Council on Environmental Quality, and 
the agency, Indian tribe, or non-Federal interest in-
volved about the failure to meet the deadline. 
(2) AGENCY REPORT.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date of receipt of a notice under paragraph 
(1), the Federal, State, or local government agency,
Indian tribe, or non-Federal interest involved shall 
submit a report to the Secretary, the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate, and the Council on En-
vironmental Quality explaining why the agency, In-
dian tribe, or non-Federal interest did not meet the 
deadline and what actions it intends to take to com-
plete or issue the required review, analysis, opinion, 
permit, license, or approval. 
(i) PURPOSE AND NEED AND DETERMINATION OF 
REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—As an official of the lead 
Federal agency that is responsible for carrying out 
a study to which this section applies and its associ-
ated process for meeting the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and as the Federal agency with 
expertise in water resources development, the Sec-
retary, in carrying out such study and process, 
shall—
(A) define the purpose and need for the 
proposed water resources project; and
(B) determine which alternatives are rea-
sonable and may be reasonably anticipated to 
meet project purposes and needs. 
(2) STREAMLINING
STUDY.—To streamline a 
study to which this section applies and its associated 
process for meeting the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 
et seq.), the Secretary may eliminate from consider-
ation any alternatives the Secretary determines are 
not reasonable or are not reasonably anticipated to 
meet project purposes and needs. 
(j) SOLICITATION
AND CONSIDERATION
OF COM-
MENTS.—In applying subsection (i), the Secretary shall 
solicit, consider, and respond to comments from interested 
persons and governmental entities. 
(k) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall develop and publish a list of categorical exclusions 
from the requirement that an environmental assessment 
or an environmental impact statement be prepared under 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.) for water resources projects. 
(l) LIMITATIONS.—Nothing in this section shall pre-
empt or interfere with—
(1) any practice of seeking public comment;
(2) any power, jurisdiction, or authority that a 
Federal, State, or local government agency, Indian 
tribe, or non-Federal interest has with respect to 
carrying out a water resources project; or 
(3) any obligation to comply with the provisions 
of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and the regulations issued 
by the Council on Environmental Quality to carry 
out such Act. 
(m) BENCHMARKS.—Within 12 months of the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Chief of Engineers shall es-
tablish benchmarks for determining the length of time it 
should take to conduct a feasibility study for a water re-
sources development project and its associated review 
process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.). Benchmarks may be estab-
lished for activities based on project type, size, cost, and 
complexity. The Chief of Engineers shall use such bench-
marks as a management tool to make the feasibility study 
process more efficient in all districts of the Army Corps 
of Engineers. 
SEC. 2026. LAKES PROGRAM. 
Section 602(a) of the Water Resources Development 
Act of 1986 (100 Stat. 4148; 110 Stat. 3758; 113 Stat. 
295) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at end of paragraph (18); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (19) and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(20) Kinkaid Lake, Jackson County, Illinois, 
removal of silt and aquatic growth and measures to 
address excessive sedimentation; 
‘‘(21) McCarter Pond, Borough of Fairhaven, 
New Jersey, removal of silt and measures to address 
water quality; 
‘‘(22) Rogers Pond, Franklin Township, New 
Jersey, removal of silt and restoration of structural 
integrity; 
‘‘(23) Greenwood Lake, New York and New 
Jersey, removal of silt and aquatic growth; 
‘‘(24) Lake Rodgers, Creedmoor, North Caro-
lina, removal of silt and excessive nutrients and res-
toration of structural integrity; and 
‘‘(25) Lake Luxembourg, Pennsylvania.’’. 
SEC. 2027. MITIGATION FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE LOSSES. 
(a) MITIGATION PLAN CONTENTS.—Section 906(d) 
of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 
U.S.C. 2283(d)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: