more permanent version may be developed in 
the Mississippi River region. 
‘‘(B) The temporary Program Office shall 
continue to operate, develop, and expand as 
needed in the location specified by the Adminis-
trator while a more permanent regional location 
is established. 
‘‘(C) Six months after enactment of this 
Act, the Administrator shall invite proposals 
from the ten States bordering the Main Stem 
Mississippi River describing how each State 
would be best suited to host the Program Of-
fice. 
‘‘(D) The Administrator shall request de-
tails from each eligible State on what resources 
that State can provide to the development of 
the Program Office and how that State hosting 
the Program Office is in the best interest of 
carrying out the intent of this Act. Eligible 
States shall also include the following details: 
‘‘(i) State match of funding available 
to develop the Program Office up to the 
first five years of its operation. 
‘‘(ii) How the Mississippi River fits 
into that State’s plan(s) for the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(I) Sustainable economic devel-
opment. 
‘‘(II) Disaster resilience and miti-
gation. 
‘‘(III) Water quality monitoring 
strategy. 
‘‘(IV) Drought resilience. 
‘‘(V) Climate change reduction 
and adaptation. 
‘‘(VI) Natural resource protec-
tion and conservation. 
‘‘(VII) Habitat restoration and 
preservation. 
‘‘(VIII) Nutrient reduction strat-
egy. 
‘‘(IX) Infrastructure renewal and 
replacement. 
‘‘(X) Land use and development 
in and around flood plain and back-
water areas. 
‘‘(iii) Partnerships with the non-profit 
and private sectors that can assist the 
State, EPA, and Department of Interior in 
developing the Program Office and car-
rying out its mandate under this Act. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(E) MULTI-STATE PROPOSALS.—Because 
the Mississippi River is a border for eight out 
of the ten eligible States, eligible States may 
partner in answering the Administrator’s re-
quest under the following provisions: 
‘‘(i) There shall be no limit to the 
number of States partnering in reply to 
this subsection. 
‘‘(ii) The physical location of the Pro-
gram Office may reside in two or more 
States but sites must be positioned no 
more than two (2.0) lateral miles apart un-
less a majority of the space between sites 
is river and/or unoccupied floodplain, than 
the maximum distance shall be no more 
than five-and-a-half (5.5) lateral miles be-
tween any two sites of the office. 
‘‘(iii) State jurisdiction and matching 
funds must be coordinated and an ultimate 
State authority over the office coordinating 
resources and communication must be es-
tablished in the proposal. A special services 
vehicle or other multi-State body may be 
assembled to provide this authority for the 
Administrator. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(F) PRIORITY.—The Administrator shall 
submit all State proposals to the Federal Lead-
ership Committee to evaluate State proposals to 
host the Program Office using the following pri-
orities in decreasing order of importance: 
‘‘(i) Mississippi River inclusion and 
jurisdiction in the State plans delineated in 
subsection (b)(5)(B)(ii). 
‘‘(ii) The inclusion of additional sus-
tainability capacities including but not lim-
ited to affirmative answers to the following 
inquiries: 
‘‘(I) Is the proposed site(s) lo-
cated within or directly accessible to a 
Mississippi River City’s downtown 
area, or contained within city limits in 
whole or in part? 
‘‘(II) Is the proposed facility or 
facilities for the Program Office a 
‘green building’ that is LEED cer-
tified at ‘gold’ level or above? 
‘‘(III) Does the State proposal 
and site situation take into account 
adjacent or nearby Federal property? 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(IV) Is the proposed location 
adjacent to or near areas that can be 
used as demonstration sites for var-
ious Mississippi River Program activi-
ties involving resilience, adaptation, 
conservation, restoration, and/or nat-
ural infrastructure applications? 
‘‘(V) Does the State proposal 
stress priorities around low impact de-
velopment strategies such as restora-
tion of gray or brownfield sites, em-
phasis of alternative forms of trans-
portation, proposed site is outside 
floodplain? 
‘‘(iii) A plan to work with Federal 
partners ensuring objectives of diversity, 
equity, and inclusion are achieved; specifi-
cally, plans to employ local and regional 
residents from historically disadvantaged 
groups, plans to support local businesses 
near the program office site, plans to cre-
ate permeable spaces between the Federal 
facility and the community it occupies, and 
plans to provide ongoing and cumulative 
learning opportunities so residents of re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
gional disadvantaged communities may 
contribute meaningfully to the program of-
fice. 
‘‘(iv) Multi-State proposal. 
‘‘(v) Partnerships especially with envi-
ronmental justice organizations, histori-
cally Black colleges and universities, as 
well as minority opportunity and prosperity 
organizations. 
‘‘(G) States shall be given 6 months from 
publication of the request for proposals to sub-
mit a reply to the Administrator. In the event 
that no eligible State submits a reply timely 
under this section, then the Administrator shall 
select a State and site unilaterally using appli-
cable portions of the above procedure. 
‘‘(H) The Program Office established 120 
days after enactment of this Act shall continue 
to operate and develop where designated by the 
Administrator until such time a new office may 
be established within the Mississippi River Cor-
ridor. 
‘‘(6) OVERSIGHT.—In conducting oversight with 
respect to managing the Program Office established 
under this section, the Administrator— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) shall— 
‘‘(i) periodically audit the funds and 
activities in accordance with procedures es-
tablished by the Comptroller General of 
the United States; and 
‘‘(ii) not less frequently than once 
every two (2) years, review the projects 
and activities of the Program Office to de-
termine its effectiveness in carrying out 
this Act; and 
‘‘(B) may, at any time— 
‘‘(i) make recommendations to the 
Program Office division directors and host 
State with respect to the administration of 
the Program Office; or 
‘‘(ii) require specific changes with re-
spect to the Program Office in order to im-
prove the effectiveness of activities estab-
lished under this Act. 
‘‘(7) Any specific changes the Administrator 
deems a requirement must be coordinated and ad-
vised by the Department of Interior, U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation, and the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers where the subject matter duly falls 
under that agencies authority and/or expertise. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(c) IN GENERAL.—There shall be established a suite 
of grants and ongoing projects through this section to sus-
tain the Mississippi River Corridor and carryout the intent 
created under this Act. 
‘‘(d) COMPREHENSIVE MISSISSIPPI RIVER RESTORA-
TION PLAN.—Not later than two and a half (2.5) years 
after enactment of this Act, the Program Office in coordi-
nation with the Federal Leadership Committee shall de-
velop a comprehensive Mississippi River restoration plan 
(Plan) to guide implementation of several projects under 
this subsection and subsection (c). 
‘‘(1) COORDINATION.—The restoration plan de-
scribed in paragraph (d) shall, to the maximum ex-
tent practicable, consider and avoid duplication of 
any ongoing or planned actions of other Federal, 
State, and local agencies and nongovernmental orga-
nizations but instead seek to support, compliment, 
improve, and where appropriate absorb other efforts 
with specific reference to the Navigation and Eco-
system Sustainability Program (NESP), the Upper 
Mississippi River Restoration Program (UMRR), the 
Mississippi River and Tributaries Program (MR&T), 
the Wetland Reserve Program, the Resilience Re-
volving Loan Fund or STORM Act, and the private 
carbon reforestation program(s). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) STRATEGIC INTERSTATE COORDINATION.— 
Recognizing the Mississippi River acts as a border 
along eight of the ten State-corridor, to the max-
imum extent possible, projects under this subsection 
shall be carried-out through interstate cooperation 
and coordination with States, localities, and organi-
zations partnering on both sides of the Mississippi 
River in carrying-out all activities permitted through 
this subsection. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITIZATION.—The restoration plan 
described in subsection (d) shall give priority to 
projects eligible under subsections (c) and (d) that 
will also improve water quality or quantity or use 
natural hydrological features and systems as well as 
non-structural solutions toward the following bene-
fits: 
‘‘(A) sediment, erosion, and errand nutri-
ent control; 
‘‘(B) protection of eroding shorelines; 
‘‘(C) ecosystem restoration, including res-
toration of submerged aquatic vegetation for 
the primary purpose of disaster resilience and 
environmental service restoration and aug-
mentation; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(D) protection of essential public works, 
critical national infrastructure, and the major 
economies that depend on the River; 
‘‘(E) restore the biodiversity of the Mis-
sissippi River Corridor; 
‘‘(F) sustain wildlife, habitat, and natural 
resource integrity; 
‘‘(G) set-back and reconfiguration of levees 
and floodwalls as well as pursuance of non- 
structural solutions; 
‘‘(H) increase and improvement of water 
quality monitoring capacity; 
‘‘(I) beneficial uses of dredged material; 
‘‘(J) protection of near-water communities 
especially those in historically disadvantaged 
neighborhoods and regions such as the delta; 
and 
‘‘(K) other related projects that may en-
hance the living resources of the Mississippi 
River Corridor. 
‘‘(4) PROCEDURE.—Once completed the Pro-
gram Office shall submit the Plan to the Federal 
Leadership Committee, EPA Administrator, and the 
Secretary of the Department of Interior to be re-
leased for public comment. The public comment pe-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
riod shall last no more than ninety (90) days in line 
with standard Department of Interior policies and 
procedures. Once the public comment period has 
elapsed, the Plan will enter final review and ap-
proval. No later than thirty days (30) after the pub-
lic comment period has completed the Plan shall be 
placed into its final form and published. Once the 
Plan is approved, it shall be given to the Program 
Office to carry-out in accordance with the aims and 
priorities of this Act under the recommended 
timeline set-forth in the Plan itself for both imple-
mentation and scheduled updates with advice and 
coordination from the Federal Leadership Com-
mittee. 
‘‘(e) PROJECTS.—The Program Office shall establish, 
to the maximum extent possible, projects under this sec-
tion throughout the Mississippi River Corridor that imple-
ment the Comprehensive Mississippi River Restoration 
Plan as well as projects that proceed apart and outside 
the Plan but meet the priorities and aims laid-out in sub-
sections (a)(1) and (b)(4) of this section. 
‘‘(1) PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND.—A project 
carried out pursuant to the Plan described in sub-
section (d) that is located on Federal land shall be 
carried out at the expense of the Federal agency 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:48 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4729.IH
H4729
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS