IB 
Union Calendar No. 372 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4750 
[Report No. 109–632] 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine 
the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project 
to improve water supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, 
and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin 
between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2006 
Mr. OSBORNE (for himself and Mr. MORAN of Kansas) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 14, 2006] 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
study to determine the feasibility of implementing a 
water supply and conservation project to improve water 
supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, 
and improve water management efficiency in the Repub-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:22 Sep 07, 2006
Jkt 039196
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H4750.RH
H4750
pwalker on PRODPC60 with BILLS
lican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Ne-
braska and Milford Lake in Kansas. 
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 ‘‘Lower Republican River 
Basin Study Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN FEASIBILITY STUDY. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF STUDY.—Pursuant to rec-
lamation laws, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 
the Bureau of Reclamation and in consultation and co-
operation with the States of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colo-
rado, may conduct a study to— 
(1) determine the feasibility of implementing a 
water supply and conservation project that will— 
(A) improve water supply reliability in the 
Republican River Basin between Harlan County 
Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas, 
including areas in the counties of Harlan, 
Franklin, Webster, and Nuckolls in Nebraska 
and Jewel, Republic, Cloud, Washington, and 
Clay in Kansas (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Republican River Basin’’); 
(B) increase the capacity of water storage 
through modifications of existing projects or 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:22 Sep 07, 2006
Jkt 039196
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4750.RH
H4750
pwalker on PRODPC60 with BILLS
through new projects that serve areas in the Re-
publican River Basin; and 
(C) improve water management efficiency 
in the Republican River Basin through conserva-
tion and other available means and, where ap-
propriate, evaluate integrated water resource 
management and supply needs in the Republican 
River Basin; and 
(2) consider appropriate cost-sharing options for 
implementation of the project. 
(b) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the cost of 
the study shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of 
the study, and shall be nonreimbursable. 
(c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary shall 
undertake the study through cooperative agreements with 
the State of Kansas or Nebraska and other appropriate enti-
ties determined by the Secretary. 
(d) COMPLETION AND REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this section the Secretary of the Interior 
shall complete the study and transmit to the Congress 
a report containing the results of the study. 
(2) EXTENSION.—If the Secretary determines 
that the study cannot be completed within the 3-year 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:22 Sep 07, 2006
Jkt 039196
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4750.RH
H4750
pwalker on PRODPC60 with BILLS
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary— 
(A) shall, at the time of that determination, 
report to the Congress on the status of the study, 
including an estimate of the date of completion; 
and 
(B) complete the study and transmit to the 
Congress a report containing the results of the 
study by not later than that date. 
(e) SUNSET OF AUTHORITY.—The authority of the Sec-
retary to carry out any provisions of this Act shall termi-
nate 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:22 Sep 07, 2006
Jkt 039196
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4750.RH
H4750
pwalker on PRODPC60 with BILLS
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:22 Sep 07, 2006
Jkt 039196
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H4750.RH
H4750
pwalker on PRODPC60 with BILLS