I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2993 
To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities 
Act to authorize funding for water recycling projects in areas experi-
encing severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 9, 2015 
Ms. MATSUI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize funding for water 
recycling projects in areas experiencing severe, extreme, 
or exceptional drought, 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 ‘‘Water Recycling Accel-
eration Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. FUNDING FOR WATER RECYCLING PROJECTS. 
Section 1602 of the Reclamation Wastewater and 
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (Title XVI of Pub-
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lic Law 102–575; 43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) FUNDING FOR WATER RECYCLING PROJECTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any project for which 
funding may otherwise be made available under this 
title shall not be required to have been previously 
specifically authorized by law for such funding, if 
that project reclaims and reuses— 
‘‘(A) municipal, industrial, domestic, or ag-
ricultural wastewater; or 
‘‘(B) naturally impaired ground and sur-
face waters. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—When funding projects under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give funding pri-
ority to projects that meet all of the criteria listed 
in paragraph (3) and are located in an area that— 
‘‘(A) has been identified by the United 
States Drought Monitor as experiencing severe, 
extreme, or exceptional drought at any time 
during the 4-year period before such funds are 
made available; or 
‘‘(B) was designated as a disaster area by 
the State between January 1, 2014, and De-
cember 31, 2018. 
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‘‘(3) CRITERIA.—The project criteria referred 
to in paragraph (2) are the following: 
‘‘(A) Projects that are likely to— 
‘‘(i) provide for a more reliable water 
supply; and 
‘‘(ii) protect, restore, and enhance 
river or estuarine ecosystems or their im-
mediate tributaries. 
‘‘(B) Projects that are likely to improve 
water resource flexibility and reduce impacts on 
environmental resources. 
‘‘(C) Projects that are regional in nature. 
‘‘(D) Projects that have multiple stake-
holders. 
‘‘(E) Projects that provide multiple bene-
fits, including water supply reliability, eco-
system benefits, ground water management and 
enhancements, and water quality improvements. 
‘‘(F) Projects for which a feasibility study 
has been completed and any necessary environ-
mental or public reviews have been initiated. 
‘‘(4) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 90 days 
after date of the enactment of this subsection, to as-
sist non-Federal interests, the Secretary shall issue 
water recycling project solicitation and evaluation 
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guidelines that include the criteria listed in para-
graph (3). 
‘‘(5) PROJECT SOLICITATION.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
subsection, the Secretary shall solicit water recycling 
project proposals. 
‘‘(6) REVIEW
BY
COMMISSIONER.—The Sec-
retary shall review each proposed water recycling 
project received under this subsection for the pur-
pose of determining whether or not the proposal, 
and the process under which the proposal was devel-
oped, comply with Federal laws and regulations ap-
plicable to the development of water recycling 
projects. 
‘‘(7) SUNSET.—The authority of the Secretary 
under this subsection shall terminate 10 years after 
the date of the enactment of this subsection.’’. 
Æ 
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