IB 
Union Calendar No. 485 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3961 
[Report No. 115–634] 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the 
Kissimmee River and its tributaries in the State of Florida for study 
for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 4, 2017 
Mr. SOTO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
APRIL 13, 2018 
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 October 4, 2017] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 
segments of the Kissimmee River and its tributaries in 
the State of Florida for study for potential addition 
to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and 
for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Kissimmee River Wild 
and Scenic River Study Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Kissimmee River has undergone, over the 
course of two decades, the largest river restoration ef-
fort in the world. 
(2) Extending approximately 105 miles from Or-
lando to Lake Okeechobee, the Kissimmee River forms 
the headwaters of Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades 
and serves as a vital component of ecosystem restora-
tion in South Florida as a whole. 
(3) The Kissimmee River Restoration Project has 
significantly improved approximately 63,000 acres of 
wetlands within the Kissimmee River watershed and 
reestablished an environment suitable for fish, wild-
life, and the wetland plants that existed prior to the 
Kissimmee River’s channelization in the 1960s. 
(4) The Kissimmee River Restoration Project is 
expected to be completed in 2020, at which point it 
is expected to reestablish historic hydrologic condi-
tions, 
recreate 
historic 
river 
and 
floodplain 
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connectivity, recreate the historic mosaic of wetland 
plant communities, and restore historic biological di-
versity and functionality. 
(5) After decades of restoration efforts and the 
expenditure of nearly a billion dollars, upon comple-
tion of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, a 
study should be conducted to determine the eligibility 
of including the fully restored Kissimmee River into 
the National Wild and Scenic River program to pre-
serve the fully restored free-flowing condition and im-
mediate environment of the river for the benefit and 
enjoyment of present and future generations. 
(6) Inclusion of the Kissimmee River into the 
National Wild and Scenic River program would be a 
fitting tribute to the hard work of the Army Corps of 
Engineers and the South Florida Water Management 
District’s restoration work. 
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION FOR STUDY. 
(a) DESIGNATION FOR POTENTIAL ADDITION.—Sec-
tion 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
1276(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(ll) KISSIMMEE RIVER, FLORIDA.—The seg-
ment from the southern shore of Lake Kissimmee to 
its confluence with Lake Okeechobee.’’. 
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(b) STUDY.—Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Riv-
ers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(ll) KISSIMMEE RIVER, FLORIDA.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date on which funds are made available 
to carry out this paragraph, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall complete a study of the Kissimmee 
River, as described in subsection (a)(ll), and 
submit a report describing the results of such 
study to the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 
‘‘(B) REPORT REQUIREMENTS.—The report 
required under subparagraph (A) shall— 
‘‘(i) include a discussion of the effect of 
the designation of the segment to be studied 
under subsection (a)(ll) on— 
‘‘(I) existing commercial and rec-
reational activities, such as cattle 
ranching, dairy production, hunting, 
fishing, trapping, recreational shoot-
ing, motor boat use, or bridge construc-
tion; 
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‘‘(II) the authorization, construc-
tion, operation, maintenance, or im-
provement of energy production and 
transmission infrastructure; 
‘‘(III) military operations; and 
‘‘(IV) the authority of State and 
local governments to manage the ac-
tivities described in subclauses (I) and 
(II); and 
‘‘(ii) identify— 
‘‘(I) all authorities that will au-
thorize or require the Secretary of the 
Interior to influence local land use de-
cisions (such as zoning) or place re-
strictions on non-Federal land if the 
area 
studied 
under 
subsection 
(a)(ll) is designated under the Wild 
and Scenic Rivers Act; 
‘‘(II) all authorities that the Sec-
retary of the Interior may use to con-
demn property if the area studied 
under subsection (a)(ll) is des-
ignated under the Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act; and 
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‘‘(III) all private property located 
in the area to be studied under sub-
section (a)(ll). 
‘‘(C) NONINTERFERENCE.—This study shall 
not interfere with the Kissimmee River Restora-
tion Project authorized under section 101(8) of 
the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 
(Public Law 102–580).’’. 
(c) NO NEGATIVE IMPACT.—Nothing authorized by 
this Act may negatively impact agricultural production in 
the Kissimmee River basin. 
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Union Calendar No. 485 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3961 
[Report No. 115–634] 
A BILL 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to des-
ignate segments of the Kissimmee River and its 
tributaries in the State of Florida for study for 
potential addition to the National Wild and Sce-
nic Rivers System, and for other purposes. 
APRIL 13, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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