A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to coordinate 
Federal and State permitting processes related to the 
construction of new surface water storage projects on 
lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Inte-
rior and the Secretary of Agriculture and to designate 
the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency for permit 
processing, 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 ‘‘Water Supply Permit-
ting Coordination Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BUREAU.—The term ‘‘Bureau’’ means the 
Bureau of Reclamation. 
(2) COOPERATING AGENCIES.—The term ‘‘cooper-
ating agency’’ means a Federal agency with jurisdic-
tion over a review, analysis, opinion, statement, per-
mit, license, or other approval or decision required for 
a qualifying project under applicable Federal laws 
and regulations, or a State agency subject to section 
3(c). 
(3) QUALIFYING PROJECTS.—The term ‘‘quali-
fying projects’’ means new surface water storage 
projects in the States covered under the Act of June 
17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388, chapter 1093), and Acts sup-
plemental to and amendatory of that Act (43 U.S.C. 
371 et seq.) constructed on lands administered by the 
Department of the Interior or the Department of Ag-
riculture, exclusive of any easement, right-of-way, 
lease, or any private holding, unless the project appli-
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cant elects not to participate in the process authorized 
by this Act. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF LEAD AGENCY AND COOPER-
ATING AGENCIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF LEAD AGENCY.—The Bureau 
is established as the lead agency for purposes of coordi-
nating all reviews, analyses, opinions, statements, permits, 
licenses, or other approvals or decisions required under Fed-
eral law to construct qualifying projects. 
(b) IDENTIFICATION
AND ESTABLISHMENT
OF CO-
OPERATING AGENCIES.—The Commissioner of the Bureau 
shall— 
(1) identify, as early as practicable upon receipt 
of an application for a qualifying project, any Fed-
eral agency that may have jurisdiction over a review, 
analysis, opinion, statement, permit, license, ap-
proval, or decision required for a qualifying project 
under applicable Federal laws and regulations; and 
(2) notify any such agency, within a reasonable 
timeframe, that the agency has been designated as a 
cooperating agency in regards to the qualifying 
project unless that agency responds to the Bureau in 
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writing, within a timeframe set forth by the Bureau, 
notifying the Bureau that the agency— 
(A) has no jurisdiction or authority with 
respect to the qualifying project; 
(B) has no expertise or information relevant 
to the qualifying project or any review, analysis, 
opinion, statement, permit, license, or other ap-
proval or decision associated therewith; or 
(C) does not intend to submit comments on 
the qualifying project or conduct any review of 
such a project or make any decision with respect 
to such project in a manner other than in co-
operation with the Bureau. 
(c) STATE AUTHORITY.—A State in which a quali-
fying project is being considered may choose, consistent 
with State law— 
(1) to participate as a cooperating agency; and 
(2) to make subject to the processes of this Act 
all State agencies that— 
(A) have jurisdiction over the qualifying 
project; 
(B) are required to conduct or issue a re-
view, analysis, or opinion for the qualifying 
project; or 
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(C) are required to make a determination 
on issuing a permit, license, or approval for the 
qualifying project. 
SEC. 4. BUREAU RESPONSIBILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The principal responsibilities of the 
Bureau under this Act are— 
(1) to serve as the point of contact for appli-
cants, State agencies, Indian tribes, and others re-
garding proposed qualifying projects; 
(2) to coordinate preparation of unified environ-
mental documentation that will serve as the basis for 
all Federal decisions necessary to authorize the use of 
Federal lands for qualifying projects; and 
(3) to coordinate all Federal agency reviews nec-
essary for project development and construction of 
qualifying projects. 
(b) COORDINATION PROCESS.—The Bureau shall have 
the following coordination responsibilities: 
(1) PREAPPLICATION COORDINATION.—Notify co-
operating agencies of proposed qualifying projects not 
later than 30 days after receipt of a proposal and fa-
cilitate a preapplication meeting for prospective ap-
plicants, relevant Federal and State agencies, and In-
dian tribes— 
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(A) to explain applicable processes, data re-
quirements, and applicant submissions necessary 
to complete the required Federal agency reviews 
within the timeframe established; and 
(B) to establish the schedule for the quali-
fying project. 
(2) CONSULTATION
WITH
COOPERATING
AGEN-
CIES.—Consult with the cooperating agencies through-
out the Federal agency review process, identify and 
obtain relevant data in a timely manner, and set nec-
essary deadlines for cooperating agencies. 
(3) SCHEDULE.—Work with the qualifying 
project applicant and cooperating agencies to estab-
lish a project schedule. In establishing the schedule, 
the Bureau shall consider, among other factors— 
(A) the responsibilities of cooperating agen-
cies under applicable laws and regulations; 
(B) the resources available to the cooper-
ating agencies and the non-Federal qualifying 
project sponsor, as applicable; 
(C) the overall size and complexity of the 
qualifying project; 
(D) the overall schedule for and cost of the 
qualifying project; and 
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(E) the sensitivity of the natural and his-
toric resources that may be affected by the quali-
fying project. 
(4) ENVIRONMENTAL
COMPLIANCE.—Prepare a 
unified environmental review document for each 
qualifying project application, incorporating a single 
environmental record on which all cooperating agen-
cies with authority to issue approvals for a given 
qualifying project shall base project approval deci-
sions. Help ensure that cooperating agencies make 
necessary decisions, within their respective authori-
ties, regarding Federal approvals in accordance with 
the following timelines: 
(A) Not later than 1 year after acceptance 
of a completed project application when an envi-
ronmental assessment and finding of no signifi-
cant impact is determined to be the appropriate 
level of review under the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.). 
(B) Not later than 1 year and 30 days after 
the close of the public comment period for a draft 
environmental impact statement under the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
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U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), when an environmental im-
pact statement is required under the same. 
(5) CONSOLIDATED ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD.— 
Maintain a consolidated administrative record of the 
information assembled and used by the cooperating 
agencies as the basis for agency decisions. 
(6) PROJECT
DATA
RECORDS.—To the extent 
practicable and consistent with Federal law, ensure 
that all project data is submitted and maintained in 
generally accessible electronic format, compile, and 
where authorized under existing law, make available 
such project data to cooperating agencies, the quali-
fying project applicant, and to the public. 
(7) PROJECT
MANAGER.—Appoint a project 
manager for each qualifying project. The project man-
ager shall have authority to oversee the project and to 
facilitate the issuance of the relevant final authorizing 
documents, and shall be responsible for ensuring ful-
fillment of all Bureau responsibilities set forth in this 
section and all cooperating agency responsibilities 
under section 5. 
SEC. 5. COOPERATING AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES. 
(a) ADHERENCE TO BUREAU SCHEDULE.— 
(1) TIMEFRAMES.—On notification of an appli-
cation for a qualifying project, the head of each co-
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operating agency shall submit to the Bureau a time-
frame under which the cooperating agency reasonably 
will be able to complete the authorizing responsibil-
ities of the cooperating agency. 
(2) SCHEDULE.— 
(A) USE
OF
TIMEFRAMES.—The Bureau 
shall use the timeframes submitted under this 
subsection to establish the project schedule under 
section 4. 
(B) ADHERENCE.—Each cooperating agen-
cy shall adhere to the project schedule established 
by the Bureau under subparagraph (A). 
(b) ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD.—The head of each co-
operating agency shall submit to the Bureau all environ-
mental review material produced or compiled in the course 
of carrying out activities required under Federal law, con-
sistent with the project schedule established by the Bureau 
under subsection (a)(2). 
(c) DATA SUBMISSION.—To the extent practicable and 
consistent with Federal law, the head of each cooperating 
agency shall submit all relevant project data to the Bureau 
in a generally accessible electronic format, subject to the 
project schedule established by the Bureau under subsection 
(a)(2). 
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SEC. 6. FUNDING TO PROCESS PERMITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, after public notice 
in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 
7, of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the 
‘‘Administrative Procedure Act’’), may accept and expend 
funds contributed by a non-Federal public entity to expedite 
the evaluation of a permit of that entity related to a quali-
fying project. 
(b) EFFECT ON PERMITTING.— 
(1) EVALUATION OF PERMITS.—In carrying out 
this section, the Secretary shall ensure that the eval-
uation of permits carried out using funds accepted 
under this section shall— 
(A) be reviewed by the Regional Director of 
the Bureau of the region in which the qualifying 
project or activity is located (or a designee); and 
(B) use the same procedures for decisions 
that would otherwise be required for the evalua-
tion of permits for similar projects or activities 
not carried out using funds authorized under 
this section. 
(2) IMPARTIAL
DECISIONMAKING.—In carrying 
out this section, the Secretary and the head of each 
cooperating agency receiving funds under this section 
for a qualifying project shall ensure that the use of 
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the funds accepted under this section for the quali-
fying project shall not— 
(A) substantively or procedurally impact 
impartial decisionmaking with respect to the 
issuance of permits; or 
(B) diminish, modify, or otherwise affect 
the statutory or regulatory authorities of the co-
operating agency. 
(c) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—None of the funds 
accepted under this section shall be used to carry out a re-
view of the evaluation of permits required under subsection 
(b)(1)(A). 
(d) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall en-
sure that all final permit decisions carried out using funds 
authorized under this section are made available to the pub-
lic, including on the Internet. 
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