I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7026 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify when the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority 
to prohibit the specification of a defined area, or deny or restrict the 
use of a defined area for specification, as a disposal site under section 
404 of such Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 17, 2024 
Mr. STAUBER (for himself and Mr. ROUZER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify 
when the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency has the authority to prohibit the specification 
of a defined area, or deny or restrict the use of a 
defined area for specification, as a disposal site under 
section 404 of such Act, 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 ‘‘Reducing Permitting 
Uncertainty Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PERMITS FOR DREDGED OR FILL MATERIAL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 404(c) of the Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344(c)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(c) The Administrator’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(c) SPECIFICATION OR USE OF DEFINED AREA.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), as so designated, by in-
serting ‘‘during the period described in paragraph 
(2) and’’ before ‘‘after notice and opportunity for 
public hearings’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) PERIOD OF PROHIBITION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The period during 
which the Administrator may prohibit the speci-
fication (including the withdrawal of specifica-
tion) of any defined area as a disposal site, or 
deny or restrict the use of any defined area for 
specification (including the withdrawal of speci-
fication) as a disposal site, under paragraph (1) 
shall— 
‘‘(i) begin on the date that the Sec-
retary provides notice to the Administrator 
that the Secretary has completed all proce-
dures for processing an application for a 
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permit under this section relating to the 
specification and is ready to determine, in 
accordance with the record and applicable 
regulations, whether the permit should be 
issued; and 
‘‘(ii) end on the date on which the 
Secretary issues the permit. 
‘‘(B) MINIMUM
PERIOD.—The Secretary 
shall ensure that the period described in sub-
paragraph (A) consists of not fewer than 30 
consecutive days. 
‘‘(C) NOTICE.—The Secretary may issue a 
permit under this section only after the Sec-
retary provides notice to the Administrator in 
accordance with this paragraph.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub-
section (a) shall apply to a permit application submitted 
under section 404(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1344(a)) after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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