I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5461 
To authorize the Secretary of the Army to carry out water resources projects 
and activities for the coastal area of Louisiana, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 23, 2006 
Mr. MELANCON (for himself, Mr. BAKER, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. ALEXANDER, 
Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. JINDAL, and Mr. JEFFERSON) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of the Army to carry out water 
resources projects and activities for the coastal area of 
Louisiana, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Meeting Authorization Requirements for the Coast Act 
of 2006’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.— 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definition of Secretary. 
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TITLE I—WATER RESOURCES PROJECTS 
Sec. 101. Project authorizations. 
Sec. 102. General provisions. 
Sec. 103. Project modifications. 
Sec. 104. Project-related provisions. 
Sec. 105. Studies. 
TITLE II—LOUISIANA COASTAL AREA 
Sec. 201. Definitions. 
Sec. 202. Additional reports. 
Sec. 203. Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Protection and Restoration Task Force. 
Sec. 204. Investigations. 
Sec. 205. Construction. 
Sec. 206. Non-Federal cost share. 
Sec. 207. Project justification. 
Sec. 208. Statutory construction. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec-
retary of the Army. 
TITLE I—WATER RESOURCES 
PROJECTS 
SEC. 101. PROJECT AUTHORIZATIONS. 
(a) PROJECT WITH CHIEF’S REPORT.— 
(1) MORGANZA TO THE GULF OF MEXICO, LOU-
ISIANA.—The Secretary is authorized to carry out 
the project for hurricane and storm damage reduc-
tion, Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana: 
Reports of the Chief of Engineers, dated August 23, 
2002, and July 22, 2003, substantially in accord-
ance with the plans, and subject to the conditions, 
described in such reports, at a total cost of 
$788,000,000, with an estimated Federal cost of 
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$512,200,000 and an estimated non-Federal cost of 
$275,800,000. 
(2) CREDIT.—The Secretary shall credit toward 
the non-Federal share of the cost of the project the 
cost of design and construction work carried out by 
the non-Federal interest before the date of the part-
nership agreement for the project if the Secretary 
determines that the work is integral to the project. 
(b) PROJECT AUTHORIZATION SUBJECT TO FINAL 
REPORT.— 
(1) DONALDSONVILLE, LOUISIANA, TO
THE 
GULF OF MEXICO.—The project for flood control, 
Donaldsonville, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico, is 
authorized to be carried out by the Secretary sub-
stantially in accordance with the plans, and subject 
to the conditions, recommended in a final report of 
the Chief of Engineers if a favorable report of the 
Chief is completed, at a total cost of $510,300,000, 
with an estimated Federal cost of $331,700,000 and 
an estimated non-Federal cost of $178,600,000. 
(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that in considering possible alignments for 
the project for flood control, Donaldsonville, Lou-
isiana, to the Gulf of Mexico, the Secretary should 
take in account the preference of the West Jefferson 
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Levee District for an alignment that would provide 
flood protection for all of the communities located in 
the Lafitte, Barataria, and Crown Point areas with-
in Jefferson Parish. 
SEC. 102. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 
(a) 
SMALL
FLOOD
DAMAGE
REDUCTION 
PROJECTS.—Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 
1948 (33 U.S.C. 701s) is amended by striking 
‘‘$7,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$15,000,000’’. 
(b) BENEFICIAL USES OF DREDGED MATERIAL.— 
Section 204 of the Water Resources Development Act of 
1992 (33 U.S.C. 2326) is amended by striking subsections 
(c) through (g) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(c) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may carry out 
projects to transport and place sediment obtained in con-
nection with the construction, operation, or maintenance 
of an authorized water resources project at locations se-
lected by a non-Federal entity for use in the construction, 
repair, or rehabilitation of projects determined by the Sec-
retary to be in the public interest and associated with flood 
damage reduction, hurricane and storm damage reduction, 
aquatic plant control, and environmental protection and 
restoration. 
‘‘(d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—Any project un-
dertaken pursuant to this section shall be initiated only 
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after non-Federal interests have entered into an agree-
ment with the Secretary in which the non-Federal inter-
ests agree to pay the non-Federal share of the cost of con-
struction of the project and 100 percent of the cost of 
operation, maintenance, replacement, and rehabilitation of 
the project in accordance with section 103 of the Water 
Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2213). 
‘‘(e) SPECIAL RULE.—Construction of a project 
under subsection (a) may be carried out at Federal ex-
pense if— 
‘‘(1) the project is for one or more of the pur-
poses of protection, restoration, or creation of aquat-
ic and ecologically related habitat, will be carried out 
at a cost which does not exceed $750,000 and will 
be located in a disadvantaged community as deter-
mined by the Secretary; or 
‘‘(2) the project will be located in a coastal 
community impacted by a hurricane in 2005. 
‘‘(f) DETERMINATION OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS.— 
Costs associated with construction of a project under this 
section shall be limited solely to construction costs that 
are in excess of those costs necessary to carry out the 
dredging for construction, operation, or maintenance of 
the authorized water resources project in the most cost- 
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