Natural Infrastructure Act of 2022
Bill: S.4884 | Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. (D-HI)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Natural Infrastructure Act of 2022
This bill requires the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to coordinate with the Forest Service on a program that supports the development and dissemination of research concerning natural infrastructure (i.e., constructed landscape features and systems that employ nature-based solutions that promote, use, restore, or emulate natural ecological processes). The USGS must also annually assess the costs and effectiveness of natural infrastructure projects.

To require the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the 
 Secretary of Agriculture, to establish a joint natural infrastructure 
                science program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Natural Infrastructure Act of 
2022''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the American Society of Civil Engineers has estimated 
        that the direct, cumulative repair needs for public 
        infrastructure in the United States is $4,600,000,000,000; and
            (2) installing natural infrastructure is often lower-cost, 
        more resilient, and more beneficial to the public than 
        repairing or replacing gray infrastructure.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Natural infrastructure.--The term ``natural 
        infrastructure'' means constructed landscape features and 
        systems that employ nature-based solutions that promote, use, 
        restore, or emulate natural ecological processes.
            (2) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the joint natural 
        infrastructure science program established under section 4(a).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
        States Geological Survey.

SEC. 4. JOINT NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE SCIENCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
Service, shall establish a joint natural infrastructure science program 
to respond to the emerging research needs of civil engineers, local 
governments, developers, and the construction industry.
    (b) Coordination.--In administering the Program, the Secretary 
shall work closely with research programs at institutions of higher 
education to supplement the current research efforts undertaken by 
those institutions of higher education.
    (c) Purposes.--The principal purposes of the Program shall be--
            (1) to provide, with respect to natural infrastructure, 
        practical research that--
                    (A) is responsive to the needs of civil engineers, 
                local governments, developers, and the construction 
                industry; and
                    (B) takes into account, to the maximum extent 
                practicable, local cultural considerations;
            (2) to engage with and listen to clients of the Program, 
        including civil engineers, local governments, developers, and 
        the members of the construction industry--
                    (A) to learn the needs of those clients; and
                    (B) to develop focused, strategic lines of new 
                research responsive to those needs;
            (3)(A) to solicit proposals from scientists for funding 
        provided under the Program; and
            (B) to award funding to those scientists through a 
        competitive, rigorous peer-review process that is designed to 
        ensure that the best projects are funded; and
            (4) to disseminate research findings, including associated 
        environmental valuations, using a suite of communication tools 
        to ensure that civil engineers, local governments, developers, 
        and members of the construction industry are aware of, 
        understand, and can use the information to make sound decisions 
        and implement projects.
    (d) Program Plan.--Not later than September 30, 2023, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives a Program plan that includes--
            (1) an assessment of the current state of knowledge about 
        natural infrastructure;
            (2) an integrated approach to improve knowledge sharing;
            (3) an approach for project monitoring and evaluation; and
            (4) an approach for setting research priorities.
    (e) Stakeholder Advisory Group.--
            (1) Membership.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        stakeholder advisory group consisting of technical experts, 
        including, at a minimum, 5 individuals selected from among the 
        following potential members:
                    (A) A representative of a local government.
                    (B) A developer.
                    (C) A representative of a construction industry 
                association or construction company.
                    (D) A civil engineer or environmental engineer.
                    (E) A researcher from an institution of higher 
                education.
                    (F) A member of an Alaska Native organization, a 
                Native Hawaiian organization, or an Indian Tribe (as 
                those terms are defined in section 2 of the Native 
                American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 
                U.S.C. 3001)) with experience with natural 
                infrastructure.
                    (G) An environmental scientist.
            (2) Duties.--The stakeholder advisory group established 
        under paragraph (1) shall meet not less frequently than 
        annually--
                    (A) to consider both immediate and long-term 
                scientific needs with respect to research relating to 
                natural infrastructure;
                    (B) to suggest to the Secretary appropriate topic 
                areas for research relating to natural infrastructure, 
                specific issues to be researched within those topic 
                areas, and information transfer needs for which the 
                Secretary shall solicit proposals in accordance with 
                subsection (c)(3); and
                    (C) to assist the Secretary in drafting the Program 
                plan described in subsection (d).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For each of fiscal years 2023 
through 2033, there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
section $4,000,000, including for activities to be carried out by the 
Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture under this section.

SEC. 5. ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

    (a) Evaluation.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, 
beginning in fiscal year 2023, the Secretary shall annually--
            (1) select not fewer than 30 natural infrastructure 
        projects completed under the Program or by any other entity or 
        individual in the United States; and
            (2) assess the costs and effectiveness of those natural 
        infrastructure projects.
    (b) Geographic and Project Diversity.--The Secretary, to the 
maximum extent practicable, shall select natural infrastructure 
projects under subsection (a)(1) that, taken together, reflect a 
diversity of--
            (1) geographic locations; and
            (2) types of natural infrastructure.
    (c) Report.--Beginning in fiscal year 2024, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a report that--
            (1) lists the natural infrastructure projects selected 
        under subsection (a)(1);
            (2) discloses--
                    (A) the costs of those natural infrastructure 
                projects; and
                    (B) the results of the assessment of the 
                effectiveness of those natural infrastructure projects 
                carried out under subsection (a)(2); and
            (3) if applicable, includes recommendations to improve the 
        construction, costs, and effectiveness of future natural 
        infrastructure projects.
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