Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act of 2021
Bill: S.2285 | Sponsor: Sen. Sinema, Kyrsten (D-AZ)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act of 2021
This bill provides statutory authority for the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program. Under the program, the Environmental Protection Agency and other specified agencies must reconnect urban communities, particularly urban communities that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies.

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, 
  the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture to 
 maintain the Urban Waters Federal Partnership 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 ``Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act 
of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Member agencies.--The term ``member agencies'' means 
        each of--
                    (A) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                    (B) the Department of the Interior;
                    (C) the Department of Agriculture;
                    (D) the Corps of Engineers;
                    (E) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
                    (F) the Economic Development Administration;
                    (G) the Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development;
                    (H) the Department of Transportation;
                    (I) the Department of Energy;
                    (J) the Department of Education;
                    (K) the National Institute for Environmental Health 
                Sciences;
                    (L) the Community Development Financial 
                Institutions Fund;
                    (M) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
                    (N) the Corporation for National and Community 
                Service; and
                    (O) such other agencies, departments, and bureaus 
                that elect to participate in the Urban Waters program 
                as the missions, authorities, and appropriated funding 
                of those agencies, departments, and bureaus allow.
            (3) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the 
        Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture.
            (4) Urban waters ambassador.--The term ``Urban Waters 
        ambassador'' means a person who--
                    (A) is locally based near the applicable Urban 
                Waters partnership location; and
                    (B) serves in a central coordinating role for the 
                work carried out in the applicable Urban Waters 
                partnership location with respect to the Urban Waters 
                program.
            (5) Urban waters nonpartnership location.--The term ``Urban 
        Waters nonpartnership location'' means an urban or municipal 
        site and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site--
                    (A) that receives Federal support for activities 
                that advance the purpose of the Urban Waters program; 
                but
                    (B)(i) that is not formally designated as an Urban 
                Waters partnership location; and
                    (ii) for which is not maintained--
                            (I) an active partnership with an Urban 
                        Waters ambassador; or
                            (II) an Urban Waters partnership location 
                        workplan.
            (6) Urban waters partnership location.--The term ``Urban 
        Waters partnership location'' means an urban or municipal site 
        and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site for 
        which--
                    (A) the Administrator, in collaboration with the 
                heads of the other member agencies, has formally 
                designated as a partnership location under the Urban 
                Waters program; and
                    (B) an active partnership with an Urban Waters 
                ambassador is maintained.
            (7) Urban waters partnership location workplan.--The term 
        ``Urban Waters partnership location workplan'' means the plan 
        for projects and actions that is coordinated across an Urban 
        Waters partnership location.
            (8) Urban waters program.--The term ``Urban Waters 
        program'' means the program established under section 3(a).

SEC. 3. URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization.--There is authorized a program, to be known as 
the ``Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program'', administered by the 
partnership of the member agencies--
            (1) to jointly support and execute the goals of the Urban 
        Waters program through the independent authorities and 
        appropriated funding of the member agencies; and
            (2) to advance the purpose described in subsection (b) 
        within designated Urban Waters partnership locations and other 
        urban and suburban communities in the United States.
    (b) Program Purpose.--The purpose of the Urban Waters program is to 
reconnect urban communities, particularly urban communities that are 
overburdened or economically distressed, with associated waterways by 
improving coordination among Federal agencies.
    (c) Program Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, the Administrator, in coordination with the 
        Secretaries and, as appropriate, the heads of the other member 
        agencies, shall maintain the Urban Waters program in accordance 
        with this subsection.
            (2) Urban waters federal partnership steering committee.--
                    (A) Establishment.--
                            (i) In general.--The Administrator shall 
                        establish a steering committee for the Urban 
                        Waters program (referred to in this paragraph 
                        as the ``steering committee'').
                            (ii) Chair.--The Administrator shall serve 
                        as chairperson of the steering committee.
                            (iii) Vice-chairs.--The Secretaries shall 
                        serve as vice-chairpersons of the steering 
                        committee.
                            (iv) Membership.--In addition to the 
                        Administrator and the Secretaries, the members 
                        of the steering committee shall be the senior 
                        officials (or their designees) from such member 
                        agencies as the Administrator shall designate.
                    (B) Duties.--The steering committee shall provide 
                general guidance to the member agencies with respect to 
                the Urban Waters program, including guidance with 
                respect to--
                            (i) the identification of annual priority 
                        issues for special emphasis within Urban Waters 
                        partnership locations; and
                            (ii) the identification of funding 
                        opportunities, which shall be communicated to 
                        all Urban Waters partnership locations.
                    (C) Interagency financing.--Notwithstanding section 
                1346 of title 31, United States Code, section 708 of 
                division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
                (Public Law 116-260), or any other similar provision of 
                law, member agencies may--
                            (i) provide interagency financing to the 
                        steering committee; and
                            (ii) directly transfer such amounts as are 
                        necessary to support the activities of the 
                        steering committee.
            (3) Authority.--
                    (A) Partnership locations.--
                            (i) Partnership locations.--The 
                        Administrator and the Secretaries shall 
                        maintain an active partnership program under 
                        the Urban Waters program at each Urban Waters 
                        partnership location, including each Urban 
                        Waters partnership location in existence on the 
                        date of enactment of this Act, by providing--
                                    (I) technical assistance for 
                                projects to be carried out within the 
                                Urban Waters partnership location;
                                    (II) funding for projects to be 
                                carried out within the Urban Waters 
                                partnership location;
                                    (III) funding for an Urban Waters 
                                ambassador for the Urban Waters 
                                partnership location; and
                                    (IV) coordination support with 
                                other member agencies with respect to 
                                activities carried out at the Urban 
                                Waters partnership location.
                            (ii) New partnership locations.--
                                    (I) In general.--The Administrator 
                                and the Secretaries may, in 
                                consultation with the heads of other 
                                member agencies, establish new Urban 
                                Waters partnership locations.
                                    (II) Nonpartnership locations.--A 
                                community with an Urban Waters 
                                nonpartnership location may, at the 
                                discretion of the community, seek to 
                                have the Urban Waters nonpartnership 
                                location designated as an Urban Waters 
                                partnership location.
                    (B) Authorized activities.--
                            (i) Definition of eligible entity.--In this 
                        subparagraph, the term ``eligible entity'' 
                        means--
                                    (I) a State;
                                    (II) a territory or possession of 
                                the United States;
                                    (III) the District of Columbia;
                                    (IV) an Indian Tribe;
                                    (V) a unit of local government;
                                    (VI) a public or private 
                                institution of higher education;
                                    (VII) a public or private nonprofit 
                                institution;
                                    (VIII) an intertribal consortium;
                                    (IX) an interstate agency; and
                                    (X) any other entity determined to 
                                be appropriate by the Administrator.
                            (ii) Activities.--In carrying out the Urban 
                        Waters program, a member agency may--
                                    (I) encourage, cooperate with, and 
                                render technical services to and 
                                provide financial assistance to 
                                support--
                                            (aa) Urban Water 
                                        ambassadors to conduct 
                                        activities with respect to the 
                                        applicable Urban Waters 
                                        partnership location, 
                                        including--

                                                    (AA) convening the 
                                                appropriate Federal and 
                                                non-Federal partners 
                                                for the Urban Waters 
                                                partnership location;

                                                    (BB) developing and 
                                                carrying out an Urban 
                                                Waters partnership 
                                                location workplan;

                                                    (CC) leveraging 
                                                available Federal and 
                                                non-Federal resources 
                                                for projects within the 
                                                Urban Waters 
                                                partnership location; 
                                                and

                                                    (DD) sharing 
                                                information and best 
                                                practices with the 
                                                Urban Waters Learning 
                                                Network established 
                                                under subparagraph (C); 
                                                and

                                            (bb) an eligible entity in 
                                        carrying out--

                                                    (AA) projects at 
                                                Urban Water partnership 
                                                locations that provide 
                                                habitat or water 
                                                quality improvements, 
                                                increase river 
                                                recreation, enhance 
                                                community resiliency, 
                                                install infrastructure, 
                                                strengthen community 
                                                engagement with and 
                                                education with respect 
                                                to water resources, or 
                                                support planning, 
                                                coordination, and 
                                                execution of projects 
                                                identified in the 
                                                applicable Urban Waters 
                                                partnership location 
                                                workplan; and

                                                    (BB) planning, 
                                                research, experiments, 
                                                demonstrations, 
                                                surveys, studies, 
                                                monitoring, training, 
                                                and outreach to advance 
                                                the purpose described 
                                                in subsection (b) 
                                                within Urban Waters 
                                                partnership locations 
                                                and in Urban Waters 
                                                nonpartnership 
                                                locations; and

                                    (II) transfer funds to or enter 
                                into interagency agreements with other 
                                member agencies as necessary to carry 
                                out the Urban Waters program.
                    (C) Urban waters learning network.--The 
                Administrator and the Secretaries shall maintain an 
                Urban Waters Learning Network--
                            (i) to share information, resources, and 
                        tools between Urban Waters partnership 
                        locations and with other interested 
                        communities; and
                            (ii) to carry out community-based capacity 
                        building that advances the goals of the Urban 
                        Waters program.
                    (D) Workplan progress.--Progress in addressing the 
                goals of the Urban Waters partnership location workplan 
                of an Urban Waters partnership location shall be shared 
                with the Urban Waters program at regular intervals, as 
                determined by the Administrator and the Secretaries.
    (d) Reports to Congress.--The Administrator and the Secretaries 
shall annually submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
report describing the progress in carrying out the Urban Waters 
program, which shall include--
            (1) a description of the use of funds under the Urban 
        Waters program;
            (2) a description of the progress made in carrying out 
        Urban Waters partnership location workplans; and
            (3) any additional information that the Administrator and 
        the Secretaries determine to be appropriate.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Administrator to carry out the Urban Waters program 
        $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
            (2) Use of funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, activities carried out using amounts made available to the 
        Administrator under paragraph (1) may be used in conjunction 
        with amounts made available from--
                    (A) other member agencies; and
                    (B) non-Federal entities that participate in the 
                Urban Waters program.
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