Water Design-Build Improvement Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.7119 | Sponsor: Rep. Davids, Sharice (D-KS)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Water Design-Build Improvement Act of 2022
This bill allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to use the collaborative project delivery method for certain water infrastructure projects (e.g., building and upgrading wastewater and drinking water treatment systems). This method involves collaboration among those involved at various stages of a project from design through completion of construction.
The bill also requires the EPA and USACE to study the use of the collaborative project delivery method in these projects and make the results public.

To amend the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 to 
 authorize the selection of eligible projects to be carried out using 
    collaborative project delivery methods, 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 ``Water Design-Build Improvement Act 
of 2022''.

SEC. 2. COLLABORATIVE PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS.

    Section 5028 of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act 
of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 3907) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Collaborative Project Delivery Methods.--
            ``(1) Authorization.--The Secretary or the Administrator, 
        as applicable, may select, in accordance with this section, a 
        project to be carried out using a collaborative project 
        delivery method (consistent with any applicable State or local 
        law), including a construction management at-risk method and a 
        design-build method.
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Collaborative project delivery method.--The 
                term `collaborative project delivery method' means a 
                method for carrying out a capital project that involves 
                close collaboration among the eligible entity, the 
                owner of the project (if different from the eligible 
                entity), the designer of the project, and the 
                contractor for the project, from design through 
                completion of construction.
                    ``(B) Construction management at-risk method.--The 
                term `construction management at-risk method' means a 
                collaborative project delivery method in which an 
                engineering firm and a construction management at-risk 
                firm are retained under 2 separate contracts for design 
                and construction, respectively.
                    ``(C) Design-build method.--The term `design-build 
                method' means a collaborative project delivery method 
                under which a single lead contract is entered into with 
                a design-builder for design and construction.''.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON THE USE OF COLLABORATIVE PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 
coordination with the Regional Administrators, and the Secretary of the 
Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, shall carry out, and make 
public the results of, a study that--
            (1) evaluates the use of collaborative project delivery 
        methods in projects carried out using assistance received under 
        the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (33 
        U.S.C. 3901 et seq.);
            (2) determines barriers to increased use of collaborative 
        project delivery methods in such projects;
            (3) assesses the potential benefits of using collaborative 
        project delivery methods in such projects; and
            (4) identifies areas of need to educate agency staff in 
        collaborative project delivery method implementation and best 
        practices.
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