Title: Clean Water Partnership Act
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Clean Water Partnership Act
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to make matching grants to assist states, Washington, DC, U.S. territories, or U.S. possessions in acquiring land, water, or interests (e.g., conservation easements) if the acquisition will substantially improve, preserve, or maintain water quality for an area in perpetuity.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5264 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5264

   To direct the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, provide grants to 
  States to facilitate the acquisition of land, water, and interests 
  therein, made to substantially improve, preserve, or maintain water 
       quality for an area in perpetuity, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 13, 2018

  Mr. McEachin (for himself, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. 
   McNerney, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. 
    Barragan, Ms. Norton, Mr. Cartwright, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, provide grants to 
  States to facilitate the acquisition of land, water, and interests 
  therein, made to substantially improve, preserve, or maintain water 
       quality for an area in perpetuity, 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 ``Clean Water Partnership Act''.

SEC. 2. CLEAN WATER LAND ACQUISITION GRANTS.

    (a) Authority.--To the extent that funds are made available in 
advance for this Act, the Secretary shall make grants, in accordance 
with the requirements and criteria described in subsection (b), to 
States to assist the States in acquiring land, water, or interests 
therein (including conservation easements) if the Secretary determines 
such acquisition will substantially improve, preserve, or maintain 
water quality for an area in perpetuity.
    (b) Requirements and Criteria.--Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, after providing notice and not less 
than 90 days for public comment, the Secretary shall issue a final rule 
providing requirements and criteria for making grants under this Act. 
Such requirements and criteria shall include, at a minimum, the 
following:
            (1) Criteria that the Secretary shall use to determine 
        whether an acquisition proposed to be facilitated with a grant 
        under this Act will substantially improve, preserve, or 
        maintain water quality for an area in perpetuity.
            (2) A requirement that documentation of an acquisition 
        facilitated with a grant under this Act contain deed 
        restrictions, reversionary clauses, or other means satisfactory 
        to the Secretary to ensure that the acquisition shall be used 
        in perpetuity to substantially improve, preserve, or maintain 
        water quality for an area.
            (3) A requirement that a State that receives a grant under 
        this Act--
                    (A) provide matching funds for the acquisition 
                proposed to be facilitated with a grant under this Act 
                in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution in an 
                amount equal to but not less than 100 percent of the 
                amount of the grant; and
                    (B) demonstrate to the Secretary, in advance of 
                receiving the grant, the ability of the State to 
                provide the match required under subparagraph (A).
            (4) Clarification that the cost to a State of incentives 
        given by the State in exchange for an acquisition facilitated 
        with a grant under this Act may be--
                    (A) offset with amounts from the grant;
                    (B) considered as an in-kind contribution of the 
                State under paragraph (3); or
                    (C) a combination of (A) and (B).
            (5) A requirement that a State requesting a grant under 
        this Act submit to the Secretary a grant application at such 
        time, in such form, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary requires.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this Act, $750,000,000 for 
each fiscal year.
    (d) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting in consultation with the Administrator.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means any governmental 
        entity of the several States, the District of Columbia, or a 
        territory or possession of the United States.
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