Title: DRIP Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Drought Relief through Innovative Projects Act or the DRIP Act
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to award grants to qualified partnerships to: (1) remove non-native plant species that contribute to drought conditions, and (2) replace the non-native plant species with native plant species.
A "non-native plant species" is a plant species that: (1) is non-native (or alien) to an ecosystem; and (2) when introduced to the ecosystem causes, or is likely to cause, economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health.
A "qualified partnership" is a partnership between: (1) at least one flood control district; and (2) at least one city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a state.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6961 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6961

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a grant program to 
   award grants to qualified partnerships to remove non-native plant 
 species that contribute to drought conditions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2018

 Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Gosar, and Mr. Grijalva) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a grant program to 
   award grants to qualified partnerships to remove non-native plant 
 species that contribute to drought conditions, 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 ``Drought Relief through Innovative 
Projects Act'' or the ``DRIP Act''.

SEC. 2. NON-NATIVE PLANT SPECIES REMOVAL GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a grant program to 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to qualified partnerships to--
            (1) remove non-native plant species that contribute to 
        drought conditions; and
            (2) replace such non-native plant species with native plant 
        species.
    (b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a qualified partnership shall submit an application to the 
Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require, including--
            (1) a plan for how the qualified partnership will use the 
        grant funds to carry out the activities described in paragraphs 
        (1) and (2) of subsection (a);
            (2) how the qualified partnership consulted with local 
        stakeholders, including conservation groups, to establish the 
        plan described under paragraph (1); and
            (3) information demonstrating that the native plant species 
        replaced pursuant to such grant will--
                    (A) reduce flood risk, improve hydrology and water 
                storage capacities, or reduce fire hazard; and
                    (B) protect and restore rivers and streams and 
                associated riparian habitats, including fish and 
                wildlife resources that are dependent on such habitats.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Non-native plant species.--The term ``non-native plant 
        species'' means a plant species that--
                    (A) is non-native (or alien) to an ecosystem; and
                    (B) when introduced to such ecosystem causes, or is 
                likely to cause, economic harm, environmental harm, or 
                harm to human health.
            (2) Qualified partnership.--The term ``qualified 
        partnership'' means a partnership between the following:
                    (A) At least 1 flood control district.
                    (B) At least 1 city, county, township, town, 
                borough, parish, village, or other general purpose 
                political subdivision of a State.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 
and each fiscal year thereafter.
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