Title: Andy’s Bill
Policy area: Water Resources Development

Summary:
Andrew J. Young Safeguarding the Mississippi River Together Act or the Andrew J. Young SMRT Act or Andy's Mississippi River Bill or Andy's Bill.
This bill establishes a National Mississippi River Program for the preservation of the Mississippi River Corridor.
The Environmental Protection Agency, coordinating with specified federal departments, may enter into agreements with a state or local government to develop a National Mississippi River Program Office, provide grants, assistance, studies, coordination, and essential restoration and protection of the Mississippi River Corridor to
The Program Office shall develop a comprehensive Mississippi River Restoration Plan to guide implementation of projects to sustain the corridor.
In order to support the plan and for other purposes, the bill establishes a series of ongoing studies and investigations to sustain the corridor.
Once every five years the Program Office shall complete an updated economic profile of the corridor.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4729 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4729

  To amend the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 to 
  allow the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
   Secretary of the Department of the Interior and other agencies to 
    provide grants, assistance, studies, Federal coordination, and 
essential restoration and protection of the Mississippi River Corridor 
 for the purpose of sustaining critical environmental services and the 
    major U.S. economies that depend on them and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2021

 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 to 
  allow the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
   Secretary of the Department of the Interior and other agencies to 
    provide grants, assistance, studies, Federal coordination, and 
essential restoration and protection of the Mississippi River Corridor 
 for the purpose of sustaining critical environmental services and the 
    major U.S. economies that depend on them 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 ``Andrew J. Young Safeguarding the 
Mississippi River Together Act'' or the ``Andrew J. Young SMRT Act'' or 
``Andy's Mississippi River Bill'' or ``Andy's Bill''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PROGRAM TO 
              PROTECT AND SUSTAIN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER MAIN STEM.

    Title IV of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 
(128 Stat. 1308; Public Law 113-121; 33 U.S.C. 605a) is amended, after 
section 4002, by inserting at the following:

``SEC. 4002A. NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER PROGRAM.

    ``(a) General Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency (EPA) in close coordination and cooperation 
        with the Secretary of the Department of Interior (Interior), 
        and in consultation with the Department of Transportation, the 
        Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
        may enter into agreements with an eligible State or division of 
        local government to develop a National Mississippi River 
        Program Office, provide grants, assistance, studies, 
        coordination, and essential restoration and protection of the 
        Mississippi River Corridor for the purposes of--
                    ``(A) sustaining essential environmental services;
                    ``(B) maintaining the ecological integrity, health, 
                and biodiversity of Federal land as well as lands 
                managed under Federal programs;
                    ``(C) protecting critical national infrastructure, 
                habitat, fish and wildlife resources; and
                    ``(D) supporting the major US economies that depend 
                on the Mississippi River.
            ``(2) Disposition.--
                    ``(A) Findings.--The Administrator in close 
                coordination with the Secretary of Interior may carry 
                out any project identified pursuant to this act in 
                accordance with the priorities set-forth in the 
                findings identified by Congress as the following:
                            ``(i) In 1986, Congress designated the 
                        Mississippi River System as both a nationally 
                        significant ecosystem and navigation system--
                        the only inland river system to receive such a 
                        designation.
                            ``(ii) The Mississippi River moves 47 
                        percent of the nation's inland waterway 
                        commerce totaling approximately 500 million 
                        tons of cargo each year making possible 
                        America's only trade surplus in agricultural 
                        commodities.
                            ``(iii) The Mississippi River's freshwater 
                        economy generates nearly $500 billion in annual 
                        revenue directly employing over 1.5 million 
                        people throughout the corridor providing 
                        drinking water supply to more than 20 million 
                        people in 50 cities.
                            ``(iv) One in twelve people on Earth ingest 
                        commodities grown within the Mississippi River 
                        Basin.
                            ``(v) The cities along the Mississippi 
                        River have a combined gross municipal product 
                        of nearly half a trillion U.S. dollars 
                        generated from major economic sectors including 
                        manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, energy 
                        production, commercial navigation, mineral 
                        extraction, commercial harvest of natural 
                        resources, biotechnology, and telecommunication 
                        services.
                            ``(vi) The Mississippi River has the 
                        largest global trade footprint of any inland 
                        waterway in the western hemisphere giving it a 
                        significant stake in maintaining access to 
                        global commodity markets for the United States.
                            ``(vii) Waterways and ports in the 
                        Mississippi River ten-State corridor move 
                        $164.6 billion in agricultural products to U.S. 
                        and foreign markets. 55 to 70 percent of all 
                        U.S. exported corn, soy, and wheat as well as 
                        60 percent of America's corn and soybean 
                        exports (40 percent of the nation's total 
                        agricultural output) move on the Mississippi 
                        River.
                            ``(viii) The Corridor has sustained over 
                        $50 billion in natural disaster impacts within 
                        the Mississippi River Valley since 2011 ($200 
                        billion since 2005). On average over the last 
                        five years, disasters are costing the 
                        Mississippi River economy as a whole close to 3 
                        percent annually.
                            ``(ix) The Mississippi River Corridor has 
                        sustained over $50 billion in natural disaster 
                        impacts within the Mississippi River Valley 
                        since 2011 ($210 billion since 2005). On 
                        average over the last five years, disasters are 
                        costing the Mississippi River economy as a 
                        whole close to 3 percent annually.
                            ``(x) Congress finds that recent disasters 
                        only exacerbate issues of equity, access, 
                        poverty, and disadvantage already uniquely 
                        acute through portions of the Mississippi River 
                        Corridor above and beyond other regions of the 
                        United States. Rural cities are more likely to 
                        be disadvantaged. Disadvantage is clustered and 
                        driven by historical context that requires 
                        overt and purposeful solutions. Disparities in 
                        the Mississippi River Corridor carry 
                        significant economic outcomes in terms of 
                        health, longevity, quality of life, and 
                        generational prosperity.
                            ``(xi) Natural infrastructure can play a 
                        heightened role in cleaning and regulating 
                        water. Nature can move and manage more water 
                        more efficiently, to more benefit than built 
                        infrastructure; across the nation, inland 
                        wetlands provide an estimated $237 billion in 
                        water flow regulation services annually.
                    ``(B) In general.--The Administrator in close 
                coordination with the Secretary of Interior may carry 
                out any project identified pursuant to paragraph (1) 
                through subsection (e) in accordance with the criteria 
                for projects carried out under one of the following 
                authorities:
                            ``(i) Section 206 of the Water Resources 
                        Development Act of 1996 (33 U.S.C. 2330).
                            ``(ii) 33 U.S.C. 2201 et seq. Water 
                        Resources Development Act of 1990.
                            ``(iii) Section 1135 of the Water Resources 
                        Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2309a).
                            ``(iv) Section 107 of the River and Harbor 
                        Act of 1960 (33 U.S.C. 577).
                            ``(v) Section 104(a) of the River and 
                        Harbor Act of 1958 (33 U.S.C. 610(a)).
                            ``(vi) Public Law 100-460; 42 U.S.C. 3121 
                        note.
                    ``(C) Federal leadership committee.--In order to 
                begin a new era of shared Federal leadership with 
                respect to the protection and restoration of the 
                Mississippi River, a Federal Leadership Committee 
                (Committee) for the Mississippi River shall be 
                established under this section to oversee the 
                development and coordination of programs and 
                activities, including data management and reporting, of 
                agencies participating in protection and restoration of 
                the Mississippi River through the work of the National 
                Mississippi River Program Office.
                            ``(i) The Committee shall advise the 
                        development of strategies and program plans for 
                        the watershed and ecosystem of the Mississippi 
                        River and their implementation at a broad level 
                        as investigated, constructed, and implemented 
                        in detail by the National Mississippi River 
                        Program Office.
                            ``(ii) The Committee shall be co-chaired by 
                        the Administrator of the EPA and the Secretary 
                        of the Interior or the Director of the U.S. 
                        Geological Survey (USGS), and vice chaired by 
                        the President of the Mississippi River 
                        Commission (MRC), or the President's designee, 
                        and include senior representatives of the 
                        Department of Transportation, the Department of 
                        Agriculture, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
                        and such other agencies as determined by the 
                        Committee including the Chief of the Natural 
                        Resources Conservation Service and the Federal 
                        Emergency Management Agency. The Committee 
                        shall also include one member of the U.S. House 
                        of Representatives and the U.S. Senate who are 
                        Co-Chairs of the Mississippi River Caucus in 
                        their respective chambers, one additional 
                        member of the Congressional Black Caucus from a 
                        Mississippi River State (if CBC member is not 
                        available for a Mississippi River State, than a 
                        CBC member shall be chosen from a State within 
                        the Mississippi River Basin), one governor from 
                        a Mississippi River State and one of the 
                        Mayoral Co-Chairs of the Mississippi River 
                        Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI). 
                        Representatives serving on the Committee shall 
                        be officers of the United States with the 
                        exception of one governor and one mayor as 
                        afore mentioned.
                            ``(iii) Within 9 months of enactment of 
                        this Act, the Committee shall prepare and 
                        publish a broad strategy for coordinated 
                        implementation of existing programs and 
                        projects to guide efforts to protect and 
                        restore the Mississippi River Main Stem 
                        Corridor for the purposes of--
                                    ``(I) reducing exposure to and 
                                impacts from disasters to critical 
                                national infrastructure and vulnerable 
                                and economically disadvantaged 
                                populations;
                                    ``(II) protecting sensitive and 
                                complex ecosystems, wildlife, habitat, 
                                and natural resources; and
                                    ``(III) sustaining and augmenting 
                                environmental services vital to the 
                                global commodity supply chain including 
                                reliable and stable flow levels, soil 
                                health, reduced erosion, sedimentation, 
                                and nutrient loading.
                            ``(iv) The Committee's broad strategy shall 
                        inform and create the basis for development of 
                        a Comprehensive Mississippi River Restoration 
                        Plan that will be assembled by the National 
                        Mississippi River Program Office.
    ``(b) Establishing a National Mississippi River Program Office.--
            ``(1) Authority.--The Administrator in close coordination 
        with the Secretary of Interior shall plan, develop, and 
        implement a central coordinating and organizing apparatus for 
        the purposes of carrying out this Section. The Administrator in 
        agreement and allowance with the Secretary of Interior shall 
        carryout this section through close consultation with the 
        Federal Leadership Committee of the Mississippi River as 
        established in subsection (a)(2)(C).
            ``(2) Purpose.--The National Mississippi River Program 
        Office shall be established to construct a Comprehensive 
        Mississippi River Restoration Plan outlined by the Federal 
        Leadership Committee through the Committee's broad strategy 
        report as carried out by subsection (a)(2)(C); organize and 
        manage the restoration, deployment, and sustainment of natural 
        infrastructure at a massive scale throughout the Mississippi 
        River Corridor in order to--
                    ``(A) protect critical national infrastructure;
                    ``(B) safeguard near-water communities;
                    ``(C) reestablish the biodiversity of the North 
                American mid-continent region;
                    ``(D) increase the resilience and overall integrity 
                of the environmental and hydrological services within 
                the Mississippi River Corridor that make possible major 
                economic activities such as manufacturing, tourism, 
                outdoor recreation, agriculture, navigation, and 
                disaster security; and
                    ``(E) make more sustainable the critical economies 
                that depend on the environmental services of the 
                Mississippi River including but not limited to--
                            ``(i) manufacturing--including drinking 
                        water production;
                            ``(ii) tourism;
                            ``(iii) outdoor recreation;
                            ``(iv) agriculture;
                            ``(v) navigation--integrity of the global 
                        commodity supply chain.
            ``(3) Organization.--The National Mississippi River Program 
        Office shall be managed by the Environmental Protection Agency 
        through active and on-going advice and concurrence from the 
        U.S. Department of Interior and be funded through the 
        appropriations authorized under this Act obligated through a 
        joint agreement between the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of 
        Interior annual budgets respectively where applicable funds 
        shall be allocated to Interior to carry-out scientific support 
        of the Program Office and for other cooperative activities with 
        the EPA in managing mandates included in this Act.
                    ``(A) The National Mississippi River Program Office 
                (Program Office) shall be organized into three broad 
                divisions with appropriate expertise and staff assigned 
                to each division including but not necessarily limited 
                to--
                            ``(i) Infrastructure Repair, Resilience and 
                        Adaptation (IRRA);
                            ``(ii) Ecological Restoration and 
                        Environmental Service Integrity (ERESI); and
                            ``(iii) Data Analysis and Subject Matter 
                        Investigations Directorate (DASMID).
                    ``(B) The Program Office shall be led by a Chief 
                Executive Officer with appropriate deputy officers as 
                needed; and each Program Office division shall have a 
                director appointed in close consultation with the 
                Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of 
                Transportation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
            ``(4) Prioritization.--The Administrator in close 
        coordination with the Secretary of Interior shall prioritize 
        the activities of the Program Office in participating States 
        for projects that--
                    ``(A) deploy, restore, expand, and/or augment 
                natural infrastructure assets such as wetlands, 
                marshes, forests, streams, natural catchment basins, 
                freshwater estuaries, and riparian areas;
                    ``(B) restore and/or increase the biodiversity and 
                habitat of wildlife throughout the Mississippi River 
                Corridor;
                    ``(C) increase the disaster resilience of 
                environmental services, critical national 
                infrastructure, near-water communities, and the major 
                economies dependent on the Mississippi River Corridor;
                    ``(D) seek to monitor, study, understand, and 
                expand knowledge of how the environmental assets of the 
                Mississippi River Corridor function, support economic 
                development, protect population centers, and sustain 
                impacts from climate changes, nutrient loading, human-
                caused toxification, major storm events both in tear-
                term and long-term scales;
                    ``(E) improve the water quality of the main stem 
                Mississippi River including a decrease in errand 
                nutrient load; and
                    ``(F) ensure communities disproportionately 
                vulnerable to disaster impacts, abject poverty, and 
                historic lack of access including Native American 
                Tribes and much of the Mississippi River Delta are 
                given priority consideration and benefit of the 
                services, resources, and capacity provided through this 
                Act; and such consideration be made systemic throughout 
                all operations and divisions of the National 
                Mississippi River Program Office.
            ``(5) Procedure.--In carrying out subsection (b), the 
        Administrator in close coordination with the Secretary of 
        Interior shall engage in the following procedure to locate and 
        develop the Program Office.
                    ``(A) One hundred and twenty days after enactment 
                of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a 
                narrowly tailored temporary version of the Program 
                Office in order to immediately assist and coordinate 
                the early activities of the Administrator and the 
                Federal Leadership Committee prescribed by subsection 
                (d) until a more permanent version may be developed in 
                the Mississippi River region.
                    ``(B) The temporary Program Office shall continue 
                to operate, develop, and expand as needed in the 
                location specified by the Administrator while a more 
                permanent regional location is established.
                    ``(C) Six months after enactment of this Act, the 
                Administrator shall invite proposals from the ten 
                States bordering the Main Stem Mississippi River 
                describing how each State would be best suited to host 
                the Program Office.
                    ``(D) The Administrator shall request details from 
                each eligible State on what resources that State can 
                provide to the development of the Program Office and 
                how that State hosting the Program Office is in the 
                best interest of carrying out the intent of this Act. 
                Eligible States shall also include the following 
                details:
                            ``(i) State match of funding available to 
                        develop the Program Office up to the first five 
                        years of its operation.
                            ``(ii) How the Mississippi River fits into 
                        that State's plan(s) for the following:
                                    ``(I) Sustainable economic 
                                development.
                                    ``(II) Disaster resilience and 
                                mitigation.
                                    ``(III) Water quality monitoring 
                                strategy.
                                    ``(IV) Drought resilience.
                                    ``(V) Climate change reduction and 
                                adaptation.
                                    ``(VI) Natural resource protection 
                                and conservation.
                                    ``(VII) Habitat restoration and 
                                preservation.
                                    ``(VIII) Nutrient reduction 
                                strategy.
                                    ``(IX) Infrastructure renewal and 
                                replacement.
                                    ``(X) Land use and development in 
                                and around flood plain and backwater 
                                areas.
                            ``(iii) Partnerships with the non-profit 
                        and private sectors that can assist the State, 
                        EPA, and Department of Interior in developing 
                        the Program Office and carrying out its mandate 
                        under this Act.
                    ``(E) Multi-state proposals.--Because the 
                Mississippi River is a border for eight out of the ten 
                eligible States, eligible States may partner in 
                answering the Administrator's request under the 
                following provisions:
                            ``(i) There shall be no limit to the number 
                        of States partnering in reply to this 
                        subsection.
                            ``(ii) The physical location of the Program 
                        Office may reside in two or more States but 
                        sites must be positioned no more than two (2.0) 
                        lateral miles apart unless a majority of the 
                        space between sites is river and/or unoccupied 
                        floodplain, than the maximum distance shall be 
                        no more than five-and-a-half (5.5) lateral 
                        miles between any two sites of the office.
                            ``(iii) State jurisdiction and matching 
                        funds must be coordinated and an ultimate State 
                        authority over the office coordinating 
                        resources and communication must be established 
                        in the proposal. A special services vehicle or 
                        other multi-State body may be assembled to 
                        provide this authority for the Administrator.
                    ``(F) Priority.--The Administrator shall submit all 
                State proposals to the Federal Leadership Committee to 
                evaluate State proposals to host the Program Office 
                using the following priorities in decreasing order of 
                importance:
                            ``(i) Mississippi River inclusion and 
                        jurisdiction in the State plans delineated in 
                        subsection (b)(5)(B)(ii).
                            ``(ii) The inclusion of additional 
                        sustainability capacities including but not 
                        limited to affirmative answers to the following 
                        inquiries:
                                    ``(I) Is the proposed site(s) 
                                located within or directly accessible 
                                to a Mississippi River City's downtown 
                                area, or contained within city limits 
                                in whole or in part?
                                    ``(II) Is the proposed facility or 
                                facilities for the Program Office a 
                                `green building' that is LEED certified 
                                at `gold' level or above?
                                    ``(III) Does the State proposal and 
                                site situation take into account 
                                adjacent or nearby Federal property?
                                    ``(IV) Is the proposed location 
                                adjacent to or near areas that can be 
                                used as demonstration sites for various 
                                Mississippi River Program activities 
                                involving resilience, adaptation, 
                                conservation, restoration, and/or 
                                natural infrastructure applications?
                                    ``(V) Does the State proposal 
                                stress priorities around low impact 
                                development strategies such as 
                                restoration of gray or brownfield 
                                sites, emphasis of alternative forms of 
                                transportation, proposed site is 
                                outside floodplain?
                            ``(iii) A plan to work with Federal 
                        partners ensuring objectives of diversity, 
                        equity, and inclusion are achieved; 
                        specifically, plans to employ local and 
                        regional residents from historically 
                        disadvantaged groups, plans to support local 
                        businesses near the program office site, plans 
                        to create permeable spaces between the Federal 
                        facility and the community it occupies, and 
                        plans to provide ongoing and cumulative 
                        learning opportunities so residents of regional 
                        disadvantaged communities may contribute 
                        meaningfully to the program office.
                            ``(iv) Multi-State proposal.
                            ``(v) Partnerships especially with 
                        environmental justice organizations, 
                        historically Black colleges and universities, 
                        as well as minority opportunity and prosperity 
                        organizations.
                    ``(G) States shall be given 6 months from 
                publication of the request for proposals to submit a 
                reply to the Administrator. In the event that no 
                eligible State submits a reply timely under this 
                section, then the Administrator shall select a State 
                and site unilaterally using applicable portions of the 
                above procedure.
                    ``(H) The Program Office established 120 days after 
                enactment of this Act shall continue to operate and 
                develop where designated by the Administrator until 
                such time a new office may be established within the 
                Mississippi River Corridor.
            ``(6) Oversight.--In conducting oversight with respect to 
        managing the Program Office established under this section, the 
        Administrator--
                    ``(A) shall--
                            ``(i) periodically audit the funds and 
                        activities in accordance with procedures 
                        established by the Comptroller General of the 
                        United States; and
                            ``(ii) not less frequently than once every 
                        two (2) years, review the projects and 
                        activities of the Program Office to determine 
                        its effectiveness in carrying out this Act; and
                    ``(B) may, at any time--
                            ``(i) make recommendations to the Program 
                        Office division directors and host State with 
                        respect to the administration of the Program 
                        Office; or
                            ``(ii) require specific changes with 
                        respect to the Program Office in order to 
                        improve the effectiveness of activities 
                        established under this Act.
            ``(7) Any specific changes the Administrator deems a 
        requirement must be coordinated and advised by the Department 
        of Interior, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. 
        Army Corps of Engineers where the subject matter duly falls 
        under that agencies authority and/or expertise.
    ``(c) In General.--There shall be established a suite of grants and 
ongoing projects through this section to sustain the Mississippi River 
Corridor and carryout the intent created under this Act.
    ``(d) Comprehensive Mississippi River Restoration Plan.--Not later 
than two and a half (2.5) years after enactment of this Act, the 
Program Office in coordination with the Federal Leadership Committee 
shall develop a comprehensive Mississippi River restoration plan (Plan) 
to guide implementation of several projects under this subsection and 
subsection (c).
            ``(1) Coordination.--The restoration plan described in 
        paragraph (d) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, 
        consider and avoid duplication of any ongoing or planned 
        actions of other Federal, State, and local agencies and 
        nongovernmental organizations but instead seek to support, 
        compliment, improve, and where appropriate absorb other efforts 
        with specific reference to the Navigation and Ecosystem 
        Sustainability Program (NESP), the Upper Mississippi River 
        Restoration Program (UMRR), the Mississippi River and 
        Tributaries Program (MR&T), the Wetland Reserve Program, the 
        Resilience Revolving Loan Fund or STORM Act, and the private 
        carbon reforestation program(s).
            ``(2) Strategic interstate coordination.--Recognizing the 
        Mississippi River acts as a border along eight of the ten 
        State-corridor, to the maximum extent possible, projects under 
        this subsection shall be carried-out through interstate 
        cooperation and coordination with States, localities, and 
        organizations partnering on both sides of the Mississippi River 
        in carrying-out all activities permitted through this 
        subsection.
            ``(3) Prioritization.--The restoration plan described in 
        subsection (d) shall give priority to projects eligible under 
        subsections (c) and (d) that will also improve water quality or 
        quantity or use natural hydrological features and systems as 
        well as non-structural solutions toward the following benefits:
                    ``(A) sediment, erosion, and errand nutrient 
                control;
                    ``(B) protection of eroding shorelines;
                    ``(C) ecosystem restoration, including restoration 
                of submerged aquatic vegetation for the primary purpose 
                of disaster resilience and environmental service 
                restoration and augmentation;
                    ``(D) protection of essential public works, 
                critical national infrastructure, and the major 
                economies that depend on the River;
                    ``(E) restore the biodiversity of the Mississippi 
                River Corridor;
                    ``(F) sustain wildlife, habitat, and natural 
                resource integrity;
                    ``(G) set-back and reconfiguration of levees and 
                floodwalls as well as pursuance of non-structural 
                solutions;
                    ``(H) increase and improvement of water quality 
                monitoring capacity;
                    ``(I) beneficial uses of dredged material;
                    ``(J) protection of near-water communities 
                especially those in historically disadvantaged 
                neighborhoods and regions such as the delta; and
                    ``(K) other related projects that may enhance the 
                living resources of the Mississippi River Corridor.
            ``(4) Procedure.--Once completed the Program Office shall 
        submit the Plan to the Federal Leadership Committee, EPA 
        Administrator, and the Secretary of the Department of Interior 
        to be released for public comment. The public comment period 
        shall last no more than ninety (90) days in line with standard 
        Department of Interior policies and procedures. Once the public 
        comment period has elapsed, the Plan will enter final review 
        and approval. No later than thirty days (30) after the public 
        comment period has completed the Plan shall be placed into its 
        final form and published. Once the Plan is approved, it shall 
        be given to the Program Office to carry-out in accordance with 
        the aims and priorities of this Act under the recommended 
        timeline set-forth in the Plan itself for both implementation 
        and scheduled updates with advice and coordination from the 
        Federal Leadership Committee.
    ``(e) Projects.--The Program Office shall establish, to the maximum 
extent possible, projects under this section throughout the Mississippi 
River Corridor that implement the Comprehensive Mississippi River 
Restoration Plan as well as projects that proceed apart and outside the 
Plan but meet the priorities and aims laid-out in subsections (a)(1) 
and (b)(4) of this section.
            ``(1) Projects on federal land.--A project carried out 
        pursuant to the Plan described in subsection (d) that is 
        located on Federal land shall be carried out at the expense of 
        the Federal agency that owns the land on which the project will 
        be a carried out.
            ``(2) Non-federal contributions.--A Federal agency carrying 
        out a project described in subsection (c) may accept 
        contributions of funds from non-Federal entities to carry out 
        that project.
            ``(3) Projects within the comprehensive mississippi river 
        corridor restoration plan.--The Program Office shall identify 
        and carry-out projects that implement and satisfy the aims of 
        the Plan in such a manner that involves States, local 
        governments, institutions of higher learning, non-profit 
        organizations, and private sector stakeholders through the 
        holding of annual or biannual (two instances a year) regional 
        conferences. These conferences may be held in conjunction with 
        other germane gatherings within the region such as those 
        conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the UMRBA, or 
        the MRCTI.
                    ``(A) During these conferences, the Program Office 
                shall share planned project designs and priority 
                geographic sites of repetitive loss where a severe 
                compelling human need exists. The Program Office shall 
                elicit from participants official testimony on how to 
                structure, prioritize, and implement projects in an 
                efficient and timely manner.
                    ``(B) The Program Office shall begin at least one 
                new project a year for the first five years from the 
                publishing of the Comprehensive Mississippi River 
                Restoration Plan that works to implement the Plan as 
                approved by the Committee.
            ``(4) Projects outside the comprehensive mississippi river 
        corridor restoration plan.--
                    ``(A) Congress recognizes there will be an on-going 
                need for projects that cannot be planned for, may arise 
                out of emergency circumstances or developments, and/or 
                may meet compelling needs congruent to this Act, but 
                are best carried-out under the auspices of other organs 
                of government or the private sector in part or 
                entirely.
                    ``(B) Grants.--In providing grants under this 
                subsection, the Program Office shall conduct a 
                transparent and competitive regional solicitation 
                process to select eligible projects to receive grants 
                under this subsection. This Act shall provide for 
                extra-provisional projects through the following 
                schedule of grants to States, local governments and 
                non-profit organizations whom have a State or local 
                government partner--
                            ``(i) Infrastructure repair, resilience and 
                        adaptation grant.--Communities who have vital 
                        built and/or natural infrastructure assets that 
                        require repair, restoration, and/or replacement 
                        due to repetitive loss events may apply to the 
                        Program Office for this grant.
                                    ``(I) Purpose.--The purpose of the 
                                grant is to provide funds for 
                                resilience improvements through--
                                            ``(aa) competitive planning 
                                        grants to enable communities to 
                                        assess vulnerabilities to 
                                        current and future weather 
                                        events and natural disasters 
                                        and changing conditions, 
                                        including drought, and plan 
                                        infrastructure improvements and 
                                        emergency response strategies 
                                        to address those 
                                        vulnerabilities so that 
                                        infrastructure can be built 
                                        back more resilient and 
                                        sustainable;
                                            ``(bb) competitive 
                                        resilience improvement grants 
                                        to protect infrastructure 
                                        assets by making the assets 
                                        more resilient to current and 
                                        future weather events and 
                                        natural disasters, such as 
                                        severe storms, flooding, 
                                        drought, levee and dam 
                                        failures, wildfire, extreme 
                                        weather, including extreme 
                                        temperature, and earthquakes;
                                            ``(cc) natural 
                                        infrastructure including 
                                        regenerative agricultural lands 
                                        designed to provide co-benefits 
                                        such as natural flood storage 
                                        that protect and enhance built 
                                        assets while improving 
                                        ecosystem conditions, including 
                                        culverts that ensure adequate 
                                        flows in rivers and estuarine 
                                        systems;
                                            ``(dd) using build-back-
                                        better practices, this grant 
                                        may used toward the acquisition 
                                        of better or best technology as 
                                        well as the installation and 
                                        deployment of new 
                                        infrastructure assets to 
                                        improve older ones or their 
                                        entire systems. This subsection 
                                        also allows for the acquisition 
                                        of property to expand natural 
                                        infrastructure assets allowing 
                                        them to perform at higher 
                                        capacity providing protection 
                                        for more severe events over a 
                                        larger service area. Expansion 
                                        of natural infrastructure for 
                                        the purposes of this subsection 
                                        may include the removal 
                                        outdated built infrastructure 
                                        such as dams that pose risk; 
                                        and
                                            ``(ee) this grant is also 
                                        designed to address both 
                                        minority and disadvantaged 
                                        community inclusion, access, 
                                        and equity. Applicants under 
                                        this subsection should provide 
                                        structural guarantees that 
                                        minority communities will be 
                                        made part of the decision 
                                        process through which grant 
                                        funds are obligated and 
                                        expended toward infrastructure.
                                    ``(II) Eligibility.--Project area 
                                must reside within a State or federally 
                                designated disaster area within the 
                                last 5 years of the time of 
                                application; Infrastructure asset or 
                                assets must have sustained a minimum of 
                                30 percent loss from at least one of 
                                the disaster events stipulated in this 
                                subsection; in the event that an 
                                infrastructure system is the subject of 
                                the application than this subsection 
                                applies to the entire system in 
                                question.
                                    ``(III) Distribution.--Grant awards 
                                under subsection (e)(4)(B)(i) are 
                                direct allocations to States or local 
                                governments. Non-profit organizations 
                                may apply for grants under this 
                                subsection if their application 
                                includes a State or local government 
                                partner. All funds will be distributed 
                                directly to State or local governments 
                                who may then suballocate to non-profit 
                                partners. Sixty percent of all grants 
                                under this subsection must be allocated 
                                directly to local governments.
                                    ``(IV) Cost share.--The Federal 
                                share of the cost of a project carried 
                                out using funds made available under 
                                paragraph (i) shall not exceed 80 
                                percent of the total project cost. A 
                                locality may use Federal funds other 
                                than Federal funds made available under 
                                this subsection to meet the non-Federal 
                                cost share requirement for a project 
                                under this subsection.
                            ``(ii) Sustainable economic development 
                        grant.--Communities and regions that have 
                        sustained significant repetitive loss over the 
                        past ten years from the date of application for 
                        this grant may seek relief through the Program 
                        Office pursuant to this subsection.
                                    ``(I) Purpose.--The purpose of the 
                                grant is to provide funds for economic 
                                revitalization through--
                                            ``(aa) competitive economic 
                                        planning grants to enable 
                                        communities and regions to 
                                        shift and/or expand their 
                                        economies from environmentally 
                                        costly industrial to clean 
                                        manufacturing, service, global 
                                        commodity supply chain movement 
                                        and/or tourism as well as other 
                                        low-impact economic 
                                        development; and
                                            ``(bb) competitive economic 
                                        improvement grants that include 
                                        strategies to make a region's 
                                        economies more resilient and 
                                        adaptive to increased and more 
                                        persistent disaster events as 
                                        well as shocks due to 
                                        degradation of essential 
                                        environmental services;
                                            ``(cc) the off-loading of 
                                        major infrastructure assets 
                                        from local governments to 
                                        special service vehicles or 
                                        private sector entities in such 
                                        a way that ensures continued 
                                        environmental health, natural 
                                        resource protection, and 
                                        ecological health of the 
                                        region;
                                    ``(II) Eligibility.--Applying 
                                locality must have sustained an 
                                economic loss of at least 30 percent 
                                over the last ten years at the time of 
                                application to this grant.
                                    ``(III) Distribution.--Grant awards 
                                under subsection (e)(4)(B)(i) are 
                                direct allocations to States or local 
                                governments. Non-profit organizations 
                                may apply for grants under this 
                                subsection if their application 
                                includes a State or local government 
                                partner. All funds will be distributed 
                                directly to State or local governments 
                                who may then suballocate to non-profit 
                                partners. All grants under this 
                                subsection must be allocated directly 
                                to local governments.
                                    ``(IV) Cost share.--The Federal 
                                share of the cost of a project carried 
                                out using funds made available under 
                                paragraph (ii) shall not exceed 50 
                                percent of the total project cost. A 
                                locality may use Federal funds other 
                                than Federal funds made available under 
                                this subsection to meet the non-Federal 
                                cost share requirement for a project 
                                under this subsection.
                                    ``(V) Structure.--A community 
                                seeking relief under this subsection 
                                must demonstrate a restructuring of 
                                their economy through a pivot from a 
                                `funding' model to a `financing' model 
                                by providing the following structure to 
                                their application.
                                            ``(aa) Communities shall 
                                        provide a strategic financing 
                                        plan for their economy 
                                        assessing their development 
                                        needs demonstrating allocation 
                                        of capital prioritized to fit 
                                        those needs.
                                            ``(bb) Localities must 
                                        strategically mobilize private 
                                        capital by aligning the 
                                        allocation processes to their 
                                        development goals and gaps of 
                                        their current economy in many 
                                        sectors including, but not 
                                        limited to infrastructure, 
                                        health, education, and energy; 
                                        this requires a critical 
                                        collaboration effort.
                                            ``(cc) Local governments 
                                        must demonstrate a priority for 
                                        minority inclusion, access, and 
                                        equity in applying for funds 
                                        made available under subsection 
                                        (e)(4)(B)(ii) and provide 
                                        structural guarantees that 
                                        minority communities will be 
                                        made part of the decision 
                                        process through grant funds are 
                                        obligated and expended.
                            ``(iii) State sedimentation, errand 
                        nutrient & regenerative agriculture assistance 
                        grant (ssenraag).--States that wish to pursue 
                        their nutrient reduction strategies more 
                        aggressively and have determined a compelling 
                        need to do so in compliment to and beyond what 
                        is called for through the Comprehensive 
                        Mississippi River Restoration Plan may apply to 
                        the Program Office for assistance.
                                    ``(I) Purpose.--The purpose of the 
                                grant is to provide funds for States to 
                                achieve their nutrient reduction 
                                strategies through a truncated timeline 
                                with greater activity and urgency due 
                                to an emergency event such as a 
                                disaster, crisis, or unique 
                                opportunity/discovery through--
                                            ``(aa) competitive planning 
                                        grants to enable States to 
                                        achieve their enacted goals and 
                                        timelines for reductions in 
                                        phosphorus and nitrogen at a 
                                        more impactful level and at a 
                                        faster pace;
                                            ``(bb) competitive water 
                                        quality improvement grants to 
                                        protect the States' fresh water 
                                        resources that flow into the 
                                        Mississippi River;
                                            ``(cc) innovative approach 
                                        grants that implement new ways 
                                        of achieving nutrient reduction 
                                        goals such as, but not limited 
                                        to nutrient trading regimes, 
                                        establishment of investment 
                                        funds to assist in the 
                                        capitalization of best 
                                        technology acquisition for 
                                        water treatment facilities, 
                                        deployment of on-field 
                                        regenerative agriculture 
                                        practices, and/or the 
                                        capitalization of a new market 
                                        credit to incentivize the 
                                        production and sales of cover 
                                        crops; and
                                            ``(dd) minority and 
                                        disadvantaged farmers shall to 
                                        receive priority consideration 
                                        under this subsection where 
                                        certain agricultural 
                                        communities of color were 
                                        purposefully positioned in 
                                        places of significant disaster 
                                        impact.
                                    ``(II) Eligibility.--Only 
                                participating States may apply for this 
                                assistance and must do so in direct 
                                coordination with local governments 
                                that are included in the proposed 
                                service area of the grant.
                                    ``(III) Distribution.--Grant awards 
                                under subsection (e)(4)(B)(iii) are 
                                direct allocations to States with a 
                                minimum set-aside allocation for local 
                                governments included in the service 
                                area of the grant of not less than 20 
                                percent.
                                    ``(IV) Cost share.--The Federal 
                                share of the cost of a project carried 
                                out using funds made available under 
                                paragraph (i) shall not exceed 80 
                                percent of the total project cost. A 
                                State may use Federal funds other than 
                                Federal funds made available under this 
                                subsection to meet the non-Federal cost 
                                share requirement for a project under 
                                this subsection.
            ``(5) Allocation, administration of funds.--Funds 
        distributed under subsection (e) must be used by States, local 
        governments, and their partners for the purposes designated in 
        subsection (d)(4)(B) with the stipulations and limitations 
        contained in subsection (g) and subsection (h).
                    ``(A) Allowances for small communities.--Those 
                communities directly adjacent to the Mississippi River 
                Main Stem with populations below 10,000 shall be given 
                administrative allowances in submitting their 
                application(s) for assistance under this Act such that 
                the Program Office shall offer technical assistance and 
                guidance to communities implicated in this subsection 
                in submitting a credible application. Minority and 
                historically disadvantaged communities shall be given 
                additional priority through this subsection especially 
                those facing disproportionate impacts from 
                environmental injustices committed by industrial 
                processes.
                    ``(B) Small community set-aside.--The Program 
                Office shall set aside 5 percent of all available grant 
                funds under subsection (e) for the sole purpose of 
                awarding grants to small community applicants that fit 
                the description stipulated in subsection (e)(5)(A).
    ``(f) In General.--In order to support the Comprehensive 
Mississippi River Restoration Plan and for other purposes, there shall 
be established a series of ongoing studies and investigations through 
this section to sustain the Mississippi River Corridor and carryout the 
intent created under this Act.
            ``(1) Mississippi river corridor economic profile.--Once 
        every 5 years after enactment of this Act, the Program Office 
        shall complete an updated economic profile (profile) of the 
        Mississippi River Corridor.
                    ``(A) Purpose.--This study is to develop a profile 
                of the regional economic activity dependent upon the 
                Mississippi Corridor from the headwaters region to the 
                Gulf of Mexico.
                    ``(B) Form.--This report shall be an analysis of 
                present economic activity including a treatment of 
                recent economic trends. The ultimate objective of this 
                report is to enhance understanding among government 
                agencies, legislative bodies, private organizations, 
                and individual citizens of the relative significance of 
                key economic sectors in the Mississippi River Corridor, 
                providing an information source for future river 
                management decisions and an economic guiding document 
                for the Comprehensive Mississippi River Restoration 
                Plan.
                            ``(i) The profile described in this 
                        subsection shall use the Lower Mississippi 
                        River Economic Profile developed by the Lower 
                        Mississippi River Conservation Committee 
                        (LMRCC) as a template including the economic 
                        sectors and degree of analysis mustered for the 
                        LMRCC document.
                            ``(ii) The Program Office shall have the 
                        latitude to alter the LMRCC template as it sees 
                        fit in updating the profile including the 
                        addition and subtraction of major economic 
                        categories as well as geographic scope.
                            ``(iii) The Program Office shall include a 
                        new category to track the economic impacts of 
                        the Comprehensive Mississippi River Restoration 
                        Plan and the subsequent project grants 
                        implemented through subsection (e) as they are 
                        implemented throughout the corridor. The 
                        Program Office shall decide the most 
                        appropriate time to institute this category.
                            ``(iv) The Program Office shall pursue to 
                        the maximum extent possible an economic 
                        analysis of the environmental services and 
                        ecosystem valuation of the Mississippi River 
                        Corridor creating a compare-and-contrast 
                        analysis of those areas instituting sustainable 
                        design and resilience projects and those that 
                        do not with particular emphasis on climate 
                        mitigation strategies and deployment, 
                        restoration, expansion of natural 
                        infrastructure.
                    ``(C) Procedure.--The Data Analysis and Subject 
                Matter Investigations Directorate (DASMID) within the 
                Program Office shall lead and manage the development, 
                review, and release of the Profile. The DASMID shall 
                determine the appropriate timeline to carry-out this 
                procedure and shall--
                            ``(i) present the profile in draft form to 
                        the Federal Leadership Committee for advice and 
                        review leading up to the five-year increment of 
                        updated publication of the Profile;
                            ``(ii) create a reasonable opportunity for 
                        States, local governments, organizations, and 
                        institutions of higher learning to officially 
                        submit review and comment on drafts or final 
                        publication of the Profile;
                            ``(iii) determine the most effective manner 
                        in which to organize the Profile within the 
                        priority of providing break-out economic 
                        analysis for each State so the profile can be 
                        of maximum utility to Congress in setting 
                        policy for the nation's resources and 
                        waterways.
            ``(2) Watershed monitoring network.--Using the USGS-
        developed MRCTI Mississippi River disaster information portal 
        as an example and working directly with the U.S. Geological 
        Survey Water Resources Program and the Natural Resources 
        Conservation Service, the Program Office shall establish a 
        water quality and flow monitoring network for the Mississippi 
        River Corridor for the purposes of quantifying and evaluating 
        the sources, transport, and trends of sediment, nutrients, as 
        well as to determine the effectiveness of nutrient reduction 
        practices corridor-wide, and for other water quality parameters 
        such as river color(s) obtained from NASA images. In developing 
        the monitoring network described in this subsection shall--
                    ``(A) be advised and consulted by interstate water 
                quality monitoring strategies for nutrient, sediment, 
                and other water quality parameters where they exist as 
                well as Mississippi River States' monitoring of the 
                implementation and performance of best management 
                practices for reducing nutrient and sediment loading 
                from nonpoint sources where such best practices can be 
                determined from the 31 States of the Mississippi River 
                Basin; and
                    ``(B) expand from the Mississippi River Corridor to 
                the entire Mississippi River Basin over time as 
                resources and capacity allows in order to capture the 
                major tributaries and their contribution of impacts to 
                the Mississippi River Main Stem.
            ``(3) Disaster resilience and environmental services 
        valuation.--Working in close coordination and collaboration 
        with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley 
        Division (Division), the Program Office shall provide data, 
        research and investigation that offers valuation and economic 
        impact of all the Division's ecosystem restoration work in 
        terms of disaster resilience and enhanced environmental 
        services and such activity described in this subsection shall 
        be made part of the Corps' official project cost-benefit-
        analysis for all ecosystem restoration projects. Particular 
        attention of the valuation shall be allocated to track and 
        measure impacts and solutions for minority and historically 
        disadvantaged communities throughout the study in such a manner 
        as to determine how these vulnerable communities may garner 
        more urgent and systemic benefits from ecosystem restoration 
        and enhanced environmental services deployment.
            ``(4) Trust fund feasibility study.--In close cooperation 
        with the White House Office of Management and Budget, the 
        Program Office shall conduct a study to determine the 
        feasibility of establishing a multi-user-fee-supported trust 
        fund for the Mississippi River's ecological sustainability and 
        built infrastructure integrity and repair. The study shall be 
        reported to Congress three years after enactment of this Act. 
        It is envisioned this Trust Fund would ensure the continued 
        funding of Mississippi River Corridor environmental services 
        that support the global commodity supply chain, navigation, 
        manufacturing, drinking water supply, disaster resilience, and 
        outdoor tourism and recreation.
                    ``(A) Purpose.--The Feasibility Study shall 
                determine if a multi-user-fee-structure could be 
                established for an impactful majority of private and 
                public sector entities using the Mississippi River 
                including but not limited to:
                            ``(i) Agricultural commodity producers, 
                        distributors, and manufacturers.
                            ``(ii) Navigation industry members.
                            ``(iii) Outdoor recreation and tourism 
                        industry members.
                            ``(iv) Food and beverage manufacturers.
                            ``(v) Private entities using one hundred 
                        thousand or more gallons per day of Mississippi 
                        River surface water including public and quasi-
                        government utilities.
                            ``(vi) State governments that border the 
                        main stem Mississippi River from headwaters to 
                        the Gulf of Mexico.
                    ``(B) Form.--The study mandated in this subsection 
                shall be structured to pursue the pervasive use of the 
                Mississippi River and how the myriad of end-user 
                interests may be accumulated and organized into a 
                system through which the Mississippi River as one of 
                the Nation's most treasured and relied upon resources 
                as well as all the activities of the Program Office are 
                sustained into the future with less and less dependency 
                on annual Federal appropriations.
                    ``(C) Procedure.--The Program Office, upon 
                completion of the study, shall co-present with the 
                White House Office of Management and Budget, findings 
                to the Federal Leadership Committee for advice and 
                review before final publication and submission to 
                Congress.
    ``(g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Mississippi river corridor.--The term `Mississippi 
        River Corridor' shall mean the 246-county region along the 
        Mississippi River Main Stem as delineated in the 2016 U.S. Fish 
        and Wildlife Service Upper Mississippi River Economic Profile 
        and the 2014 Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee 
        Lower Mississippi River Economic Profile.
            ``(2) Mississippi river state.--The term `Mississippi River 
        State' shall mean any of the ten States that touch the main 
        stem Mississippi River which includes from north to south 
        Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, 
        Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
            ``(3) Mississippi river main stem.--The term `Mississippi 
        River Main Stem' shall mean the primary water channel that 
        comprises the geographic norm of the Mississippi River flowing 
        north to south from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico.
            ``(4) Mississippi river basin.--The term `Mississippi River 
        Basin' shall mean the vast region of North America encompassing 
        31 States and two Canadian Provinces that drain in whole or in 
        part into the Mississippi River Main Stem and subsequently into 
        the Gulf of Mexico.
            ``(5) Eligible state.--The term `eligible State' shall mean 
        the same as `Mississippi River State' for purposes of this Act.
            ``(6) Participating state.--The term `Participating State' 
        shall mean any State within the Mississippi River Basin that 
        has been licensed to enter into agreements under the provisions 
        of this Act;
            ``(7) Local government.--The term `Local Government' shall 
        mean a subdivision of government within the United States that 
        is either a county or mayor-led municipality as recognized 
        under the laws of the State such a locality resides.
            ``(8) Critical national infrastructure.--The term `Critical 
        National Infrastructure' shall mean built assets that make 
        possible or contribute to interstate commerce, energy 
        production, drinking water supply, the global commodity supply 
        chain, downtown city centers or cores of counties or mayor-led 
        municipalities.
            ``(9) Major economies.--The term `Major Economies' shall 
        mean the top ten economic sectors in terms of revenue generated 
        and jobs supported as averaged over the five-year period under 
        study for an update to the Mississippi River Economic Profile 
        as described in subsection (f)(1).
            ``(10) Extra-provisional projects.--The term `Extra-
        Provisional Projects' shall mean those projects not called for 
        within the Comprehensive Mississippi River Restoration Plan as 
        described in subsection (e)(4)(B).
            ``(11) Disadvantaged community.--The term `Disadvantaged 
        Community' shall mean those jurisdictions where not less than 
        15 percent of the population lives below the poverty line upon 
        enactment of this Act and/or has met this threshold for at 
        least half of the jurisdiction's existence.
    ``(h) Program Administration.--The Mississippi River Program shall 
be administered under the following provisions:
            ``(1) Audit and report.--
                    ``(A) Audit requirement.--Not less frequently than 
                every two years, each participating State shall conduct 
                an audit of the grant funds and/or resources 
                distributed to that State through provisions and relief 
                offered under this Act.
                    ``(B) Report.--Each participating State shall 
                submit to the Program Office a biennial report 
                regarding the activities of the State under this 
                section during the period covered by the report, 
                including--
                            ``(i) the result of any audit conducted by 
                        the State under subparagraph (A); and
                            ``(ii) a review of the effectiveness of the 
                        grant funds allocated to the State with respect 
                        to--
                                    ``(I) the intended use of grant(s) 
                                allocated within the State; and
                                    ``(II) meeting the objectives 
                                described in subsection (e)(4).
            ``(2) Regulations.--The Program Office shall promulgate 
        such guidance or regulations as may be necessary to carry out 
        this section, including guidance or regulations that--
                    ``(A) ensure that each participating State to which 
                funds are allocated under subsections (b), (d), and (f) 
                uses the funds as efficiently as possible;
                    ``(B) reduce, to the maximum extent practicable, 
                waste, fraud, and abuse with respect to the 
                implementation of this Act;
                    ``(C) ensure that subsection (e) is adhered in 
                terms of projects awarded; and
                    ``(D) require any party that receives funds 
                directly or indirectly under this Act, including a 
                participating State and a recipient of amounts from a 
                grant, to use procedures with respect to the management 
                of the funds that conform to generally accepted 
                accounting standards.
            ``(3) Noncompliance.--Except as otherwise provided, if a 
        participating State local government, or partner does not 
        comply with subsection (e)(5), with respect to a grant, the 
        Administrator shall reallocate the grant in accordance with 
        this subsection. Reallocation of grant funds shall begin with a 
        return of unspent grant funds due to noncompliance to the 
        Program Office accompanied by an audit and report as directed 
        in subsection (h)(1).
            ``(4) Exception.--The Program Office may not reallocate any 
        funds under subparagraph (A) to a participating State that 
        triggered subsection (3) with respect to a grant made during 
        the same fiscal year in which the funds to be reallocated were 
        originally made available.
            ``(5) Allocation of remaining funds.--After allocating 
        amounts made available to carry out this section for a fiscal 
        year in accordance with paragraph (3), the Administrator shall 
        allocate any remaining amounts in the form of grants to the 
        mayor-led municipality directly adjacent to the Mississippi 
        River Main Stem with the smallest population in each of the ten 
        eligible States.
            ``(6) Reservation of funds.--The Program Office shall 
        reserve not more than 1.5 percent of the amount made available 
        to carry out subsection (e) in a fiscal year--
                    ``(A) for administrative costs incurred in carrying 
                out this section;
                    ``(B) to provide technical assistance to recipients 
                of grants under this subsection (e); and
                    ``(C) to enter into grant agreements with States, 
                with the grant funds to be distributed--
                            ``(i) according to criteria established by 
                        the Program Office; and
                            ``(ii) for a purpose described in 
                        subsection (f).
            ``(7) Use of funds.--Amounts deposited in a State through 
        this Act, shall be used--
                    ``(A) consistent with subsections (e) and (f), to 
                provide financial assistance for an eligible State, 
                local government, and non-profit organization partner;
                    ``(B) as a source of revenue and security for 
                activities designated under this Act, the proceeds of 
                which shall be placed toward performance as stated in 
                an applicable grant agreement; or
                    ``(C) for the sale of bonds as security for payment 
                of the principal and interest on revenue or general 
                obligation bonds issued by the participating State to 
                provide matching funds under subsection (e), if the 
                proceeds from the sale of the bonds are deposited with 
                the participating State.
            ``(8) Publication.--Each participating State shall publish 
        and periodically update a list of all projects receiving 
        funding under this Act, which shall include--
                    ``(A) the location of each project;
                    ``(B) the type and amount of assistance provided 
                for each project; and
                    ``(C) the expected funding schedule and date of 
                completion of each project.
    ``(i) Administrative and Technical Costs.--For each fiscal year, a 
participating State may use the amount described in subparagraph (6) 
to--
            ``(1) pay the reasonable costs of administration of the 
        programs under this section, including the recovery of 
        reasonable costs incurred in establishing a project(s) funded 
        through this Act;
            ``(2) provide appropriate oversight of projects authorized 
        under this Act; and
            ``(3) provide technical assistance and outreach to 
        recipients in the State of amounts under this section, 
        including with respect to updating hazard mitigation plans and 
        participating in the Community Rating System, in an amount that 
        is not more than 5 percent of the funds made available to the 
        State under this section.
    ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $500,000,000 for each fiscal year beginning in 2022 and 
ending in 2027 toward the carrying out of this Act with the possibility 
of further authorizations beyond 2027.''.
                                 <all>