Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act

Bill: 109-hr-5340
Sponsor: Rep. Kind, Ron [D-WI-3]
Introduced: 2006-05-10 in the House
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Agricultural pollution
Agriculture and Food
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Computer simulation
Congressional reporting requirements
Data banks
Department of the Interior
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Environmental monitoring
Environmental research
Estuaries
Eutrophication
Federal aid to research
Federal aid to water pollution control
Federal-Indian relations
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Hydrology
Illinois
Internet
Iowa
Land use
Landscape protection
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Minnesota
Minorities
Mississippi River
Missouri
Nature conservation
Performance measurement
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Public-private partnerships
Remote sensing
Right of privacy
Rivers
Science, Technology, Communications
Sediment control
Sedimentation
Soil conservation
Soil erosion
Space activities
Water pollution control
Water quality
Watersheds
Wisconsin

Summary:
action_date: 2006-05-10
text: 
Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Geological Survey, to establish a nutrient and sediment monitoring network for the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish guidelines for related data collection and storage activities; (2) inventory the sediment and monitoring efforts of governmental and nongovernmental entities for the purpose of creating a baseline understanding of overlap, data gaps, and redundancies; and (3) collaborate with other public and private monitoring efforts in establishing the monitoring program.
Directs the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a water resources assessment of the Basin.
Requires the Director of the United States Geological Survey to establish: (1) a computer modeling program of nutrient and sediment sources in the Basin; and (2) an Internet-based system to distribute information about nutrient and sediment loss reduction projects and nutrient and sediment levels in the Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries.
action_date: 2006-07-13
text: 
Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act - 
Title I: Sediment and Nutrient Monitoring Network - 
(Sec. 101) Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Geological Survey (USGS), to establish a nutrient and sediment monitoring network for the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
 
(Sec. 102) Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish guidelines for related data collection and storage activities; (2) inventory the sediment and monitoring efforts of governmental and nongovernmental entities for the purpose of creating a baseline understanding of overlap, data gaps, and redundancies; and (3) collaborate with other public and private monitoring efforts in establishing the monitoring program. 
(Sec. 106) Directs the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a water resources assessment of the Basin. 

Title II: Computer Modeling and Research - 
(Sec. 201) Requires the Director of USGS to establish: (1) a computer modeling program of nutrient and sediment sources in the Basin; and (2) an Internet-based system to distribute information about nutrient and sediment loss reduction projects and nutrient and sediment levels in the Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries. 
(Sec. 203) Requires the Director to provide to Congress and make available to the public: (1) an annual report regarding monitoring activities conducted in the Basin; and (2) a progress report, every three years, regarding modeling activities. 

Title III: Authorization of Appropriations and Related Matters
 - (Sec. 301) Authorizes appropriations to USGS, with one third made available for its Cooperative Water Program and the remainder for its Hydrologic Networks and Analysis Program, including sums to allow the Council to perform the required assessment. 
(Sec. 302) Makes funds available for USGS subject to the same cost-sharing requirements as in the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (which limits the USGS share to 50% of the cost in any topographic mapping or water resources data collection and investigation carried on in cooperation with a state or municipality). 
(Sec. 303) Terminates the Secretary's authority to carry out this Act 10 years after its enactment.
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on July 13, 2006. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act - 
Title I: Sediment and Nutrient Monitoring Network - 
(Sec. 101) Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Geological Survey (USGS), to establish a nutrient and sediment monitoring network for the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
 
(Sec. 102) Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish guidelines for related data collection and storage activities; (2) inventory the sediment and monitoring efforts of governmental and nongovernmental entities for the purpose of creating a baseline understanding of overlap, data gaps, and redundancies; and (3) collaborate with other public and private monitoring efforts in establishing the monitoring program. 
(Sec. 106) Directs the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a water resources assessment of the Basin. 

Title II: Computer Modeling and Research - 
(Sec. 201) Requires the Director of USGS to establish: (1) a computer modeling program of nutrient and sediment sources in the Basin; and (2) an Internet-based system to distribute information about nutrient and sediment loss reduction projects and nutrient and sediment levels in the Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries. 
(Sec. 203) Requires the Director to provide to Congress and make available to the public: (1) an annual report regarding monitoring activities conducted in the Basin; and (2) a progress report, every three years, regarding modeling activities. 

Title III: Authorization of Appropriations and Related Matters
 - (Sec. 301) Authorizes appropriations to USGS, with one third made available for its Cooperative Water Program and the remainder for its Hydrologic Networks and Analysis Program, including sums to allow the Council to perform the required assessment. 
(Sec. 302) Makes funds available for USGS subject to the same cost-sharing requirements as in the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (which limits the USGS share to 50% of the cost in any topographic mapping or water resources data collection and investigation carried on in cooperation with a state or municipality). 
(Sec. 303) Terminates the Secretary's authority to carry out this Act 10 years after its enactment.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-11-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2006-09-28
text: Received in the Senate.
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7667-7668)
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H7667-7668)
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5340.
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7667-7669)
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Mr. Gohmert moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2006-07-13
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 317.
action_date: 2006-07-13
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 109-561.
action_date: 2006-07-13
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 109-561.
action_date: 2006-06-21
text: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2006-06-21
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2006-06-21
text: Subcommittee on Water and Power Discharged.
action_date: 2006-05-16
text: Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
action_date: 2006-05-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
action_date: 2006-05-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2006-05-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-05-10
text: Introduced in House