Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Improvement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3189
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2008-06-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Animals
Authorization
Colorado
Colorado River development
Construction costs
Economics and Public Finance
Endangered species
Energy
Environmental Protection
Federal aid to water resources development
Fishery management
Habitat conservation
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
New Mexico
Power marketing administrations
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Utah
Wyoming

Summary:
action_date: 2008-06-25
text: 
Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends federal law providing funding to continue endangered fish recovery implementation programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins by modifying the definition of: (1) &quot;capital projects&quot; to include rehabilitation and repair of facilities; and (2) &quot;facilities&quot; to include those for protection of critical habitat and for preventing entrainment of fish in water diversions.

Increases funding and extends the authorization period to fund recovery programs.

Authorizes the provision of base funding through loans from the Colorado Water Conservation Board Construction Fund if the Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration and the Commissioner of Reclamation jointly determine that funds in the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund may be insufficient to meet obligations. 

Authorizes the Administrator, subject to an agreement entered into with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Commissioner, to repay any such loan from power revenues collected after September 30, 2019. Requires: (1) the agreement and each loan contract to include provisions designed to minimize impacts on electrical power rates and to ensure that loan repayment to the Board is treated as nonreimbursable; and (2) repayment of any such loan by September 30, 2057.

Directs the Administrator and the Commissioner, if the Administrator is unable to obtain a loan from the Board, to report to Congress describing the projected base funding shortfall.

action_date: 2008-09-16
text: 
Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends federal law providing funding to continue endangered fish recovery implementation programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins by: (1) modifying the definition of &quot;capital projects&quot; to include rehabilitation and repair of facilities; (2) modifying the definition of &quot;facilities&quot; to include facilities for protection of critical habitat and for preventing entrainment of fish in water diversions; (3) increasing funding; and (4) extending the authorization period to fund recovery programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1005.
action_date: 2008-09-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-11
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2008-07-08
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-571.
action_date: 2008-06-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2008-06-25
text: Introduced in Senate