Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act

Bill: 113-s-1080
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Connecticut
Ecology
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Long Island Sound
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
New York State
Water quality
Watersheds
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to direct the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study to conduct or commission studies to strengthen the implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Long Island Sound. Requires the studies to include: (1) environmental impacts on the Sound watershed; and (2) planning initiatives that identify areas most suitable for various activities in order to reduce conflicts among uses, reduce environmental impacts, facilitate compatible uses, or preserve critical ecosystem services. 
 
Requires the Office to: (1) develop and implement strategies to increase education and awareness about the ecological health and water quality of the Sound; and (2) monitor progress toward meeting the goals, actions, and schedules of the Plan. 
Revises the limit on the federal share for certain grants for projects and studies to help implement the Plan. Increases the limit for grants other than citizen involvement and education grants.
 
Requires the Office's Director to submit a report that includes: (1) an assessment of the progress in implementing the Plan, (2) an assessment of the key ecological attributes that reflect the health of the ecosystem of the Sound watershed, (3) a description of substantive modifications to the Plan, (4) recommendations to improve progress in restoring and protecting the Sound watershed, (5) priority actions for implementing the Plan, and (6) a description of the means for coordinating federal funding and actions with the Long Island Sound states and other entities.
 
Requires the President to submit, with the annual budget, information regarding each federal agency involved in the protection and restoration of the Sound watershed.
 
Requires the EPA Administrator to coordinate the actions of federal agencies to improve the water quality and living resources of the watershed.
 
Requires a federal agency that owns or occupies real property, or carries out activities, within the Sound watershed to: (1) participate in regional and subwatershed planning, protection, and restoration activities; and (2) ensure that the property and activities are consistent with the Plan.
 
Amends the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 to reauthorize the Long Island Sound Stewardship Advisory Committee through 2018 and exempts the Advisory Committee or any board, committee, or other group established under this Act from the Federal Advisory Committee Act. 
 
Extends through FY2018 the authorizations to the EPA for the implementation of the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study, the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006, the Long Island Sound Grants, and Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants.

action_date: 2014-06-05
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act - (Sec. 2) Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to direct the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study to conduct or commission studies to strengthen the implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Long Island Sound. Requires the studies to include: (1) environmental impacts on the Sound watershed; and (2) planning initiatives that identify areas most suitable for various activities in order to reduce conflicts among uses, reduce environmental impacts, facilitate compatible uses, or preserve critical ecosystem services. 
 
Requires the Office to: (1) develop and implement strategies to increase education and awareness about the ecological health and water quality of the Sound; and (2) monitor progress toward meeting the goals, actions, and schedules of the Plan. 
Revises the limit on the federal share for certain grants for projects and studies to help implement the Plan. Increases the limit for grants other than citizen involvement and education grants from 50% to 60%.
 
Requires the Office's Director to submit a report that includes: (1) an assessment of the progress in implementing the Plan, (2) an assessment of the key ecological attributes that reflect the health of the ecosystem of the Sound watershed, (3) a description of substantive modifications to the Plan, (4) recommendations to improve progress in restoring and protecting the Sound watershed, (5) priority actions for implementing the Plan, and (6) a description of the means for coordinating federal funding and actions with the Long Island Sound states and other entities.
 
Requires the President to submit, with the annual budget, information regarding each federal agency involved in the protection and restoration of the Sound watershed.
 
Requires the EPA Administrator to coordinate the actions of federal agencies to improve the water quality and living resources of the watershed.
 
Requires a federal agency that owns or occupies real property, or carries out activities, within the Sound watershed to: (1) participate in regional and subwatershed planning, protection, and restoration activities; and (2) ensure that the property and activities are consistent with the Plan.
 
Amends the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 to reauthorize the Long Island Sound Stewardship Advisory Committee through 2018 and exempts the Advisory Committee or any board, committee, or other group established under this Act from the Federal Advisory Committee Act. 
 
(Sec. 3) Extends through FY2018 the authorizations to the EPA for the implementation of the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study, the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006, the Long Island Sound Grants, and Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 421.
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 113-190.
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 113-190.
action_date: 2014-02-06
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate