Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act

Bill: 113-s-715
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2013-04-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Economic development
Energy efficiency and conservation
Government trust funds
Indian social and development programs
Rural conditions and development
Water resources funding
Water use and supply
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2013-04-11
text: 
Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act - Establishes in the Treasury a Reclamation Rural Water Construction Fund, into which the Secretary of the Treasury shall deposit for each of FY2014-FY2030 a specified amount of revenues that would otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by the Reclamation Act of 1902.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to use amounts from the Fund to complete construction of rural water projects that were authorized to be carried out on or before this Act's enactment or for which: (1) a feasibility study has been submitted to the Secretary by September 30, 2012, pursuant to the Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 that recommends construction, and (2) an Act of Congress enacted after this Act's enactment has authorized construction. Prohibits the Secretary from using amounts from the Fund to pay for project operation and maintenance costs.
 
Prohibits the Secretary from expending amounts from the Fund until the date on which the Secretary develops: (1) programmatic goals that would enable the completion of construction of the authorized rural water projects as expeditiously as possible and that reflect the goals and priorities identified in the laws authorizing the projects and the goals of the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act; and (2) funding prioritization criteria that takes into account specified information, including an evaluation of the need for potable water supplies in the affected rural and tribal communities, the completion status of a project, and the financial needs of the affected communities.
 
Terminates the Fund on September 30, 2035.

action_date: 2014-05-22
text: 
Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act - 
Title I: Reclamation Rural Water Construction and Settlement Implementation Fund - 
(Sec. 101) Establishes the Reclamation Rural Water Construction and Settlement Implementation Fund, which shall consist of the Rural Water Project Account, the Indian Irrigation Account, and the Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit into such Accounts for each of FY2014-FY2035 specified amounts of revenues that would otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by the Reclamation Act of 1902. Terminates the Fund on September 30, 2035, and requires the unexpended and unobligated balance to be transferred to the reclamation fund.
 

Title II: Rural Water Projects
 - (Sec. 201) Permits the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to use specified amounts available in the Rural Water Project Account, for each of FY2014-FY2035, to complete construction of rural water projects: (1) authorized to be carried out on or before this Act's enactment date, or (2) for which a feasibility study was submitted by September 30, 2012, pursuant to the Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 and an Act of Congress after enactment of this Act has authorized construction.
 
(Sec. 202) Prohibits the Secretary from using any amounts from the Fund to pay for operation and maintenance costs of an authorized rural water project.
 
Prohibits the Secretary from expending any amounts from the Fund to carry out this title until development of: (1) programmatic goals that would enable the completion of construction of the authorized rural water projects as expeditiously as practicable and that reflect the goals and priorities identified in the laws authorizing the projects and the goals of the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act of 2006; and (2) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a methodology for distributing funds that take into account specified factors, including an evaluation of the urgent and compelling need for potable water supplies in the affected rural and tribal communities and the potential economic benefits of the expenditures on job creation and general economic development in such communities.
 

Title III: Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation 
- (Sec. 301) Directs the Secretary to use specified amounts authorized to be expended from the Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account for each of FY2014-FY2035 to: (1) provide authorized compensation to extinguish or otherwise resolve all monetary claims of an Indian tribe against the United States relating to use of tribal land by the United States for the generation of hydropower; or (2) complete construction, planning, and design of projects and implement provisions authorized under one or more Acts of Congress that resolve litigation involving the United States and the rights of federally recognized Indian tribes to access, use, or manage water resources or that implement approved agreements pursuant to which such tribes agree to some limitation on the exercise of such rights.
 

Title IV: Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance of Certain Indian Irrigation Projects
 - (Sec. 401) Directs the Secretary to establish a program to address the deferred maintenance needs of Indian irrigation projects that: (1) create risks to public or employee safety or natural or cultural resources, and (2) unduly impede the management and efficiency of the Indian irrigation program.
 
Directs the Secretary to use or transfer to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) a specified amount from the Indian Irrigation Account for each of FY2014-FY2035 to carry out maintenance, repair, and replacement activities for projects that, on the date of this Act's enactment: (1) are owned by the federal government, as listed in the federal inventory required by Executive Order 13327; (2) are managed by BIA; and (3) have deferred maintenance documented by BIA.
 
(Sec. 403) Conditions the expenditure of amounts from the Fund to carry out this title on the Secretary developing and submitting certain: (1) programmatic goals, including goals that would enable the completion of repairing, replacing, improving, or performing maintenance on projects as expeditiously as possible; and (2) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a methodology for distributing funds, including criteria that take into account the ability of the project to address tribal, regional, and watershed level water supply needs and the extent to which deferred maintenance of qualifying projects poses a threat to public or employee safety or health, to natural or cultural resources, or to the ability of BIA to carry out its mission in operating the project.
 
(Sec. 404) Directs the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs: (1) within two years after enactment of this Act, to complete a study that evaluates options for improving programmatic and project management and performance of irrigation projects managed and operated by BIA; (2) prior to conducting such study, to consult with the Indian tribes that have jurisdiction over the land on which an eligible project is located and to solicit and consider input from the landowners served by such project; and (3) on completing such study, to submit a report describing study results, including recommendations for improving programmatic and project management and performance in each qualifying project area and for the program as a whole.
 
(Sec. 405) Directs the Secretary, before expending funds on an Indian irrigation project under this title, to: (1) consult with the Indian tribe that has jurisdiction over the land on which the project is located, and (2) solicit and consider input from the landowners served by the project.
 
(Sec. 406) Directs the Secretary to ensure that each eligible Indian irrigation project that has critical maintenance needs receives part of the funding under this title for each of FY2014-FY2035, with priority to projects for which funding has not been made available during the 15 years preceding enactment of this Act and subject to a specified individual project funding cap. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-05-22
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 393.
action_date: 2014-05-22
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-167.
action_date: 2014-05-22
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-167.
action_date: 2013-11-21
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
action_date: 2013-04-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-32.
action_date: 2013-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2013-04-11
text: Introduced in Senate