Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1775
Sponsor: Rep. Edwards, Donna F. [D-MD-4]
Introduced: 2015-04-14 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental technology
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Higher education
Hydrology and hydrography
Infrastructure development
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Water quality
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-14
text: 

Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2015
 
 
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to eligible higher education institutions and research institutions to establish and maintain between three and five centers of excellence for innovative stormwater control infrastructure, which is any stormwater management technique that: (1) uses natural systems or engineered systems that mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspire, or capture stormwater; and (2) preserves, enhances, or mimics natural hydrology to protect or restore water quality. One of the centers must be the national electronic clearinghouse center and operate a website and a public database on the infrastructure.
 
The EPA must: (1) provide grants to eligible entities that manage stormwater, water resources, or wastewater resources to carry out innovative stormwater control infrastructure projects; and (2) give priority to applications from a community that has combined storm and sanitary sewers in its collection system or is low-income or disadvantaged, or from an eligible entity that will use at least 10% of the grant for a low-income or disadvantaged community. 
 
The EPA must ensure that: (1) EPA's Office of Water, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, Office of Research and Development, and Office of Policy promote the use of the infrastructure in, and coordinate its integration into, permitting programs, planning efforts, research, technical assistance, and funding guidance; and (2) the Office of Water supports establishing innovative financing mechanisms in the implementation of the infrastructure. The EPA must: (1) direct each EPA regional office to promote and integrate the use of the infrastructure within the region, and (2) promote sharing information about the infrastructure approaches. 
 
The EPA must establish the innovative stormwater control infrastructure portfolio standard of voluntary, measurable goals to increase the percentage of annual water managed by entities that use the infrastructure.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.
action_date: 2015-04-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2015-04-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-04-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-04-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-04-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E486)
action_date: 2015-04-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-04-14
text: Introduced in House