Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act

Bill: 114-s-1365
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2015-05-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Government trust funds
Indian claims
Indian lands and resources rights
Rural conditions and development
Water resources funding
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2015-05-18
text: 

Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act

 
 TITLE I--RECLAMATION RURAL WATER CONSTRUCTION AND SETTLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION FUND 
 
Establishes the Reclamation Rural Water Construction and Settlement Implementation Fund, which shall consist of the Rural Water Project Account and the Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account. Directs the Department of the Treasury to deposit into such Accounts for each of FY2015-FY2035 specified amounts of revenues that would otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by the Reclamation Act of 1902. Prohibits making deposits in, or making funds available from, the Fund if doing so would increase the deficit. 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
 
Permits the Department of the Interior to use specified amounts available in the Rural Water Project Account, for each of FY2015-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 February 27, 2015, pursuant to the Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 and an Act of Congress after enactment of this Act has authorized construction.
 
Prohibits Interior from using any amounts from the Fund to pay for operation and maintenance costs of an authorized rural water project.
 
Prohibits Interior from expending any amounts from the Fund to carry this out 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
 
Directs Interior to use specified amounts authorized to be expended from the Reclamation Infrastructure and Settlement Implementation Account for each of FY2015-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.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-06-18
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 114-399.
action_date: 2015-05-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-05-18
text: Introduced in Senate