Protect and Restore America's Estuaries Act

Bill: 116-s-3171
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2020-01-09
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Air quality

Alabama

Aquatic ecology

Atmospheric science and weather

California

Caribbean area

Climate change and greenhouse gases

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Florida

Forests, forestry, trees

Lakes and rivers

Land use and conservation

Maine

Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

Maryland

New Hampshire

New Jersey

Oregon

Puerto Rico

Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Solid waste and recycling

Texas

U.S. territories and protectorates

Urban and suburban affairs and development

Washington State

Water quality
Latest action: action_date: 2020-01-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-01-09
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Protect and Restore America's Estuaries Act</b></p> <p>This bill reauthorizes for FY2022-FY2026 and revises the National Estuary Program, which provides grants to protect or restore estuaries of national significance. Specifically, the bill expands the types of projects that qualify for grants under the program, such as projects that address issues related to urbanization, stormwater runoff, or accelerated land loss. </p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3171 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 9, 2020 Mr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Cassidy , and Mr. Carper ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the National Estuary Program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protect and Restore America's Estuaries Act . 2. National Estuary Program Section 320 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1330 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking and Peconic Bay, New York and inserting Peconic Bay, New York; Casco Bay, Maine; Tampa Bay, Florida; Coastal Bend, Texas; San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico; Tillamook Bay, Oregon; Piscataqua Region, New Hampshire; Barnegat Bay, New Jersey; Maryland Coastal Bays, Maryland; Charlotte Harbor, Florida; Mobile Bay, Alabama; Morro Bay, California; and Lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington ; (2) in subsection (b)(4)— (A) by striking management plan that recommends and inserting “management plan that— (A) recommends ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (B) addresses the effects of recurring extreme weather events on the estuary, including the identification and assessment of vulnerabilities in the estuary and the development and implementation of adaptation strategies; and (C) increases public education and awareness of the ecological health and water quality conditions of the estuary; ; (3) in subsection (c)(5), by inserting nonprofit organizations, after educational institutions, ; (4) in subsection (g)(4)— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking subsection (i)(2)(B) and inserting subsection (i)(3)(B) ; and (B) in subparagraph (C)— (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), in the first sentence— (I) by inserting , emerging, after urgent ; (II) by striking coastal areas and inserting estuaries of national significance ; (ii) in clause (vi), by inserting , extreme weather, after sea level rise ; (iii) by redesignating clauses (vi) and (vii) as clauses (ix) and (x), respectively; and (iv) by inserting after clause (v) the following: (vi) stormwater runoff; (vii) accelerated land loss; (viii) problems resulting from urbanization and population growth, including— (I) increased demand for sewage treatment; (II) loss of forests and natural soil; and (III) increased amounts of impervious surfaces that affect water quality; ; and (5) in subsection (i)— (A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (B) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $26,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 for— and inserting the following: There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator for the purposes described in paragraph (2)— (A) $26,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021; and (B) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. (2) Purposes described The purposes referred to in paragraph (1) are— .