Union Calendar No. 552
116th CONGRESS 2d Session |
[Report No. 116–668, Part I]
To promote desalination project development and drought resilience, and for other purposes.
July 11, 2019
Mr. Levin of California (for himself and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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
December 18, 2020
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
December 18, 2020
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 11, 2019]
To promote desalination project development and drought resilience, and for other purposes.
SEC. 2. Desalination projects authorization.
Section 4(a) of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 10301 note; Public Law 104–298) is amended by striking the second paragraph (1) (relating to projects) and inserting the following:
“(2) PROJECTS.—
“(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph:
“(i) ELIGIBLE DESALINATION PROJECT.—The term ‘eligible desalination project’ means any project located in a Reclamation State that—
“(I) involves an ocean or brackish water desalination facility—
“(aa) constructed, operated, and maintained by a State, Indian Tribe, irrigation district, water district, or other organization with water or power delivery authority; or
“(bb) sponsored or funded by a State, department of a State, political subdivision of a State, or public agency organized pursuant to State law, including through—
“(AA) direct sponsorship or funding; or
“(BB) indirect sponsorship or funding, such as by paying for the water provided by the facility; and
“(B) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.—
“(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the requirements of this subsection and notwithstanding section 7, the Federal share of an eligible desalination project carried out under this subsection shall be—
“(ii) RURAL DESALINATION PROJECTS.—
“(I) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT FOR APPRAISAL STUDIES.—In the case of a rural desalination project carried out under this subsection, the Federal share of the cost of appraisal studies for the rural desalination project shall be—
“(II) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT FOR FEASIBILITY STUDIES.—In the case of a rural desalination project carried out under this subsection, the Federal share of the cost of feasibility studies for the rural desalination project shall be not more than 50 percent.
“(C) STATE ROLE.—Participation by the Secretary in an eligible desalination project under this paragraph shall not occur unless—
“(D) ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.—In participating in an eligible desalination project under this paragraph, the Secretary shall comply with all applicable environmental laws, including, but not limited to, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and State laws implementing the Coastal Zone Management Act.
“(E) INFORMATION.—In participating in an eligible desalination project under this subsection, the Secretary—
“(F) FUNDING.—
“(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $260,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021 through 2025, of which not less than $15,000,000 shall be made available during that period for rural desalination projects.
“(ii) CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL INITIALLY REQUIRED.—
“(I) IN GENERAL.—Each initial award under this paragraph for design and study or for construction of an eligible desalination project shall be approved by an Act of Congress.
“(iii) SUBSEQUENT FUNDING AWARDS.—After approval by Congress of an initial award of preconstruction or construction funding for an eligible desalination project under clause (ii), the Commissioner of Reclamation may award additional preconstruction or construction funding, respectively, for the eligible desalination project without further congressional approval.
SEC. 3. Prioritization for projects.
Section 4 of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 10301 note; Public Law 104–298) is amended by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
“(c) Prioritization.—In carrying out demonstration and development activities under this section, the Secretary and the Commissioner of Reclamation shall each prioritize projects—
“(2) for the benefit of States that have authorized funding for research and development of desalination technologies and projects;
“(3) that demonstrably reduce a reliance on imported water supplies that have an impact on species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
“(4) that, in a measurable and verifiable manner, reduce a reliance on imported water supplies from imperiled ecosystems such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta;
“(5) that demonstrably leverage the experience of international partners with considerable expertise in desalination, such as the state of Israel;
“(7) that maximize energy efficiency so that the lifecycle energy demands of desalination are minimized;
“(8) located in regions that have employed strategies to increase water conservation and the capture and recycling of wastewater and stormwater; and
“(9) that meet the following criteria if they are ocean desalination facilities—
“(A) utilize a subsurface intake or, if a subsurface intake is not technologically feasible, an intake that uses the best available site, design, technology, and mitigation measures to minimize the mortality of all forms of marine life and impacts to coastal dependent resources;
“(B) are sited and designed to ensure that the disposal of wastewaters including brine from the desalination process—
SEC. 4. Recommendations to Congress.
In determining project recommendations to Congress under section 4(a)(2)(F)(ii)(II) of the Water Desalination Act of 1996, the Commissioner of Reclamation shall establish a priority scoring system that assigns priority scores to each project evaluated based on the prioritization criteria of section 4(c) of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 10301 note; Public Law 104–298).
Union Calendar No. 552 | |||||
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[Report No. 116–668, Part I] | |||||
A BILL | |||||
To promote desalination project development and drought resilience, and for other purposes. | |||||
December 18, 2020 | |||||
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment | |||||
December 18, 2020 | |||||
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed |