House Approves Water Resources Infrastructure Reforms
Source U.S. House of Representative Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly (417 to 3) approved bipartisan water resources reform legislation that cuts federal red tape and bureaucracy, streamlines the infrastructure project delivery process, fosters fiscal responsibility and strengthens water transportation networks to promote America’s competitiveness, prosperity and economic growth.
H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA), was introduced in the House by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Committee Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall, II (D-W.V.), Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.).
Through WRRDA, Congress authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out its missions to develop, maintain and support the nation’s vital port and waterways infrastructure needs, and support effective and targeted flood protection and environmental restoration needs. Historically, Congress has passed such legislation every two years to provide clear direction to the administration and the corps, but no bill has been signed into law since 2007.
Highlights of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013
Reforms Bureaucracy, Accelerates Project Delivery, and Streamlines Environmental Reviews
- Sets hard deadlines on the time and cost of studies
- Consolidates or eliminates duplicative or unnecessary studies and requires concurrent reviews
- Streamlines environmental reviews
Fiscally Responsible
- Deauthorizes $12 billion of old, inactive projects that were authorized prior to WRDA 2007
- Fully offsets new authorizations with deauthorizations
- Sunsets new authorizations to prevent future project backlogs
- Reduces the inventory of properties that are not needed for the missions of the Corps
Strengthens Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability
- NO earmarks
- Establishes a new, transparent process for future bills to review and prioritize water resources development activities with strong Congressional oversight
Increases Flexibility for Non-Federal Interests
- Maximizes the ability of non-federal interests to contribute their own funds to move authorized studies and projects forward
- Expands the ability of non-federal interests to contribute funds to expedite the evaluation and processing of permits
- Establishes a Water Infrastructure Public Private Partnership Program
Improves Competitiveness, Creates Jobs, and Strengthens Water Resources Infrastructure
- Authorizes needed investments in America’s ports
- Supports underserved, emerging ports
- Reforms and preserves the Inland Waterways Trust Fund
- Authorizes priority water resources infrastructure improvements recommended by the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers to improve navigation and commerce and address flood risk management, hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, and environmental restoration needs
The full text of the bill is available.
Source: U.S. House of Representative Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
