HR 3717 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

1st SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 3717CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend and reauthorize certain provisions relating to Long Island Sound restoration and stewardship.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

December 16, 2011CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. ISRAEL (for himself, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. HIMES, Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. CROWLEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. KING of New York, and Mr. SERRANO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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 concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend and reauthorize certain provisions relating to Long Island Sound restoration and stewardship.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.

(a) Long Island Sound Restoration Program- Section 119 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in subsection (b), by striking the subsection designation and heading and all that follows through ‘The Office shall’ and inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Office-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Administrator shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) continue to carry out the conference study; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) establish an office, to be located on or near Long Island Sound.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) ADMINISTRATION AND STAFFING- The Office shall’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in subsection (c)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study’ and inserting ‘conference study’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) in paragraph (2)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) in each of subparagraphs (A) through (G), by striking the commas at the end of the subparagraphs and inserting semicolons;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) in subparagraph (H), by striking ‘, and’ and inserting a semicolon;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iv) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(J) the impacts of changing temperatures and sea levels on the Long Island Sound watershed, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) the identification and assessment of vulnerabilities in the watershed;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) the development and implementation of adaptation strategies to reduce those vulnerabilities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) the identification and assessment of the impacts of sea level rise on water quality, habitat, and infrastructure in Long Island Sound; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(K) planning initiatives for Long Island Sound that identify the areas that are most suitable for various types or classes of activities in order to reduce conflicts among uses, reduce environmental impacts, facilitate compatible uses, or preserve critical ecosystem services to meet economic, environmental, security, or social objectives;’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) develop and implement strategies to increase public education and awareness with respect to the ecological health and water quality conditions of Long Island Sound;’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘study’ after ‘conference’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) in paragraph (6)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) by inserting ‘(including on the Internet)’ after ‘the public’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) by inserting ‘study’ after ‘conference’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(7) monitor the progress made toward meeting the identified goals, actions, and schedules of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, including through the implementation and support of a monitoring system for the ecological health and water quality conditions of Long Island Sound; and’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in subsection (d)(3), in the second sentence, by striking ‘50 per centum’ and inserting ‘60 percent’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (i); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(f) Report-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act, and biennially thereafter, the Director of the Office, in consultation with the Governor of each Long Island Sound State, shall submit to Congress a report that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) summarizes and assesses the progress made by the Office and the Long Island Sound States in implementing the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, including an assessment of the progress made toward meeting the performance goals and milestones contained in the Plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) assesses the key ecological attributes that reflect the health of the ecosystem of the Long Island Sound watershed;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) describes any substantive modifications to the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan made during the 2-year period preceding the date of submission of the report;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) provides specific recommendations to improve progress in restoring and protecting the Long Island Sound watershed, including, as appropriate, proposed modifications to the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) identifies priority actions for implementation of the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the 2-year period following the date of submission of the report; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) describes the means by which Federal funding and actions will be coordinated with the actions of the Long Island Sound States and other entities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY- The Administrator shall make the report described in paragraph (1) available to the public, including on the Internet.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(g) Annual Budget Plan- The President shall submit, together with the annual budget of the United States Government submitted under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, information regarding each Federal department and agency involved in the protection and restoration of the Long Island Sound watershed, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) an interagency crosscut budget that displays for each department and agency--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the amount obligated during the preceding fiscal year for protection and restoration projects and studies relating to the watershed;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the estimated budget for the current fiscal year for protection and restoration projects and studies relating to the watershed; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) the proposed budget for succeeding fiscal years for protection and restoration projects and studies relating to the watershed; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) a summary of any proposed modifications to the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the following fiscal year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(h) Federal Entities-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) COORDINATION- The Administrator shall coordinate the actions of all Federal departments and agencies that impact water quality in the Long Island Sound watershed in order to improve the water quality and living resources of the watershed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) METHODS- In carrying out this section, the Administrator, acting through the Director of the Office, may--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) enter into interagency agreements; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) make intergovernmental personnel appointments.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) FEDERAL PARTICIPATION IN WATERSHED PLANNING- A Federal department or agency that owns or occupies real property, or carries out activities, within the Long Island Sound watershed shall participate in regional and subwatershed planning, protection, and restoration activities with respect to the watershed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) CONSISTENCY WITH COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN- To the maximum extent practicable, the head of each Federal department and agency that owns or occupies real property, or carries out activities, within the Long Island Sound watershed shall ensure that the property and all activities carried out by the department or agency are consistent with the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (including any related subsequent agreements and plans).’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Long Island Sound Stewardship Program-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) LONG ISLAND SOUND STEWARDSHIP ADVISORY COMMITTEE- Section 8 of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 1269 note; Public Law 109-359) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in subsection (g), by striking ‘2011’ and inserting ‘2015’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(h) Nonapplicability of FACA- The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) the Advisory Committee; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) any board, committee, or other group established under this Act.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) REPORTS- Section 9(b)(1) of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 1269 note; Public Law 109-359) is amended in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by striking ‘2011’ and inserting ‘2015’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) AUTHORIZATION- Section 11 of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 1269 note; Public Law 109-359) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking subsection (a);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) as subsections (a) through (c), respectively; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in subsection (a) (as so redesignated), by striking ‘under this section each’ and inserting ‘to carry out this Act for a’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this subsection take effect on October 1, 2011.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION.

(a) In General- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015 for the implementation of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) section 119 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269), other than subsection (d) of that section; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 1269 note; Public Law 109-359).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Long Island Sound Grants- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out subsection (d) of section 119 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269) $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 1269 note; Public Law 109-359) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink