[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3846 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3846
To establish a task force on waterway freight diversification and
economic development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River
corridors, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 29, 2024
Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Fetterman) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment
and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a task force on waterway freight diversification and
economic development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River
corridors, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Waterway Activation that Targets
Economic Revitalization, Welcomes Activity, and Yields Success Act'' or
the ``WATERWAYS Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) inland waterways provide a valuable resource for moving
agricultural, energy, and other commodities to market in the
United States;
(2) further utilization of the waterways would benefit the
United States because barges are among the safest and most
environmentally responsible ways to transport freight, with
barge transport being more fuel efficient and having lower
emissions than other methods, while also resulting in fewer
injuries per worker than rail or truck transport;
(3) given existing issues with supply chains, it is
critical that the Federal Government work to expand and promote
inland waterway access, especially in regions that are coal
communities or have suffered from deindustrialization; and
(4) it is of critical importance that the investments made
possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public
Law 117-58; 135 Stat. 429), Public Law 117-169 (commonly known
as the ``Inflation Reduction Act of 2022'') (136 Stat. 1818),
and other recent legislation, such as Public Law 117-167
(commonly known as the ``CHIPS and Science Act of 2022'') (136
Stat. 1366), are made with an eye toward utilizing the inland
waterways network to maximize the impact of those investments.
SEC. 3. TASK FORCE ON WATERWAY FREIGHT DIVERSIFICATION AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered state.--The term ``covered State'' means each
of the States of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana,
Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
(2) Interagency working group.--The term ``Interagency
Working Group'' means the Interagency Working Group on Coal and
Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization established
by section 218 of Executive Order 14008 (86 Fed. Reg. 7628;
relating to ``Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and
Abroad'').
(3) Task force.--The term ``task force'' means the task
force established under subsection (b).
(b) Establishment.--The Interagency Working Group shall establish a
task force on waterway freight diversification and economic development
in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors.
(c) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The task force shall be composed of--
(A) from the Federal Government, representatives
of--
(i) the Department of Transportation;
(ii) the Corps of Engineers;
(iii) the Department of Energy;
(iv) the Department of Commerce;
(v) the Department of Agriculture;
(vi) the Economic Development
Administration;
(vii) the Maritime Administration;
(viii) the Department of Labor;
(ix) the Appalachian Regional Commission;
(x) the Coast Guard;
(xi) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(xii) the Department of the Interior; and
(xiii) any other Federal agency or
department the Co-Chairs of the Interagency
Working Group determine to be appropriate;
(B) at the discretion of a covered State,
representatives of relevant agencies of the covered
State; and
(C) local stakeholders involved in economic
development, transportation, community development, and
water resource development and conservation along the
Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors, such
as metropolitan and rural planning organizations,
economic development districts, units of local
government, and community-based organizations.
(2) Appointment.--The Co-Chairs of the Interagency Working
Group shall appoint the members of the task force under
paragraph (1).
(d) Duties.--The task force shall--
(1) convene on an ad hoc basis to study, and develop
recommendations to improve, waterway freight use and economic
development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River
corridors;
(2) facilitate investment in the Ohio, Allegheny, and
Monongahela River corridors by identifying critical projects
and connecting those projects with Federal, State, and local
funding opportunities;
(3) coordinate and activate stakeholders around waterway
development; and
(4) submit to the Interagency Working Group an annual
report that describes--
(A) the recommendations of the task force under
paragraph (1) and the progress in implementing those
recommendations; and
(B) the activities of the task force under
paragraphs (2) and (3).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2024 through 2034, to remain available until expended.
SEC. 4. SAVINGS PROVISION.
Nothing in this Act--
(1) satisfies any requirement for government-to-government
consultation with an Indian Tribe; or
(2) affects or modifies a treaty or any other right of an
Indian Tribe.
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