[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2401 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2401
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture to
maintain the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2025
Mr. Stanton (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources,
and Appropriations, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture to
maintain the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program, 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 ``Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Member agencies.--The term ``member agencies'' means
each of--
(A) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(B) the Department of the Interior;
(C) the Department of Agriculture;
(D) the Corps of Engineers;
(E) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration;
(F) the Economic Development Administration;
(G) the Department of Housing and Urban
Development;
(H) the Department of Transportation;
(I) the Department of Energy;
(J) the Department of Education;
(K) the National Institute for Environmental Health
Sciences;
(L) the Community Development Financial
Institutions Fund;
(M) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(N) the Corporation for National and Community
Service; and
(O) such other agencies, departments, and bureaus
that elect to participate in the Urban Waters program
as the missions, authorities, and appropriated funding
of those agencies, departments, and bureaus allow.
(3) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture.
(4) Urban waters ambassador.--The term ``Urban Waters
ambassador'' means a person who--
(A) is locally based near the applicable Urban
Waters partnership location; and
(B) serves in a central coordinating role for the
work carried out in the applicable Urban Waters
partnership location with respect to the Urban Waters
program.
(5) Urban waters nonpartnership location.--The term ``Urban
Waters nonpartnership location'' means an urban or municipal
site and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site--
(A) that receives Federal support for activities
that advance the purpose of the Urban Waters program;
but
(B)(i) that is not formally designated as an Urban
Waters partnership location; and
(ii) for which is not maintained--
(I) an active partnership with an Urban
Waters ambassador; or
(II) an Urban Waters partnership location
workplan.
(6) Urban waters partnership location.--The term ``Urban
Waters partnership location'' means an urban or municipal site
and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site for
which--
(A) the Administrator, in collaboration with the
heads of the other member agencies, has formally
designated as a partnership location under the Urban
Waters program; and
(B) an active partnership with an Urban Waters
ambassador is maintained.
(7) Urban waters partnership location workplan.--The term
``Urban Waters partnership location workplan'' means the plan
for projects and actions that is coordinated across an Urban
Waters partnership location.
(8) Urban waters program.--The term ``Urban Waters
program'' means the program established under section 3(a).
SEC. 3. URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization.--There is authorized a program, to be known as
the ``Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program'', administered by the
partnership of the member agencies--
(1) to jointly support and execute the goals of the Urban
Waters program through the independent authorities and
appropriated funding of the member agencies; and
(2) to advance the purpose described in subsection (b)
within designated Urban Waters partnership locations and other
urban and suburban communities in the United States.
(b) Program Purpose.--The purpose of the Urban Waters program is to
reconnect urban communities, particularly urban communities that are
overburdened or economically distressed, with associated waterways by
improving coordination among Federal agencies.
(c) Program Requirements.--
(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Administrator, in coordination with the
Secretaries and, as appropriate, the heads of the other member
agencies, shall maintain the Urban Waters program in accordance
with this subsection.
(2) Urban waters federal partnership steering committee.--
(A) Establishment.--
(i) In general.--The Administrator shall
establish a steering committee for the Urban
Waters program (referred to in this paragraph
as the ``steering committee'').
(ii) Chair.--The Administrator shall serve
as chairperson of the steering committee.
(iii) Vice-chairs.--The Secretaries shall
serve as vice-chairpersons of the steering
committee.
(iv) Membership.--In addition to the
Administrator and the Secretaries, the members
of the steering committee shall be the senior
officials (or their designees) from such member
agencies as the Administrator shall designate.
(B) Duties.--The steering committee shall provide
general guidance to the member agencies with respect to
the Urban Waters program, including guidance with
respect to--
(i) the identification of annual priority
issues for special emphasis within Urban Waters
partnership locations; and
(ii) the identification of funding
opportunities, which shall be communicated to
all Urban Waters partnership locations.
(C) Interagency financing.--Notwithstanding section
1346 of title 31, United States Code, section 708 of
division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
(Public Law 116-260), or any other similar provision of
law, member agencies may--
(i) provide interagency financing to the
steering committee; and
(ii) directly transfer such amounts as are
necessary to support the activities of the
steering committee.
(3) Authority.--
(A) Partnership locations.--
(i) Partnership locations.--The
Administrator and the Secretaries shall
maintain an active partnership program under
the Urban Waters program at each Urban Waters
partnership location, including each Urban
Waters partnership location in existence on the
date of enactment of this Act, by providing--
(I) technical assistance for
projects to be carried out within the
Urban Waters partnership location;
(II) funding for projects to be
carried out within the Urban Waters
partnership location;
(III) funding for an Urban Waters
ambassador for the Urban Waters
partnership location; and
(IV) coordination support with
other member agencies with respect to
activities carried out at the Urban
Waters partnership location.
(ii) New partnership locations.--
(I) In general.--The Administrator
and the Secretaries may, in
consultation with the heads of other
member agencies, establish new Urban
Waters partnership locations.
(II) Nonpartnership locations.--A
community with an Urban Waters
nonpartnership location may, at the
discretion of the community, seek to
have the Urban Waters nonpartnership
location designated as an Urban Waters
partnership location.
(B) Authorized activities.--
(i) Definition of eligible entity.--In this
subparagraph, the term ``eligible entity''
means--
(I) a State;
(II) a territory or possession of
the United States;
(III) the District of Columbia;
(IV) an Indian Tribe;
(V) a unit of local government;
(VI) a public or private
institution of higher education;
(VII) a public or private nonprofit
institution;
(VIII) an intertribal consortium;
(IX) an interstate agency; and
(X) any other entity determined to
be appropriate by the Administrator.
(ii) Activities.--In carrying out the Urban
Waters program, a member agency may--
(I) encourage, cooperate with, and
render technical services to and
provide financial assistance to
support--
(aa) Urban Water
ambassadors to conduct
activities with respect to the
applicable Urban Waters
partnership location,
including--
(AA) convening the
appropriate Federal and
non-Federal partners
for the Urban Waters
partnership location;
(BB) developing and
carrying out an Urban
Waters partnership
location workplan;
(CC) leveraging
available Federal and
non-Federal resources
for projects within the
Urban Waters
partnership location;
and
(DD) sharing
information and best
practices with the
Urban Waters Learning
Network established
under subparagraph (C);
and
(bb) an eligible entity in
carrying out--
(AA) projects at
Urban Water partnership
locations that provide
habitat or water
quality improvements,
increase river
recreation, enhance
community resiliency,
install infrastructure,
strengthen community
engagement with and
education with respect
to water resources, or
support planning,
coordination, and
execution of projects
identified in the
applicable Urban Waters
partnership location
workplan; and
(BB) planning,
research, experiments,
demonstrations,
surveys, studies,
monitoring, training,
and outreach to advance
the purpose described
in subsection (b)
within Urban Waters
partnership locations
and in Urban Waters
nonpartnership
locations; and
(II) transfer funds to or enter
into interagency agreements with other
member agencies as necessary to carry
out the Urban Waters program.
(C) Urban waters learning network.--The
Administrator and the Secretaries shall maintain an
Urban Waters Learning Network--
(i) to share information, resources, and
tools between Urban Waters partnership
locations and with other interested
communities; and
(ii) to carry out community-based capacity
building that advances the goals of the Urban
Waters program.
(D) Workplan progress.--Progress in addressing the
goals of the Urban Waters partnership location workplan
of an Urban Waters partnership location shall be shared
with the Urban Waters program at regular intervals, as
determined by the Administrator and the Secretaries.
(d) Reports to Congress.--The Administrator and the Secretaries
shall annually submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
report describing the progress in carrying out the Urban Waters
program, which shall include--
(1) a description of the use of funds under the Urban
Waters program;
(2) a description of the progress made in carrying out
Urban Waters partnership location workplans; and
(3) any additional information that the Administrator and
the Secretaries determine to be appropriate.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator to carry out the Urban Waters program
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
(2) Use of funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, activities carried out using amounts made available to the
Administrator under paragraph (1) may be used in conjunction
with amounts made available from--
(A) other member agencies; and
(B) non-Federal entities that participate in the
Urban Waters program.
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