H.R. 6422
American Water Stewardship Act
Sponsor: Pete Stauber
3 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
American Water Stewardship Act
This bill reauthorizes several water quality protection and restoration programs of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and makes related requirements.
Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Long Island Sound Partnership program, the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program, the National Estuary Program, and the BEACH Act program.
The bill also modifies some of those programs. For example, the bill modifies the National Estuary Program, including by establishing the Mississippi Sound as an estuary of national significance that may receive support under the program. It also modifies the BEACH Act program, including by allowing states or local governments to use grants provided under the program to identify specific sources of contamination for coastal recreation waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access that are used by the public.
Additionally, the bill modifies the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, including by making federal agencies eligible for grants provided under the program.
The bill also prohibits funding made available for FY2026-FY2031 to carry out specified Clean Water Act programs from being provided to nonfederal entities that are domiciled in, located in, organized under, have a principal place of business in, or have agreements with foreign countries of concern.
Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to evaluate and report on specified geographic programs of the EPA.
Text of the bill
(a) In general. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report on EPA geographic programs.
(b) Required evaluation. In preparing the report required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall include an evaluation, with respect to each EPA geographic program, of—
(1) the management of funds, including the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations and the use of Federal funds;
(2) the progress towards achieving program purposes, goals, and objectives, including the status of program goals and objectives and the extent to which the program has demonstrated measurable outcomes;
(3) obstacles to program success or progress;
(4) the efficacy of coordination with other Federal, State, Tribal, and local programs and actions, including whether there is any duplication of efforts among such programs and actions; and
(5) the ethics policies and practices of the office of the Environmental Protection Agency responsible for implementing the program.
(c) Recommendations. The Comptroller General shall include in the report required under subsection (a) recommendations, as appropriate, to improve EPA geographic program efficiency, accountability, and effectiveness in achieving program purposes, goals, and objectives.
(d) EPA geographic program defined. In this section, the term EPA geographic program means—
(1) the Chesapeake Bay Program under section 117 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1267);
(2) the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under section 118 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1268);
(3) the Long Island Sound program under section 119 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269);
(4) the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program under section 120 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1270);
(5) the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program under section 121 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1273);
(6) the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program under section 123 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1275);
(7) the San Francisco Bay Restoration Program under section 125 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1276a);
(8) the Puget Sound program under section 126 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1276b);
(9) the Gulf of America Program carried out by the Administrator;
(10) the South Florida Program carried out by the Administrator; or
(11) the Southeast New England Program carried out by the Administrator.