May 15, 2014 -- Today, the Conference Report to H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), was filed in the House of Representatives. WRRDA is a water resources bill that enables the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop, maintain and support a variety of water-related projects, including addressing infrastructure, flood protection and environmental restoration needs.
H.R. 3080 passed the House by a vote of 417 to three on Oct. 23, 2013. House and Senate conferees reached agreement on a final measure last week, and now both Houses of Congress must approve the Conference Report in order to send it to the president to be signed into law. Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), Committee Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV), Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Bob Gibbs (R-OH), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Tim Bishop (D-NY) all introduced WRRDA in the House.
"This legislation is about jobs and our country's economic prosperity," Shuster said. "This measure will strengthen our nation's transportation network, keep America competitive in the global marketplace, and reform and streamline the way we move forward with improvements to our ports, locks, dams, and other water resources infrastructure."
Rahall added, "This bill will advance the modernization of America's waterways and ports -- critical corridors of commerce that enable the efficient transport of American-produced commodities, including West Virginia coal. The investments made possible by this bill support jobs throughout the nation, on our waterways, our farms and fields, on shop floors and in our mines. WRRDA will lay the foundation for economic growth for many years to come."
WRRDA 2014 Highlights
The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 is one of the most policy- and reform-focused measures of its kind in the last two decades. WRRDA streamlines the project delivery process, promotes fiscal responsibility, and strengthens our water transportation networks to promote competitiveness, prosperity and economic growth. WRRDA contains no earmarks and makes major reforms to increase transparency, accountability and Congressional oversight in reviewing and prioritizing future water resources development activities.
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 and improves coordination
Fiscally Responsible
- Deauthorizes $18 billion of old, inactive projects that were authorized prior to WRDA 2007
- More than fully offsets 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 and Leverages Private Sector Investments to Multiply the Effect of Federal Funding
- Maximizes the ability of non-federal interests to contribute their own funds to move 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 (PPP) Program and new options to expand the local role in project implementation
- Creates innovative methods to invest in and finance water resources infrastructure and municipal drinking water and wastewater needs
Enhances Safety and Protects Communities
- Strengthens dam and levee safety
- Improves Army Corps of Engineers responses to extreme weather events
- Encourages resilient construction techniques and the use of durable, sustainable and innovative materials
Improves Competitiveness, Creates Jobs and Strengthens Water Resources Infrastructure
- Authorizes needed investment in America's ports, strengthens ports that move the majority of the nation's commerce and ensures equity for those ports that contribute the most to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund
- Supports underserved, emerging ports
- Reforms and preserves the Inland Waterways Trust Fund
- Authorizes priority water resources infrastructure improvements recommended to Congress 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
Click here to read the Water Resources Reform and Development Act Conference Report, highlights of the measure, a section-by-section, and additional information.
See also:
"Water leaders push for passage of WIFIA on Capitol Hill"
"Batten Down the Hatches"
"WIFIA Faces Opposition: Water Groups Rally for Support"
"The quest for funding continues"
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