119-hr1261

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1261 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1261

 To amend title 54, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to make financial assistance to States under the Land and 
 Water Conservation Fund available for water quality projects, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 12, 2025

 Mr. Mast introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title 54, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to make financial assistance to States under the Land and 
 Water Conservation Fund available for water quality projects, 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 ``Land and Water Conservation Fund 
Water Amendments Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES FOR WATER QUALITY PROJECTS.

 

Section 200305 of title 54, United States Code, is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a) , in the second sentence, by inserting 
 ``and water quality improvement'' after ``outdoor recreation'';

    (2) in subsection
            (d) , by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (5) Water quality.--A comprehensive statewide outdoor 
 recreation plan shall identify--
 ``
        (A) any body of water within the boundaries of 
 the State for which a State water quality control plan 
 has been developed pursuant to 

section 303
            (d) of the 
 Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
 1313
            (d) ); and
 ``
        (B) any proposed water quality project (as 
 defined in subsection

    (e)

    (4)
        (A) ) to be conducted with 
 respect to a body of water that is identified under 
 subparagraph
        (A) .''; and

    (3) in subsection

    (e) --
        (A) in the heading, by striking ``and Development 
 of Basic Outdoor Recreation Facilities'' and inserting 
 ``, Development of Basic Outdoor Recreation Facilities, 
 and Conduct of Water Quality Projects'';
        (B) in paragraph

    (1) , by striking ``and

    (3) '' and 
 inserting ``,

    (3) , and

    (4) ''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (4) Water quality projects.--
 ``
        (A) Definition of water quality project.--In this 
 paragraph, the term `water quality project' means any 
 project identified in a State water quality control 
 plan developed for the purpose of restoring any body of 
 water that is identified by the State under 

section 303
            (d) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
 U.S.C. 1313
            (d) ) as being impaired.
 ``
        (B) Financial assistance.--Under paragraph

    (1) , 
 the Secretary may provide financial assistance for the 
 conduct of water quality projects.
 ``
            (C) Non-federal share credit.--The Secretary may 
 credit toward the non-Federal share required under 
 subsection
            (c) funds allocated by a State for the 
 conduct of a water quality project.
 ``
            (D) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult 
 with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
 Agency in carrying out this paragraph.
 ``
        (E) Limitations.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--In providing financial 
 assistance to water quality projects under this 
 paragraph, the Secretary shall only provide 
 financial assistance to water quality projects 
 that seek to improve water quality by 
 improving, restoring, remediating, or 
 developing natural hydrological systems, such 
 as--
 ``
            (I) wetlands;
 ``
            (II) marshes;
 ``
            (III) living shorelines;
 ``
            (IV) near-shore estuarine waters; 
 or
 ``
            (V) any other naturally occurring 
 hydrological features the Secretary 
 determines to be necessary for the 
 purpose of reducing nutrient loads.
 ``
            (ii) No reimbursement.--Funds made 
 available for a water quality project under 
 this paragraph may not be used to reimburse the 
 cost of any water quality project that has 
 already been completed or is otherwise fully 
 funded.
 ``
            (iii) Effect.--Nothing in this 
 paragraph--
 ``
            (I) expands the authority of the 
 Federal Government over nonnavigable 
 waters; or
 ``
            (II) authorizes the Secretary to 
 regulate the conduct of water quality 
 projects.''.
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