119-hr2401

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2401 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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