119-s1765

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1765 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1765

To direct restoration and protection efforts of the 5-State Connecticut 
 River Watershed region, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 14, 2025

Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
 Murphy, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Welch) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To direct restoration and protection efforts of the 5-State Connecticut 
 River Watershed region, 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 ``Connecticut River Watershed 
Partnership Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Environmental justice community.--The term 
 ``environmental justice community'' means a community with 
 significant representation of communities of color, low-income 
 communities, or Tribal and Indigenous communities, that 
 experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more 
 adverse human health or environmental effects.

    (2) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National 
 Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

    (3) Grant program.--The term ``grant program'' means the 
 voluntary Connecticut River Watershed Partnership grant program 
 established under 

section 4

    (b) .

    (4) Program.--The term ``program'' means the nonregulatory 
 Connecticut River Watershed Partnership program established 
 under 

section 3

    (a) .

    (5) Restoration and protection.--The term ``restoration and 
 protection'' means the conservation, stewardship, and 
 enhancement of land and water for fish, wildlife, and people--
        (A) to preserve and improve ecosystems and 
 ecological processes on which fish, wildlife, and 
 people depend; and
        (B) for use and enjoyment by the public.

    (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
 States Fish and Wildlife Service.

    (7) Tribes.--The term ``Tribes'' means Native American 
 groups that descend from peoples indigenous to the Watershed, 
 without regard to whether the groups are--
        (A) recognized by the Federal Government or a 
 Watershed State; or
        (B) non-enfranchised.

    (8) Watershed.--The term ``Watershed'' means the 5-State 
 watershed region, including the Connecticut River and its 
 tributaries and all of the land area in portions of the 
 Watershed States whose surface water drains into the 
 Connecticut River.

    (9) Watershed state.--The term ``Watershed State'' means 
 each of the States of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New 
 Hampshire, and Vermont.

SEC. 3. CONNECTICUT RIVER WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a nonregulatory 
program, to be known as the ``Connecticut River Watershed Partnership 
program''.

    (b) Duties.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall draw 
on existing and new approved plans for the Watershed, or portions of 
the Watershed, and work in consultation with applicable management 
entities, including representatives of the Connecticut River Watershed 
Partnership, the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, the Connecticut 
River Migratory Fish Restoration Cooperative, the Federal Government, 
and other State and local governments, Tribal governments or 
organizations, and regional and nonprofit organizations, as 
appropriate, to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and 
protection activities within the Watershed through the adoption of an 
inclusive Watershed-wide strategy and framework.
            (c) Consultation.--In establishing the program, the Secretary shall 
consult, as appropriate, with--

    (1) the heads of Federal agencies, including--
        (A) the Administrator of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency;
        (B) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
 Atmospheric Administration;
            (C) the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 
 Service;
            (D) the Director of the National Park Service;
        (E) the Chief of Engineers of the Corps of 
 Engineers;
        (F) the Secretary of Transportation;
        (G) the Secretary of Commerce; and
        (H) the head of any other applicable Federal 
 agency, as determined by the Secretary;

    (2) the Governors of the Watershed States;

    (3) Tribal governments or organizations, including Tribes;

    (4) the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership;

    (5) the Connecticut River Joint Commissions;

    (6) the Connecticut River Migratory Fish Restoration 
 Cooperative;

    (7) other public and quasi-public agencies and 
 organizations with authority for the planning and 
 implementation of conservation strategies in or affecting the 
 Watershed; and

    (8) stakeholders from impacted environmental justice 
 communities.
            (d) === Purposes ===
-The purposes of the program are--

    (1) to coordinate and collaborate on restoration and 
 protection activities among Federal, Tribal, State, local, and 
 regional entities and conservation partners throughout the 
 Watershed; and

    (2) to carry out coordinated restoration and protection 
 activities in, and provide technical assistance throughout, the 
 Watershed--
        (A) to restore, recover, and manage for sustainable 
 fish, wildlife, and plant populations;
        (B) to sustain and enhance fish and wildlife 
 habitat restoration, stewardship, and protection 
 activities;
            (C) to improve and maintain water quality to 
 support fish, wildlife, and fish and wildlife habitat, 
 including to improve opportunities for public access 
 and recreation in the Watershed consistent with the 
 ecological needs of fish and wildlife habitat;
            (D) to advance the use of nature-based solutions to 
 maximize the resilience of communities, natural 
 systems, and habitats under changing sea levels, storm 
 risks, and watershed conditions;
        (E) to support farmland conservation and food 
 equity, including habitat protection, climate 
 resilience, and carbon sequestration on working farms 
 and forests;
        (F) to engage the public, particularly 
 environmental justice communities, through outreach, 
 education, and community involvement to increase 
 capacity and support for coordinated restoration and 
 protection activities in the Watershed;
        (G) to identify, affirm, and promote the practice 
 and awareness of traditional Tribal river and 
 Watershed-related cultural practices and traditional 
 ecological knowledge;
        (H) to improve access to open space and trails by 
 enhancing trails in the Watershed and on-street active 
 transportation, such as bike lanes, sidewalks, public 
 transportation, and bike share;
            (I) to sustain and enhance water management for 
 volume and flood damage mitigation improvements to 
 benefit fish and wildlife habitat;
        (J) to support land and water conservation and 
 management activities necessary to fulfill the 
 Watershed-wide strategy adopted under subsection

    (b) ;
        (K) to monitor environmental quality to assess 
 progress towards the purposes of the program;
            (L) to facilitate strategic planning to maximize 
 the resilience of natural systems and habitats under 
 changing watershed conditions;
            (M) to improve fish and wildlife habitats, 
 including opportunities for personal recreation, 
 hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing along rivers, 
 particularly in environmental justice communities;
        (N) to increase scientific capacity to support the 
 planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary 
 to carry out coordinated restoration and protection 
 activities; and
        (O) to provide technical assistance to carry out 
 restoration and protection activities in the Watershed.

SEC. 4. CONNECTICUT RIVER WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term 
``eligible entity'' means--

    (1) a State, Tribal, or local government;

    (2) a nonprofit organization; and

    (3) an institution of higher education (as defined in 
 

section 101

    (a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
 1001

    (a) )).

    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a voluntary grant 
and technical assistance program, to be known as the ``Connecticut 
River Watershed Partnership grant program'', to provide competitive 
matching grants to eligible entities to carry out restoration and 
protection activities for the Watershed.
            (c) Criteria.--The Secretary, in consultation with the agencies, 
organizations, and other individuals and entities referred to in 

section 3
            (c) , shall develop criteria for the grant program to ensure--

    (1) the equitable distribution of funds; and

    (2) that projects funded under the grant program accomplish 
 1 or more of the purposes described in 

section 3
            (d) .
            (d) Cost Sharing.--

    (1) Federal share.--
        (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
        (B) , the Federal share of the cost of a project funded 
 under the grant program shall not exceed 75 percent of 
 the total cost of the project, as determined by the 
 Secretary.
        (B) Environmental justice communities.--
            (i) In general.--Subject to clause
            (ii) , 
 the Federal share of the cost of a project 
 funded under the grant program that serves an 
 environmental justice community shall be 90 
 percent of the total cost of the project, as 
 determined by the Secretary.
            (ii) Waiver.--The Secretary may increase 
 the Federal share under clause
            (i) to 100 
 percent of the total cost of the project if the 
 Secretary determines that the grant recipient 
 is unable to pay, or would experience 
 significant financial hardship if required to 
 pay, the non-Federal share.

    (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
 of a project funded under the grant program may be provided in 
 cash or in the form of an in-kind contribution of services, 
 materials, or land value.

    (e) Administration.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into an agreement 
 to manage the grant program with the Foundation or a similar 
 organization that offers grant management services.

    (2) Funding.--If the Secretary enters into an agreement 
 under paragraph

    (1) , the Foundation or similar organization 
 selected shall--
        (A) for each fiscal year in which the grant program 
 is carried out, receive amounts made available to carry 
 out this section for that fiscal year in an advance 
 payment of the entire amounts on October 1 of that 
 fiscal year, or as soon as practicable thereafter;
        (B) invest and reinvest those amounts for the 
 benefit of the grant program; and
            (C) otherwise administer the grant program to 
 support partnerships between the public and private 
 sectors in accordance with this Act.

    (3) Requirements.--If the Secretary enters into an 
 agreement with the Foundation under paragraph

    (1) , any amounts 
 received by the Foundation under this section shall be subject 
 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act 
 (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), excluding 

section 10

    (a) of that Act 
 (16 U.S.C. 3709

    (a) ).

SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORTS.

 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report on the implementation of this Act, including a description of 
each project that has received funding under the grant program in the 
preceding fiscal year.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary to carry out this Act such sums as are necessary for each of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

    (b) Use for Grant Program.--Of the amounts made available to carry 
out this Act for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not less 
than 75 percent to carry out the grant program and to provide, or 
provide for, technical assistance under that grant program.
            (c) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Amounts made available to carry out 
this Act shall supplement, and not supplant, funding for other 
activities carried out by the Secretary in the Watershed.
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