Description:
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on September 18, 2014
H.R. 5412 would direct the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to accelerate studies conducted as part of approving or denying construction projects for storing surface water. Under the bill, the BOR would be required to limit the cost and time to complete each study, to construct a publicly accessible database to provide information about the status of each study, and to act as the lead agency in coordinating with state and other federal agencies to expedite environmental reviews necessary to complete those studies.
Based on information provided by the BOR, and assuming the appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5412 would cost $15 million over the 2015-2019 period. Because the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 5412 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
