HR 5966
Ohio River Restoration Program Act
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Bill overview
This bill establishes the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The program aims to improve water quality, enhance flood resilience, protect wildlife habitats, and address invasive species within the Ohio River Basin, which includes portions of eight states and Tribal lands. It will be overseen by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office and an advisory council comprised of state, Tribal, and regional stakeholders.
Key provisions
- Creates the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program within the EPA.
- Establishes an Ohio River National Program Office to coordinate restoration efforts.
- Requires the development of actionable goals and a comprehensive action plan for the program.
- Prioritizes the use of natural infrastructure and non-structural solutions for restoration projects.
- Mandates regular reporting to Congress and the public on program progress.
- Authorizes the EPA to transfer funds to relevant Federal agencies for program implementation.
- Requires the Program Director to consult with Tribal Governments and incorporate Tribal needs into the restoration plan.
- Specifies project activities including water quality improvement, flood resilience, habitat protection, and invasive species control.
Who is affected
- Ohio residents
- Residents of Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and South Carolina
Sponsors
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Primary sponsor
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 5966
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish an Ohio River Basin Restoration Program, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Ohio River Restoration Program Act
.
Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
In this section:
The term Agency means the Environmental Protection Agency.
The term Ohio River Basin means the portions of each Ohio River State that contain the watershed of the Ohio River.
The term Ohio River State means Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, or South Carolina.
The term Program Director means the Director of the Program Office.
The term Program Office means the Ohio River National Program Office established under this section.
The term Tribal Government means the recognized governing body of any Indian tribe individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published under section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).
The Administrator shall establish an Ohio River National Program Office within the Agency to carry out the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program.
The Program Office shall be headed by a Program Director, appointed by the Administrator, who, by reason of management experience and technical expertise relating to the Ohio River, is highly qualified to direct the development of programs and plans on a variety of issues related to restoration of the Ohio River Basin.
The Program Director shall—
coordinate actions of the Agency that seek to protect and restore the Ohio River Basin;
develop, implement, and update the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program and action plan required by this section, in coordination with the advisory council;
facilitate, in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, engagement and consultation with Tribal Governments and Tribal organizations to ensure Tribal needs and priorities are solicited early and throughout the development of the actionable goals and action plan required by this section.
The Program Director shall submit to Congress, and make available on a public website, the action plan and updates required by this section, and an annual report describing—
progress made in implementing the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program;
coordination of the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program with other Federal, State, Tribal, and local programs;
any funds transferred to relevant Federal agencies under this section;
any grants awarded under this section;
specific projects and activities carried out pursuant to this section; and
agreements with relevant Federal agencies and non-Federal entities.
Remediation of toxic substances.
Collection, monitoring, and evaluation of data needed to plan, implement, and assess the effectiveness of projects or activities carried out under this section.
protecting or restoring naturally occurring hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological functions and processes; and
removing or modifying structures such as culverts, levees, and dams to restore ecological functions and processes.
The Program Director may make a grant to, or otherwise enter into an agreement with, any non-Federal entity (including any State, interstate, regional, local, or Tribal governmental entity, nonprofit organization, institution of higher education, or individual) that the Program Director determines is qualified to carry out a project or activity described in paragraph (2).
The Program Director, in collaboration with the advisory council, shall select projects and activities to be implemented pursuant to the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program using appropriate principles and criteria, including—
the selection of projects and activities that are equitably distributed throughout the Ohio River Basin;
the feasibility of prompt implementation, timely achievement of measurable results, and resource leveraging; and
the opportunity to reduce duplication and improve measurable environmental outcomes.
The Program Director shall ensure that projects and activities carried out under this section are compatible with—
the ability of the Corps of Engineers to maintain navigation and other Federal projects in the Ohio River; and
the structural integrity or effectiveness of Federal, State, local, or Tribal disaster risk reduction infrastructure.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Program Director shall develop actionable goals for the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program, which shall be measurable and reportable and shall include criteria for measuring their success in making progress toward restoring the ecological health and resilience of the Ohio River Basin.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Program Director shall develop an action plan for advancing the actionable goals developed under paragraph (1).
The Program Director shall include in the action plan developed under paragraph (2)—
advancing systemic, large-scale restoration and protection of the Ohio River Basin; and
improvements to water quality within the Ohio River and its tributaries;
a multi-year plan that identifies specific objectives with corresponding commitments for activities, research, and measures for progress; and
a plan to maintain and monitor the implementation of any specific projects or activities identified in the action plan.
The action plan may include recommendations for specific projects or activities that advance the action plan objectives, including timelines, anticipated costs, and the identification of entities responsible for carrying out such projects or activities.
The Program Director shall provide public notice of, and an opportunity for comment on, the actionable goals and action plan developed under this subsection, including during each update period under paragraph (5).
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $350,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
With funds made available to carry out this section for each fiscal year, the Administrator may—
transfer funds to the head of any relevant Federal agency, with the concurrence of the head of such agency, to carry out activities in accordance with this section; and
enter into an interagency agreement with the head of any relevant Federal agency to carry out activities in accordance with this section.
The Administrator shall, in the Agency’s annual budget submission to Congress, include a funding request for the Ohio River Basin Restoration Program as a separate budget line item.