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Division C — Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020

H.R. 1865 · 116th Congress · Dec 20, 2019 · Lineage

C Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020

I Corps of engineers—civil

Sec. 101

(a)
None of the funds provided in title I of this Act, or provided by previous appropriations Acts to the agencies or entities funded in title I of this Act that remain available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 2020, shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that:
(1)
creates or initiates a new program, project, or activity;
(2)
eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(3)
increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(4)
proposes to use funds directed for a specific activity for a different purpose, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(5)
augments or reduces existing programs, projects, or activities in excess of the amounts contained in paragraphs (6) through (10), unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(6)
Investigations— For a base level over $100,000, reprogramming of 25 percent of the base amount up to a limit of $150,000 per project, study or activity is allowed: Provided, That for a base level less than $100,000, the reprogramming limit is $25,000: Provided further, That up to $25,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did not receive an appropriation for existing obligations and concomitant administrative expenses;
(7)
Construction— For a base level over $2,000,000, reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up to a limit of $3,000,000 per project, study or activity is allowed: Provided, That for a base level less than $2,000,000, the reprogramming limit is $300,000: Provided further, That up to $3,000,000 may be reprogrammed for settled contractor claims, changed conditions, or real estate deficiency judgments: Provided further, That up to $300,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did not receive an appropriation for existing obligations and concomitant administrative expenses;
(8)
Operation and maintenance— Unlimited reprogramming authority is granted for the Corps to be able to respond to emergencies: Provided, That the Chief of Engineers shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of these emergency actions as soon thereafter as practicable: Provided further, That for a base level over $1,000,000, reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up to a limit of $5,000,000 per project, study, or activity is allowed: Provided further, That for a base level less than $1,000,000, the reprogramming limit is $150,000: Provided further, That $150,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did not receive an appropriation;
(9)
Mississippi river and tributaries— The reprogramming guidelines in paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) shall apply to the Investigations, Construction, and Operation and Maintenance portions of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Account, respectively; and
(10)
Formerly utilized sites remedial action program— Reprogramming of up to 15 percent of the base of the receiving project is permitted.
(b)
De Minimus Reprogrammings— In no case should a reprogramming for less than $50,000 be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
(c)
Continuing Authorities Program— Subsection (a)(1) shall not apply to any project or activity funded under the continuing authorities program.
(d)
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to establish the baseline for application of reprogramming and transfer authorities for the current fiscal year which shall include:
(1)
A table for each appropriation with a separate column to display the President's budget request, adjustments made by Congress, adjustments due to enacted rescissions, if applicable, and the fiscal year enacted level; and
(2)
A delineation in the table for each appropriation both by object class and program, project and activity as detailed in the budget appendix for the respective appropriations; and
(3)
An identification of items of special congressional interest.

Sec. 102

The Secretary shall allocate funds made available in this Act solely in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act), including the determination and designation of new starts.

Sec. 103

None of the funds made available in this title may be used to award or modify any contract that commits funds beyond the amounts appropriated for that program, project, or activity that remain unobligated, except that such amounts may include any funds that have been made available through reprogramming pursuant to section 101.

Sec. 104

The Secretary of the Army may transfer to the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service may accept and expend, up to $5,400,000 of funds provided in this title under the heading “Operation and Maintenance” to mitigate for fisheries lost due to Corps of Engineers projects.

Sec. 105

None of the funds in this Act shall be used for an open lake placement alternative for dredged material, after evaluating the least costly, environmentally acceptable manner for the disposal or management of dredged material originating from Lake Erie or tributaries thereto, unless it is approved under a State water quality certification pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1341): Provided, That until an open lake placement alternative for dredged material is approved under a State water quality certification, the Corps of Engineers shall continue upland placement of such dredged material consistent with the requirements of section 101 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2211).

Sec. 106

None of the funds made available by this Act or any other Act may be used to reorganize or to transfer the Civil Works functions or authority of the Corps of Engineers or the Secretary of the Army to another department or agency.

Sec. 107

Additional funding provided in this Act shall be allocated only to projects determined to be eligible by the Chief of Engineers.

Sec. 108

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to carry out any water supply reallocation study under the Wolf Creek Dam, Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, project authorized under the Act of July 24, 1946 (60 Stat. 636, ch. 595).

II Department of the interior

Sec. 201

(a)
None of the funds provided in title II of this Act for Water and Related Resources, or provided by previous or subsequent appropriations Acts to the agencies or entities funded in title II of this Act for Water and Related Resources that remain available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 2020, shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that—
(1)
initiates or creates a new program, project, or activity;
(2)
eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(3)
increases funds for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(4)
restarts or resumes any program, project or activity for which funds are not provided in this Act, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(5)
transfers funds in excess of the following limits, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress:
(A)
15 percent for any program, project or activity for which $2,000,000 or more is available at the beginning of the fiscal year; or
(B)
$400,000 for any program, project or activity for which less than $2,000,000 is available at the beginning of the fiscal year;
(6)
transfers more than $500,000 from either the Facilities Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation category or the Resources Management and Development category to any program, project, or activity in the other category, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; or
(7)
transfers, where necessary to discharge legal obligations of the Bureau of Reclamation, more than $5,000,000 to provide adequate funds for settled contractor claims, increased contractor earnings due to accelerated rates of operations, and real estate deficiency judgments, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
(b)
Subsection (a)(5) shall not apply to any transfer of funds within the Facilities Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation category.
(c)
For purposes of this section, the term “transfer” means any movement of funds into or out of a program, project, or activity.
(d)
The Bureau of Reclamation shall submit reports on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress detailing all the funds reprogrammed between programs, projects, activities, or categories of funding. The first quarterly report shall be submitted not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 202

(a)
None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to determine the final point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis Unit until development by the Secretary of the Interior and the State of California of a plan, which shall conform to the water quality standards of the State of California as approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis drainage waters.
(b)
The costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and the costs of the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program shall be classified by the Secretary of the Interior as reimbursable or nonreimbursable and collected until fully repaid pursuant to the “Cleanup Program—Alternative Repayment Plan” and the “SJVDP—Alternative Repayment Plan” described in the report entitled “Repayment Report, Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program, February 1995”, prepared by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. Any future obligations of funds by the United States relating to, or providing for, drainage service or drainage studies for the San Luis Unit shall be fully reimbursable by San Luis Unit beneficiaries of such service or studies pursuant to Federal reclamation law.

Sec. 203

Section 9504(e) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10364(e)) is amended by striking “$480,000,000” and inserting “$530,000,000”.

Sec. 204

Title I of Public Law 108–361 (the CALFED Bay-Delta Authorization Act) (118 Stat. 1681), as amended by section 4007(k) of Public Law 114–322, is amended by striking “2019” each place it appears and inserting “2020”.

Sec. 205

Section 9106(g)(2) of Public Law 111–11 (Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009) is amended by striking “2019” and inserting “2020”.

Sec. 206

The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–291) is amended—
(1)
in section 309(d), by striking “2021” each place it appears and inserting “2023”; and
(2)
in section 311(h), by striking “2021” and inserting “2023”.

III Department of energy

Sec. 301

(a)
No appropriation, funds, or authority made available by this title for the Department of Energy shall be used to initiate or resume any program, project, or activity or to prepare or initiate Requests For Proposals or similar arrangements (including Requests for Quotations, Requests for Information, and Funding Opportunity Announcements) for a program, project, or activity if the program, project, or activity has not been funded by Congress.
(b)
(1)
Unless the Secretary of Energy notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 3 full business days in advance, none of the funds made available in this title may be used to—
(A)
make a grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling $1,000,000 or more;
(B)
make a discretionary contract award or Other Transaction Agreement totaling $1,000,000 or more, including a contract covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation;
(C)
issue a letter of intent to make an allocation, award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A) or (B); or
(D)
announce publicly the intention to make an allocation, award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A) or (B).
(2)
The Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 15 days of the conclusion of each quarter a report detailing each grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling less than $1,000,000 provided during the previous quarter.
(3)
The notification required by paragraph (1) and the report required by paragraph (2) shall include the recipient of the award, the amount of the award, the fiscal year for which the funds for the award were appropriated, the account and program, project, or activity from which the funds are being drawn, the title of the award, and a brief description of the activity for which the award is made.
(c)
The Department of Energy may not, with respect to any program, project, or activity that uses budget authority made available in this title under the heading “Department of Energy—Energy Programs”, enter into a multiyear contract, award a multiyear grant, or enter into a multiyear cooperative agreement unless—
(1)
the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement is funded for the full period of performance as anticipated at the time of award; or
(2)
the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement includes a clause conditioning the Federal Government's obligation on the availability of future year budget authority and the Secretary notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 3 days in advance.
(d)
Except as provided in subsections (e), (f), and (g), the amounts made available by this title shall be expended as authorized by law for the programs, projects, and activities specified in the “Final Bill” column in the “Department of Energy” table included under the heading “Title III—Department of Energy” in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act).
(e)
The amounts made available by this title may be reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the Department shall notify, and obtain the prior approval of, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed reprogramming that would cause any program, project, or activity funding level to increase or decrease by more than $5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time period covered by this Act.
(f)
None of the funds provided in this title shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that—
(1)
creates, initiates, or eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(2)
increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds are denied or restricted by this Act; or
(3)
reduces funds that are directed to be used for a specific program, project, or activity by this Act.
(g)
(1)
The Secretary of Energy may waive any requirement or restriction in this section that applies to the use of funds made available for the Department of Energy if compliance with such requirement or restriction would pose a substantial risk to human health, the environment, welfare, or national security.
(2)
The Secretary of Energy shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any waiver under paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 3 days after the date of the activity to which a requirement or restriction would otherwise have applied. Such notice shall include an explanation of the substantial risk under paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver.
(h)
The unexpended balances of prior appropriations provided for activities in this Act may be available to the same appropriation accounts for such activities established pursuant to this title. Available balances may be merged with funds in the applicable established accounts and thereafter may be accounted for as one fund for the same time period as originally enacted.

Sec. 302

Funds appropriated by this or any other Act, or made available by the transfer of funds in this Act, for intelligence activities are deemed to be specifically authorized by the Congress for purposes of section 504 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3094) during fiscal year 2020 until the enactment of the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020.

Sec. 303

None of the funds made available in this title shall be used for the construction of facilities classified as high-hazard nuclear facilities under 10 CFR Part 830 unless independent oversight is conducted by the Office of Enterprise Assessments to ensure the project is in compliance with nuclear safety requirements.

Sec. 304

None of the funds made available in this title may be used to approve critical decision-2 or critical decision-3 under Department of Energy Order 413.3B, or any successive departmental guidance, for construction projects where the total project cost exceeds $100,000,000, until a separate independent cost estimate has been developed for the project for that critical decision.

Sec. 305

(a)
None of the funds made available in this or any prior Act under the heading “Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation” may be made available to enter into new contracts with, or new agreements for Federal assistance to, the Russian Federation.
(b)
The Secretary of Energy may waive the prohibition in subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that such activity is in the national security interests of the United States. This waiver authority may not be delegated.
(c)
A waiver under subsection (b) shall not be effective until 15 days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, in classified form if necessary, a report on the justification for the waiver.

Sec. 306

Notwithstanding section 161 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6241), upon a determination by the President in this fiscal year that a regional supply shortage of refined petroleum product of significant scope and duration exists, that a severe increase in the price of refined petroleum product will likely result from such shortage, and that a draw down and sale of refined petroleum product would assist directly and significantly in reducing the adverse impact of such shortage, the Secretary of Energy may draw down and sell refined petroleum product from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Proceeds from a sale under this section shall be deposited into the SPR Petroleum Account established in section 167 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6247), and such amounts shall be available for obligation, without fiscal year limitation, consistent with that section.

Sec. 307

Of the offsetting collections, including unobligated balances of such collections, in the “Department of Energy—Power Marketing Administration—Colorado River Basins Power Marketing Fund, Western Area Power Administration”, $21,400,000 shall be transferred to the “Department of Interior—Bureau of Reclamation—Upper Colorado River Basin Fund” for the Bureau of Reclamation to carry out environmental stewardship and endangered species recovery efforts.

Sec. 308

(a)
Of the unobligated balances available from amounts appropriated in prior Acts under the heading “Title III—Department of Energy—Energy Programs”, $12,723,000 is hereby rescinded.
(b)
No amounts may be rescinded under (a) from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Sec. 309

Beginning in fiscal year 2021 and for each fiscal year thereafter, fees collected pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of section 6939f of title 42, United States Code, shall be deposited in “Department of Energy—Energy Programs—Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup” as discretionary offsetting collections.

Sec. 310

During fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter, notwithstanding any provision of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification or rates of pay, the Southeastern Power Administration shall pay any power system dispatcher employed by the Administration a rate of basic pay and premium pay based on those prevailing for similar occupations in the electric power industry. Basic pay and premium pay may not be paid under this section to any individual during a calendar year so as to result in a total rate in excess of the rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule (section 5316 of such title).

IV Independent agencies

Sec. 401

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall comply with the July 5, 2011, version of Chapter VI of its Internal Commission Procedures when responding to Congressional requests for information, consistent with Department of Justice guidance for all federal agencies.

Sec. 402

(a)
The amounts made available by this title for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may be reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the Commission shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed reprogramming that would cause any program funding level to increase or decrease by more than $500,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time period covered by this Act.
(b)
(1)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may waive the notification requirement in subsection (a) if compliance with such requirement would pose a substantial risk to human health, the environment, welfare, or national security.
(2)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any waiver under paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 3 days after the date of the activity to which a requirement or restriction would otherwise have applied. Such notice shall include an explanation of the substantial risk under paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver and shall provide a detailed report to the Committees of such waiver and changes to funding levels to programs, projects, or activities.
(c)
Except as provided in subsections (a), (b), and (d), the amounts made available by this title for “Nuclear Regulatory Commission—Salaries and Expenses” shall be expended as directed in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act).
(d)
None of the funds provided for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds are denied or restricted by this Act.
(e)
The Commission shall provide a monthly report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, which includes the following for each program, project, or activity, including any prior year appropriations—
(1)
total budget authority;
(2)
total unobligated balances; and
(3)
total unliquidated obligations.

V General provisions

Sec. 501

None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence congressional action on any legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate to Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913.

Sec. 502

(a)
None of the funds made available in title III of this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer authority provided in this Act or any other appropriations Act for any fiscal year, transfer authority referenced in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act), or any authority whereby a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may provide goods or services to another department, agency, or instrumentality.
(b)
None of the funds made available for any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may be transferred to accounts funded in title III of this Act, except pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer authority provided in this Act or any other appropriations Act for any fiscal year, transfer authority referenced in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act), or any authority whereby a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may provide goods or services to another department, agency, or instrumentality.
(c)
The head of any relevant department or agency funded in this Act utilizing any transfer authority shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a semiannual report detailing the transfer authorities, except for any authority whereby a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may provide goods or services to another department, agency, or instrumentality, used in the previous 6 months and in the year-to-date. This report shall include the amounts transferred and the purposes for which they were transferred, and shall not replace or modify existing notification requirements for each authority.

Sec. 503

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used in contravention of Executive Order No. 12898 of February 11, 1994 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations).

Sec. 504

(a)
None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography.
(b)
Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.