Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9226 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9226

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2026

  Mr. McGovern (for himself, Mr. Neal, Ms. Balint, Mr. Courtney, Ms.
 Goodlander, and Mrs. Hayes) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 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 Army 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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