[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4648 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4648

       To provide incentives for investment in green stormwater 
                infrastructure, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 29, 2016

  Mr. Kilmer (for himself and Mr. Heck of Washington) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       To provide incentives for investment in green stormwater 
                infrastructure, 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 ``Green Stormwater Infrastructure 
Investment Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

    Section 502 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1362) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(27) Green stormwater infrastructure.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `green stormwater 
                infrastructure' means any stormwater management 
                technique that--
                            ``(i) uses natural systems or engineered 
                        systems that mimic natural processes to 
                        infiltrate, evapotranspire, or filter 
                        stormwater; and
                            ``(ii) preserves, enhances, or mimics 
                        natural hydrology to protect or restore water 
                        quality.
                    ``(B) Inclusions.--The term `green stormwater 
                infrastructure' includes--
                            ``(i) systems that promote absorption, 
                        uptake, evapotranspiration, filtration by soil 
                        and plant life, and stormwater system 
                        resiliency, such as bioretention, permeable 
                        pavements, green roofs, and natural vegetation; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) the preservation or restoration of--
                                    ``(I) interconnected networks of 
                                natural land or topography that protect 
                                essential ecological functions critical 
                                for water quality;
                                    ``(II) ecological function, 
                                including forests, grasslands, and 
                                deserts;
                                    ``(III) bodies of water, including 
                                lakes, rivers, flood plains, 
                                headwaters, creeks, wetlands, 
                                estuaries, and sounds; and
                                    ``(IV) native soil characteristics 
                                of composition, structure, and 
                                transmissivity.''.

SEC. 3. GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE RESERVE.

    Title VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 609. GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE RESERVE.

    ``(a) In General.--To the extent there are sufficient eligible 
project applications, not less than 20 percent of the funds made 
available under this title to each State shall be used by the State for 
projects that are otherwise eligible under this title and include a 
green stormwater infrastructure component.
    ``(b) Operation and Maintenance.--Funds reserved under this section 
may be used for operation and maintenance costs of green stormwater 
infrastructure constructed using funds reserved under this section.''.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 5341. Priority for green stormwater infrastructure projects
    ``(a) In General.--In selecting public transportation 
infrastructure projects to receive financial assistance under this 
chapter or any other provision of law, the Secretary shall prioritize 
projects that include green stormwater infrastructure, as defined in 
section 502 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1362).
    ``(b) TIGER Grant Program.--The projects referred to in subsection 
(a) include projects selected under the Transportation Investment 
Generating Economic Recovery competitive grant program.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 53 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``5341. Priority for green stormwater infrastructure projects.''.

SEC. 5. PERMITTING GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

    Section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1342) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(s) Green Stormwater Infrastructure.--Notwithstanding subsection 
(b)(1)(B), a permit under this section for green stormwater 
infrastructure may be for a term not to exceed 10 years.''.
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