Bill > HR5412

This bill, the Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage Streamlining Act, aims to expedite the process for developing or expanding surface water storage projects managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Key provisions include setting a three-year deadline for completing feasibility studies for new projects, with a maximum federal cost of $3 million, and requiring concurrent reviews by personnel at different levels of the Bureau. If a study is delayed, the Secretary of the Interior must provide an updated schedule and notify Congress. The bill also allows for extensions of up to three years for complex projects, but with a strict seven-year overall limit. It mandates that the Bureau of Reclamation initiate all necessary federally mandated reviews, including environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and convene meetings with all relevant federal, tribal, and state agencies early in the process. Furthermore, it allows non-federal entities, such as water districts, to serve as joint lead agencies in preparing environmental documents under NEPA, provided the Bureau provides guidance and independently evaluates the documents. The bill also establishes coordinated environmental review processes, sets deadlines for agency decisions, and includes financial penalties for federal agencies that fail to make timely decisions on permits or approvals, with exceptions for situations where delays are due to lack of information or resources. Finally, it requires annual reporting to Congress on future surface water storage development proposals and establishes a program for measuring and reporting progress in expediting planning and environmental reviews.