Recent Developments

• Date: 01 February 2015

2-2015 NEWS & ANALYSIS 45 ELR 10173

Public Law

H.R. 4194 (governance), which

provides for the elimination or modi-

cation of various federal reporting

requirements, was signed into law by

President Obama on November 26,

2014. Pub. L. No. 113-188, 160 Cong.

Rec. D1069 (daily ed. Dec. 2, 2014).

Chamber Action

S. 684 (water), which would amend

the Mni Wiconi Project Act of 1988 to

facilitate completion of the Mni Wiconi

Rural Water Supply System, was passed

by the Senate. 160 Cong. Rec. S6924

(daily ed. Dec. 16, 2014).

S. 1000 (governanc e), which would

require the Director of the Oce of

Management and Budget to prepare a

cross-cut budget for restoration activi-

ties in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,

was passed by the Senate, 160 Cong.

Rec. S6246 (daily ed. Dec. 2, 2014),

and the House, 160 Cong. Rec. H8967

(daily ed. Dec. 10, 2014).

S. 1800 (governance), which would

require the Secretary of the Interior to

submit a report to Congress on the ef-

forts of the Bureau of Reclamation to

manage its infra structure assets, was

passed by the Senate. 160 Cong. Rec.

S6924 (daily ed. Dec. 16, 2014).

S. 2444 (water), which would amend

provisions of the CWA related to area

contingency plans for the discha rge

of oil and hazardous substa nces, was

passed by the Senate. 160 Cong. Rec.

S6480 (daily ed. Dec. 10, 2014).

S. 2785 (water), which would direct

EPA to publish a health advisory and

submit reports with respect to micro-

cystins in drinking water, was passed by

the Senate, clearing the mea sure for the

President. 160 Cong. Rec. S6607 (daily

ed. Dec. 11, 2014).

S. Res. 564 (wild life), honoring con-

servation on the centennial of the pas-

senger pigeon extinction, was passed by

the Senate. 160 Cong. Rec. S929 (daily

ed. Dec. 16, 2014).

H.R. 1068 (land use), which would

enact Title 54 of the U.S. Code,

“National Park Service and Related

Programs,” as positive law, was passed

by the Senate. 160 Cong. Rec. S6867

(daily ed. Dec. 15, 2014).

H.R. 1206 (wildl ife), which would

grant the Secretar y of the Interior per-

manent authority to authorize states

to issue electronic duck stamps, was

passed by the Senate. 160 Cong. Rec.

S6840 (daily ed. Dec. 15, 2014).

H.R. 2455 (land use), which would

provide for the sale or transfer of ap-

proximately 46,000 acres of federal

lands to several India n tribes in Ne-

vada, and 275 acres to Elko County,

Nevada, for a motocross, bicycle, o-

highway vehicle, or stock car racing

area, was passe d by the House. 160

Cong. Rec. H8187 (daily ed. Dec. 1,

2014).

H.R. 2640 (water), which would

amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

to adjust the Crooked River boundary

to provide water certainty for Prinev-

ille, Oregon, was passed by the Senate.

160 Cong. Rec. S6621 (daily ed. Dec.

11, 2014).

H.R. 2901 (governance), which would

strengthen implementation of the Sena-

tor Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act

of 2005 by improving the capacity of

the federal government to implement,

leverage, and monitor and evaluate pro-

grams to provide rst-time or improved

access to safe drinking water, sanita-

tion, and hygiene to the world’s poorest

on an equitable and sustainable basis,

was passed by the Senate. 160 Cong.

Rec. S6867 (daily ed. Dec. 15, 2014).

H.R. 3572 (water), which would revise

the boundaries of several u nits in the

John H. Chafee Coasta l Barrier Re-

sources System in North Carolina, wa s

passed by the House, 160 Cong. Rec.

H8188 (daily ed. Dec. 1, 2014), and the

Senate, 160 Cong. Rec. H8238 (daily

ed. Dec. 2, 2014).

H.R. 4924 (water), which would direct

the Secretary of the Interior to enter

into the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch

Water Rights Settlement Agreement

and the Hualapai Tribe Bill Williams

River Water Rights Settlement Agree-

ment to provide for the lease of land

located within Planet Ra nch on the Bill

Williams R iver to benet the Lower

Colorado River Multi-Species Con-

servation Program and to provide for

the settlement of water rights claims in

the Bill Williams R iver Watershed in

Arizona, was pa ssed by the House, 160

Cong. Rec. H8181 (daily ed. Dec. 1,

2014), and the Senate, 160 Cong. Rec.

S6272 (daily ed. Dec. 2, 2014).

H.R. 5057 (energy), which would

amend the Energy Policy and Conser-

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In the Congress

“In the Congress” entries cover activities reported in the Congressional Record from December 1, 2014, through December

31, 2014. Entries are arranged by bill number, with Senate bills listed rst. “In the Congress” covers all environment-

related bills that are introduced, reported out of committee, passed by either house, or signed by the president. “In the

Congress” also covers all environmental treaties ratied by the Senate. is material is updated monthly. For archived

materials, visit http://elr.info/legislative/congressional-update/archive.

Copyright © 2015 Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, DC. Reprinted with permission from ELR®, http://www.eli.org, 1-800-433-5120.