Sec. 603. Acceleration of studies
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To the extent practicable, a project study initiated by the Secretary, after the date of enactment of this Act, under the Reclamation Act of 1902 (32 Stat. 388), and all Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, shall— result in the completion of a final feasibility report not later than 3 years after the date of initiation; have a maximum Federal cost of $3,000,000; and ensure that personnel from the local project area, region, and headquarters levels of the Bureau of Reclamation concurrently conduct the review required under this section. If the Secretary determines that a project study described in subsection
(a)will not be conducted in accordance with subsection (a), the Secretary, not later than 30 days after the date of making the determination, shall— prepare an updated project study schedule and cost estimate; notify the non-Federal project cost-sharing partner that the project study has been delayed; and provide written notice to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate as to the reasons the requirements of subsection
(a)are not attainable. Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a), the Secretary may extend the timeline of a project study by a period not to exceed 3 years, if the Secretary determines that the project study is too complex to comply with the requirements of subsection (a). In making a determination that a study is too complex to comply with the requirements of subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider— the type, size, location, scope, and overall cost of the project; whether the project will use any innovative design or construction techniques; whether the project will require significant action by other Federal, State, or local agencies; whether there is significant public dispute as to the nature or effects of the project; and whether there is significant public dispute as to the economic or environmental costs or benefits of the project. Each time the Secretary makes a determination under this subsection, the Secretary shall provide written notice to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate as to the results of that determination, including an identification of the specific one or more factors used in making the determination that the project is complex. The Secretary shall not extend the timeline for a project study for a period of more than 7 years, and any project study that is not completed before that date shall no longer be authorized. Not later than 90 days after the date of the initiation of a project study described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall— take all steps necessary to initiate the process for completing federally mandated reviews that the Secretary is required to complete as part of the study, including the environmental review process under section 805; convene a meeting of all Federal, tribal, and State agencies identified under section 605(d) that may— have jurisdiction over the project; be required by law to conduct or issue a review, analysis, opinion, or statement for the project study; or be required to make a determination on issuing a permit, license, or other approval or decision for the project study; and take all steps necessary to provide information that will enable required reviews and analyses related to the project to be conducted by other agencies in a thorough and timely manner. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and make publicly available a report that describes— the status of the implementation of the planning process under this section, including the number of participating projects; a review of project delivery schedules, including a description of any delays on those studies initiated prior to the date of the enactment of this Act; and any recommendations for additional authority necessary to support efforts to expedite the project. Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and make publicly available a report that describes— the status of the implementation of this section, including a description of each project study subject to the requirements of this section; the amount of time taken to complete each project study; and any recommendations for additional authority necessary to support efforts to expedite the project study process, including an analysis of whether the limitation established by subsection (a)(2) needs to be adjusted to address the impacts of inflation.
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Sec. 603
Acceleration of studies
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