Sec. 2. Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership Committee for assisting habitat restoration projects

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In this section: The term Committee means the Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership Committee established under subsection (b). The term eligible entity means an entity or qualified partner sponsoring a habitat restoration project in a watershed in which a Bureau of Reclamation project is located that receives a grant, cooperative agreement, or other financial assistance agreement from the Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. Not later than 180 days after the date on which an eligible entity submits to the Secretary a request for the establishment of the Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership Committee, the Secretary may establish the Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership Committee.

The Assistant Secretary for Water and Science of the Department of the Interior shall— serve as the chairperson of the Committee; and coordinate the activities of, and communication among, members of the Committee. The Committee shall include representatives of Federal agencies, as appropriate, with responsibility for water and natural resource issues, including representatives of— the Bureau of Reclamation; the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; the National Marine Fisheries Service; the Corps of Engineers; the Environmental Protection Agency; and the Department of Agriculture.

The members of the Committee shall establish the duties and responsibilities of the Committee, including— facilitating communication and collaboration among Federal agencies to support and advance any habitat restoration projects for which an eligible entity requests the assistance of the Committee; ensuring the effective coordination among relevant Federal agencies and departments to ensure accelerated implementation of any habitat restoration projects for which an eligible entity requests the assistance of the Committee; making policy and budgetary recommendations, if determined to be appropriate by the Committee, to support the implementation of habitat restoration projects; and reporting biannually to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives on actions taken by, and recommendations of, the Committee under paragraphs

(1)through (3). On request of an eligible entity, the Committee shall assist the eligible entity with permit processing and interagency coordination with respect to the applicable habitat restoration project.