H.R. 4465 would extend through 2023 the specific authority of the Bureau of Reclamation to spend, without further appropriation, certain proceeds collected from the sale of hydroelectric power by the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) for fish recovery programs in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin. The fish recovery activities include research, removal of nonnative fish, and program management activities. In recent years, annual spending for the bureau’s fish recovery programs has totaled about $12 million. About $8 million of those funds were from WAPA’s hydroelectricity sales and the remaining amounts were from appropriated funds.
Under current law, the specific authority to spend WAPA’s proceeds for fish recovery programs expires at the end of fiscal year 2019. After 2019, the bureau may continue to use those funds for fish recovery and other programs under the agency’s general authorities. However, all programs eligible to receive WAPA proceeds, including fish recovery programs, would compete for those funds, and spending of WAPA proceeds on fish recovery would probably be lower than in recent years. Enacting H.R. 4465 would extend the authority of the bureau to give fish recovery programs priority over others through 2023.
Enacting the bill would affect direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, the bureau can spend the funds under current law, and CBO expects that any change in the timing of outlays would be negligible. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 4465 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 4465 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
