H.R. 4419 would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to construct projects for water storage, aquifer recharge, fish conservation, and water supply for certain rural communities. The bill also would direct BOR and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to accelerate studies related to their approval or denial of permits needed to construct water infrastructure projects. Under the bill, BOR and BIA would be required to limit the cost and time to complete each study, to construct a publicly accessible database to provide information about the status of each study, and to act as the lead agency in coordinating with state and federal agencies to expedite the environmental reviews necessary to complete those studies.
Using information provided by BOR and BIA, CBO estimates that implementing H.R 4419 would cost $174 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized and necessary amounts.
Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 4419 would not increase direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 4419 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
