H.R. 1382, a bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act with respect to San Francisco Bay restoration, and for other purposes

H.R. 1382 would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund the San Francisco Bay restoration program under interagency agreements and contracts. The bill also would allow EPA to partner with other federal, public, and private entities for the program’s projects and activities. The program focuses on water quality improvement, wetland restoration, and the recovery of nearshore and endangered species.

Under current law, EPA may fund the program’s activities under competitive agreements, grants, and other means to state, local, and nonprofit agencies. In 2024, EPA allocated $54 million for the program.

EPA also could use previously appropriated amounts from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, that were designated as an emergency requirement. That act provided $5 million annually from 2022 through 2026 for the San Francisco Bay restoration activities. Based on information from the agency, CBO expects that enacting the bill could accelerate spending of those amounts. Because the bill would affect previously appropriated amounts, any change in spending would be classified as direct spending.

On that basis, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1382 would have increase direct spending over the 2025-2030 period by an insignificant amount and would have no net effect on direct spending over the 2025-2035 period.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Kelly Durand. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.