Agenda - Public Works Committee - 10/20/2020

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S. 3021-5 Subtitle A —General Provisions SEC. 1101. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT BILLS. It is the sense of Congress that, because the missions of the Corps of Engineers for navigation, flood control, beach erosion con- trol and shoreline protection, hydroelectric power, recreation, water supply, environmental protection, restoration, and enhancement, and fish and wildlife mitigation benefit all Americans, and because water resources development projects are critical to maintaining the country's economic prosperity, national security, and environ- mental protection, Congress should consider a water resources development bill not less often than once every Congress. SEC. 1102. STUDY OF THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. (a) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to convene a committee of experts to carry out a comprehensive study on— (1) the ability of the Corps of Engineers to carry out its statutory missions and responsibilities, and the potential effects of transferring the functions (including regulatory obligations), personnel, assets, and civilian staff responsibilities of the Sec- retary relating to civil works from the Department of Defense to a new or existing agency or subagency of the Federal Govern- ment, including how such a transfer might affect the Federal Government's ability to meet the current statutory missions and responsibilities of the Corps of Engineers; and (2) improving the Corps of Engineers' project delivery proc- esses, including recommendations for such improvements, taking into account factors including — (A) the effect of the annual appropriations process on the ability of the Corps of Engineers to efficiently secure and carry out contracts for water resources development projects and perform regulatory obligations; (B) the effect that the current Corps of Engineers leadership and geographic structure at the division and district levels has on its ability to carry out its missions in a cost-effective manner; and (C) the effect of the frequency of rotations of senior leaders of the Corps of Engineers and how such frequency affects the function of the district. (b) CONSIDERATIONS. —The study carried out under subsection (a) shall include consideration of— (1) effects on the national security of the United States; (2) the ability of the Corps of Engineers to maintain suffi- cient engineering capability and capacity to assist ongoing and future operations of the United States armed services; (3) emergency and natural disaster response obligations of the Federal Government that are carried out by the Corps of Engineers; and (Al +ho X/ of +h a (Inv, of P71rrinoorc fn ;1^1n1NEI7C. off;_