Washington, D.C. – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today approved 26 bills in an 11:30 a.m. business meeting. The 26 bills were approved by unanimous consent with the exception of S. 652, which received a “nay” vote. 

The bills reported out of committee are as follows:

S. 166 - To amend the Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996 to reauthorize the participation of the Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes River Conservancy.

S. 206 - To designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, and for other purposes with an amendment in the nature of a substitute to clarify funding and National Park Service involvement in an administrative center for the trail.

S. 213 - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land to Rio Arriba County, New Mexico with an amendment that modifies the bill to simplify the intended conveyance and corrects the acreage to be conveyed.

S. 242 - To establish 4 memorials to the Space Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texas with an amendment in the nature of a substitute to change the bill from a designation of memorials to a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing memorials. 

S. 251 - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct a water resource feasibility study for the Little Butte/Bear Creek Sub-basins in Oregon with an amendment adding a 50 percent cost-share component. 

S. 592 - To extend the contract for the Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin Project in the State of Wyoming with an amendment to the title.

S. 652 - To provide financial assistance for the rehabilitation of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the development of an exhibit to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin.

Senator Thomas requested that his vote on S. 652 be recorded as “nay”.

S. 761 - To rename the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in the State of Idaho as the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in honor of the late Morley Nelson, an international authority on birds of prey, who was instrumental in the establishment of this National Conservation Area.

S. 777 - To designate Catoctin Mountain Park in the State of Maryland as the “Catoctin Mountain National Recreation Area” with a technical amendment.

S. 819 - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to reallocate costs of the Pactola Dam and Reservoir, South Dakota, to reflect increased demands for municipal, industrial, and fish and wildlife purposes.

S. 891 - To extend the water service contract for the Ainsworth Unit, Sandhills Division, Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Nebraska.

S. 895 - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a rural water supply program in the Reclamation States to provide a clean, safe, affordable, and reliable water supply to rural residents. 

An amendment in the nature of a substitute directs in Section 104 the Secretary of the Interior, in collaboration with the heads of agencies that have rural water programs, an assessment of how the program will complement the authorities within other programs and improvements that can be made to better coordinate with the other programs. Also added was a provision that directs the Secretary of Interior to solicit comments from states with rural water supply needs.

Added to Section 202 is a provision that makes available for the loan guarantees authorized under Title II extraordinary operation and maintenance cost for rehabilitation of a facility that is authorized pursuant to federal reclamation law or there is repayment associated with a repayment contract or water service contract. Also added was Section 205 which details the obligations of the Secretary of Interior in the event of a default. Section 209 was also added which states that the Secretary of Interior shall consult with the Secretary of Agriculture before promulgating criteria with respect to financial appraisal functions and loan guarantee administration and may enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture. Section 210 requires recipients of loan guarantees to keep financial records as determined by the Secretary of the Interior. Finally, section 211 states that all loans guaranteed under this act shall have the full faith and credit of the United States.

S. 955 - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of including in the National Park System certain sites in Williamson County, Tennessee, relating to the Battle of Franklin with a technical amendment.

S. 958 - To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Star-Spangled Banner Trail in the States of Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia as a National Historic Trail with a technical amendment.

S. 1154 - To extend the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, to provide improved visitor services at the park with a technical amendment. 

S. 1170 - To establish the Fort Stanton-Snowy River National Cave Conservation Area with an amendment in the nature of a substitute to modify the bill referencing a map, by specifying procedures for establishing boundaries and clarifying management requirements for the area.

S. 1238 - To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that protect forests, with a joint staff amendment that expands which funds may be used to pay for Corps activities related to disaster prevention or disaster relief projects. 

S. 1338 - To require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of Alaska, with an amendment to include the city of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks Northstar Borough in the study. 

S. 1627 - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study to evaluate resources along the coastal region of the State of Delaware and to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing a unit of the National Park System in Delaware.

H.R. 126 - To amend Public Law 89-366 to allow for an adjustment in the number of free roaming horses permitted in Cape Lookout National Seashore with report language.

S. 584 (H.R. 432) - To require the Secretary of the Interior to permit continued occupancy and use of certain lands and improvements within Rocky Mountain National Park, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute that reduces the acreage from twenty-three to eight acres, gives the public access to an area along the Colorado river that was previously closed, and specifies conditions for terminating the lease. 

H.R. 539 - To designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

H.R. 584 - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recruit volunteers to assist with, or facilitate, the activities of various agencies and offices of the Department of the Interior.

H.R. 606 - To authorize appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior for the restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station in the State of California.

H.R. 1101 - To revoke a Public Land Order with respect to certain lands erroneously included in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, California with report language establishing the expectations for how the Act is to be implemented. 

S. 485 (H.R. 2362) - To reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.