US Congress House Bill 678 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 11-1)
Status: Passed on August 9 2013 - 100% progression
Action: 2013-08-09 - Became Public Law No: 113-24.
Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [PDF]

Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act - Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Bureau of Reclamation) to contract for the development of small conduit hydropower at Bureau facilities. Defines: (1) "small conduit hydropower" as five megawatts or less; and (2) "conduit" as a tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance. Requires that power privilege leases be offered first to an irrigation district or water users association operating or receiving water from the applicable transferred or reserved conduit. Defines: (1) reserved conduit as any conduit included in project works whose care, operation, and maintenance has been reserved by the Secretary (through the Bureau); and (2) transferred conduit as any conduit included in project works whose care, operation, and maintenance has been transferred to a legally organized water users association or irrigation district. Requires the Secretary to offer the lease of power privilege to other parties if the irrigation district or water users association elects not to accept a lease of power privilege offer. Requires the Bureau to apply its categorical exclusion process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to small conduit hydropower, except with respect to siting of associated transmission on federal lands. Makes the Bureau's Power Resources Office the lead office for such small conduit hydropower policy and procedure-setting activities. (Thus excludes such activities from the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC].) Declares that nothing in this Act shall: (1) obligate specified power administrations to purchase or market the power produced by such facilities, (2) alter or impede the delivery and management of water for original project purposes, or (3) alter or affect any existing agreements for conduit hydropower development projects or disposition of revenues. Deems water used for conduit hydropower generation to be incidental to use of water for the original project purposes.

Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act

Rep. Scott Tipton [R-CO]	Rep. Mark Amodei [R-NV]	Rep. Mike Coffman [R-CO]	Rep. Jim Costa [D-CA]
Sen. Kevin Cramer [R-ND]	Sen. Steve Daines [R-MT]	Sen. Cory Gardner [R-CO]	Rep. Paul Gosar [R-AZ]
Rep. Doug LaMalfa [R-CA]	Sen. Cynthia Lummis [R-WY]	Rep. Tom McClintock [R-CA]	Rep. Adrian Smith [R-NE]

2013-04-10 - House - On Passage (Y: 416 N: 7 NV: 8 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2013-04-10 - House - On Motion to Recommit with Instructions (Y: 194 N: 226 NV: 11 Abs: 0) [FAIL]
2013-04-10 - House - On Agreeing to the Amendment (Y: 189 N: 232 NV: 10 Abs: 0) [FAIL]

Date	Chamber	Action
2013-08-09	Senate	Became Public Law No: 113-24.
2013-08-09	Senate	Signed by President.
2013-08-06	Senate	Presented to President.
2013-08-02	Senate	Message on Senate action sent to the House.
2013-08-01	Senate	Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6257)
2013-06-03	Senate	By Senator Wyden from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 113-39.
2013-05-13	Senate	Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 72.
2013-05-13	Senate	Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Wyden without amendment. Without written report.
2013-05-08	Senate	Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
2013-04-23	Senate	Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-24.
2013-04-15	Senate	Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
2013-04-10	House	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2013-04-10	House	On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 416 - 7 (Roll no. 96).
2013-04-10	House	On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 194 - 226 (Roll no. 95).
2013-04-10	House	The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H1889)
2013-04-10	House	DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Garamendi motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add a section to the bill relating to Buy America provisions. The new section would require that, when practicable, all materials used for conduit hydropower generation be manufactured in the United States.
2013-04-10	House	Mr. Garamendi moved to recommit with instructions to Natural Resources. (consideration: CR H1888; text: CR H1888)
2013-04-10	House	The House adopted the amendment as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
2013-04-10	House	The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H1888)
2013-04-10	House	The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 678.
2013-04-10	House	H.AMDT.38 On agreeing to the Napolitano amendment (A002) Failed by recorded vote: 189 - 232 (Roll no. 94).
2013-04-10	House	The Chair announced that proceedings would now resume on amendments which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
2013-04-10	House	H.AMDT.39 On agreeing to the Tipton amendment (A003) Agreed to by voice vote.
2013-04-10	House	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 140, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Tipton No. 2 amendment under the five-minute rule.
2013-04-10	House	H.AMDT.39 Amendment (A003) offered by Mr. Tipton. (consideration: CR H1886-1887; text: CR H1886-1887)Amendment makes technical changes relating to policy and procedure-setting with respect to irrigation districts or water users associations and clarifies that nothing in the bill affects existing arrangements between irrigation and water districts and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
2013-04-10	House	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Napolitano No. 1 amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced the noes had prevailed. Mrs. Napolitano demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
2013-04-10	House	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 140, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Napolitano No. 1 amendment under the five-minute rule.
2013-04-10	House	H.AMDT.38 Amendment (A002) offered by Mrs. Napolitano. (consideration: CR H1885-1886, H1887-1888; text: CR H1885)Amendment sought to strike the paragraph in the bill containing requirements regarding the application of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to small conduit hydropower development and changing the definition of small conduit hydropower to mean a facility capable of producing 15 megawatts or less of electric capacity.
2013-04-10	House	H.AMDT.37 On agreeing to the Tipton amendment (A001) Agreed to by voice vote.
2013-04-10	House	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 140, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Tipton No. 3 amendment under the five-minute rule.
2013-04-10	House	H.AMDT.37 Amendment (A001) offered by Mr. Tipton. (consideration: CR H1884-1885; text: CR H1884)Amendment removes the NEPA waiver in the bill and codifies the application of the Bureau of Reclamation's categorical exclusion process under the National Environmental Policy Act for small hydropower projects covered by the bill.
2013-04-10	House	GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 678.
2013-04-10	House	The Speaker designated the Honorable Ted Poe to act as Chairman of the Committee.
2013-04-10	House	House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 140 and Rule XVIII.
2013-04-10	House	Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 678 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is open to amendments.
2013-04-10	House	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 140. (consideration: CR H1878-1890; text of measure as reported in House: CR H1884)
2013-04-10	House	Rule H. Res. 140 passed House.
2013-04-09	House	Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 140 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 678 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is open to amendments.
2013-03-25	House	Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 12.
2013-03-25	House	Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 113-24.
2013-03-20	House	Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 17 - 12.
2013-03-20	House	Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
2013-03-20	House	Subcommittee on Water and Power Discharged.
2013-03-05	House	Subcommittee Hearings Held.
2013-02-22	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
2013-02-13	House	Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

SB306 (Same As) 2013-06-03 - By Senator Wyden from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 113-35.
HR140 (Related) 2013-04-10 - Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
HB1963 (Related) 2014-07-31 - Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 518.
HB2 (Related) 2014-11-17 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 601.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/678/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr678/BILLS-113hr678ih.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr678/BILLS-113hr678rh.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr678/BILLS-113hr678eh.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr678/BILLS-113hr678rs.pdf
Text	https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr678/BILLS-113hr678enr.pdf
Roll Call	https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/201394
Roll Call	https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/201395
Roll Call	https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/201396